Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2019-12-03
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2019-12-03

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand for yearlings was mostly moderate to good on light offerings. Steer calves all sold steady to 5.00 higher, while heifers sold unevenly steady from 3.00 lower to 3.00 higher. Quality this sale was mixed from plain to attractive, however most offerings were of plain to average quality. Several sets of weaned calves were seen this week. Buyers were very responsive to quality this week as they purchased high quality unweaned calves, with two rounds of preconditioning shots, with just as good of demand as weaned calves. This led to uneven prices throughout the sale. Market activity this week was mostly slow to moderate. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good demand for moderate to heavy offerings. Packer buyers were more aggressive this week as they purchased cows for immediate harvest. A holiday week coupled with a major snowstorm which slowed supplies being delivered to the plant as well as availability at sales across the upper plains had packers searching for offerings this sale. After packers filled immediate plant needs they turned to purchasing more cows to feed. Feeding buyers purchased cows on good demand this week as well as a good number of buyers were all on hand actively bidding on offerings. Slaughter cows sold mostly 2.00-4.00 higher on boning and lean cows. Feeding cows sold mostly 2.00-5.00 higher with the largest gains seen this week in thin cows suitable for short term feeding; these offerings sold mostly 4.00-5.00 higher. Slaughter bulls sold steady to firm on a lower yielding offering than was seen last week. Young age cows sold on mostly good demand this sale. Cows suitable to re-breed sold mostly steady to firm. Offerings were average to attractive.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $156.42/cwt on 572 head.

Average price

$156.42

572 head · 542 lb average

Value per head Derived

$847

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$26

per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Medium 1

$19.72/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+1.40

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	449	163.72	734	111
Medium and Large 1	566	154.87	876	451
Medium and Large 2	494	147.50	729	4thin
Medium 1	492	144.00	708	6thin

One grade step is worth $19.72/cwt here — about $26 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 sale572 hd

156.42

—

MT average2 barns · 661 hd

155.02

+1.40

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	—	High	1,617	73.61	1,190	15
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,420	58.21	827	11
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,083	40.26	436	20

Every lot, as filed

66 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
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	743	118.00/cwt	118.00–118.00	877	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	525	126.00/cwt	126.00–126.00	662	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	325	195.00/cwt	195.00–195.00	634	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	371	183.00/cwt	183.00–183.00	679	7
Heifers	Large 1Fancy	—	1,054	137.50/cwt	137.50–137.50	1,449	10
Heifers	Large 1Fancy	—	1,004	138.75/cwt	138.75–138.75	1,393	14
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	494	147.50/cwt	147.50–147.50	729	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,305	58.27/cwt	50.50–69.25	760	197
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	516	142.14/cwt	140.00–145.50	733	111
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	915	127.00/cwt	127.00–127.00	1,162	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	738	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	1,026	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,304	58.62/cwt	54.00–69.00	764	132
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,066	88.17/cwt	70.00–99.50	940	68
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,079	77.90/cwt	57.00–87.00	841	50
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	678	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	915	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,212	51.56/cwt	49.50–53.50	625	23
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	795	78.00/cwt	78.00–78.00	620	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	355	136.00/cwt	136.00–136.00	483	21
Steers	Medium 1	—	492	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	708	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	723	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	904	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	662	132.00/cwt	132.00–132.00	874	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	318	202.00/cwt	202.00–202.00	642	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	630	154.00/cwt	154.00–154.00	970	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	789	137.00/cwt	137.00–137.00	1,081	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	475	142.50/cwt	142.50–142.50	677	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	385	140.49/cwt	140.00–145.00	541	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	470	145.03/cwt	139.75–148.00	682	65
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	581	156.62/cwt	154.00–159.50	910	106
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	470	156.41/cwt	155.00–159.00	735	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	348	177.00/cwt	177.00–177.00	616	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	408	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	714	33
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	506	152.76/cwt	152.00–157.00	773	47
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	591	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	768	9
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	900	42.00/cwt	42.00–42.00	378	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	863	73.00/cwt	73.00–73.00	630	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	513	158.36/cwt	155.00–164.00	812	48
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	470	160.04/cwt	151.00–163.50	752	55
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	583	132.10/cwt	130.00–138.00	770	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	538	136.90/cwt	130.00–138.00	737	22
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	431	146.24/cwt	140.00–148.00	630	85
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,171	131.50/cwt	131.50–131.50	1,540	4
Heifers	Medium 1	—	746	140.50/cwt	140.50–140.50	1,048	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	667	145.22/cwt	144.50–151.00	969	26
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	582	159.56/cwt	159.50–160.00	929	38
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	517	158.97/cwt	158.00–161.50	822	54
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	718	120.00/cwt	120.00–120.00	862	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	613	148.68/cwt	143.00–150.00	911	27
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	672	142.23/cwt	137.00–143.00	956	32
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	453	137.93/cwt	137.50–138.50	625	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	437	142.50/cwt	142.50–142.50	623	14
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,161	49.19/cwt	41.00–52.50	571	139
Bulls	—	—	1,830	83.00/cwt	83.00–83.00	1,519	1
Bulls	—	—	1,523	67.59/cwt	59.00–71.00	1,029	5
Bulls	—	—	1,646	75.91/cwt	73.50–79.00	1,249	9
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,388	63.92/cwt	63.00–64.50	887	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,452	54.05/cwt	52.00–55.50	785	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,420	50.50/cwt	50.50–50.50	717	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,010	54.50/cwt	54.50–54.50	550	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,142	44.37/cwt	41.50–49.00	507	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,056	35.08/cwt	31.00–39.50	370	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	945	45.00/cwt	45.00–45.00	425	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	609	127.00/cwt	127.00–127.00	773	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	668	124.50/cwt	124.50–124.50	832	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	462	168.24/cwt	160.00–171.50	777	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	517	137.32/cwt	135.00–141.00	710	64
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	469	144.82/cwt	144.00–146.00	679	54

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 →