Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2019-09-24
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2019-09-24

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: The best test for feeder steers was for 800-899 lbs yearlings which sold mostly 2.00-3.00 higher. All other weights of yearling steers were too lightly tested to trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Yearling heifers 800-1,049 lbs sold mostly 6.00-10.00 higher. Demand was mostly good with very good demand seen at times. Offerings were mostly moderate. Quality was mostly attractive this week and some of the highest seen this summer. Very good demand was seen for load lots of yearlings, while packages were met with mostly good demand. All cattle were in light flesh and coming straight off grass. All yearlings offered buyers fair weigh up conditions. Market activity was active. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand for light to moderate offerings. Packers showed stronger demand for cows to send to immediate harvest this week. Slaughter cows sold mostly 2.00-3.00 higher on lean and boning cows. Breaking cows were too lightly tested to trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Feeding buyers were back in the market this week and they showed strong demand for cows of all ages. Fleshy cows sold with the best demand again this week as both packers and feeding buyers bid aggressively over offerings. Feeding cows were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Cow quality this week was average to attractive and higher than last week. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 2.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Bulls were mixed for quality. Young age cows suitable to re-breed were too lightly tested to develop any market trend.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $135.93/cwt on 736 head.

Average price

$135.93

736 head · 852 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,158

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$320

per head · Medium 1 over Large 1

$21.80/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+0.81

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	668	145.98	976	66
Medium and Large 1	844	136.86	1,155	556
Medium and Large 1-2	846	130.15	1,102	27
Large 1	1,044	124.18	1,296	87

One grade step is worth $21.80/cwt here — about −$320 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 0–100 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

How it compared 0–100 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale736 hd

135.93

—

MT average3 barns · 1,430 hd

135.12

+0.81

A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

Slaughter cattle

By class and quality grade · $/cwt

Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.

Class	Grade	Dressing	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Bulls	—	Low	1,814	76.04	1,379	62
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,759	70.08	1,233	14
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,417	61.13	866	23
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,213	56.54	686	46

Every lot, as filed

54 lots · USDA AMS · Miles City Livestock Commission Auction - Miles City, MT

Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added.

Class	Grade / description	Weight	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	922	132.78/cwt	129.75–134.50	1,224	80
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	925	136.15/cwt	134.50–138.50	1,259	151
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	884	138.67/cwt	136.00–139.50	1,226	39
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	970	135.50/cwt	135.50–135.50	1,314	25
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	740	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	1,117	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	760	146.50/cwt	146.50–146.50	1,113	3
Steers	Large 1	—	1,007	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	1,309	3
Steers	Large 1Full	—	1,176	103.00/cwt	103.00–103.00	1,211	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	970	122.00/cwt	122.00–122.00	1,183	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	733	147.78/cwt	147.50–150.50	1,083	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	880	134.50/cwt	134.50–134.50	1,184	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	778	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	1,120	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Full	—	770	133.00/cwt	133.00–133.00	1,024	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	533	149.50/cwt	149.50–149.50	797	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	443	158.50/cwt	158.50–158.50	702	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Natural	—	921	140.64/cwt	138.50–141.25	1,295	85
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	834	131.83/cwt	131.00–132.00	1,099	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	284	171.00/cwt	171.00–171.00	486	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	755	133.00/cwt	133.00–133.00	1,004	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	969	129.15/cwt	128.25–130.00	1,251	44
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	767	148.06/cwt	141.00–149.00	1,136	42
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	986	124.42/cwt	124.00–125.00	1,227	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	958	133.00/cwt	133.00–133.00	1,274	21
Heifers	Medium 1	—	691	145.07/cwt	142.50–146.00	1,002	35
Heifers	Medium 1	—	643	147.00/cwt	147.00–147.00	945	31
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,026	127.09/cwt	124.00–127.50	1,304	51
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,069	120.06/cwt	118.00–121.00	1,283	36
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	915	54.00/cwt	54.00–54.00	494	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,228	55.49/cwt	49.50–59.00	681	37
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,168	60.62/cwt	59.00–64.50	708	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,280	69.50/cwt	69.50–69.50	890	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,754	69.56/cwt	69.50–70.00	1,220	8
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,766	70.77/cwt	70.25–73.50	1,250	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,430	63.22/cwt	61.00–66.00	904	11
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,426	57.27/cwt	55.50–58.50	817	10
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,300	68.95/cwt	68.00–70.00	896	2
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,135	67.50/cwt	67.50–67.50	766	1
Bulls	—Heavy Weight	—	2,505	72.50/cwt	72.50–72.50	1,816	1
Bulls	—	—	1,816	78.15/cwt	74.50–81.50	1,419	27
Bulls	—	—	1,771	72.63/cwt	63.00–77.00	1,286	26
Bulls	—	—	1,987	84.00/cwt	83.00–85.00	1,669	5
Bulls	—Canadian Origin	—	1,913	78.00/cwt	78.00–78.00	1,492	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,165	50.00/cwt	50.00–50.00	583	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,150	72.50/cwt	64.00–78.00	834	17
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	989	84.08/cwt	68.00–85.50	832	31
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,425	65.40/cwt	60.00–68.50	932	57
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,422	63.28/cwt	57.00–69.50	900	66
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	845	145.32/cwt	141.00–145.85	1,228	255
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	915	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	1,144	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	472	138.00/cwt	138.00–138.00	651	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	377	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	566	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	420	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	605	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	810	139.35/cwt	139.35–139.35	1,129	226
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	877	134.04/cwt	132.00–136.00	1,176	117

How this sale compares

Montana weighted averages

One sale is one barn on one day. The state ladder is every Montana auction USDA reported that week, weighted by head — the fairer test of whether a lot sold well.

Montana feeder prices, every weight →Every state and region →