Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2020-01-07
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2020-01-07

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale: Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand for yearlings continues to be mostly good on light offerings. Despite offerings beginning to push some age buyers remain aggressive as they bid on yearling offerings. Steer calves weighing less than 450 lbs were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however higher to sharply higher undertones were noticed; 450-649 lbs steers sold mostly 6.00-10.00 higher; steer calves weighing over 650 lbs were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Heifer calves weighing less than 450 lbs sold with higher to sharply higher undertones; 450-499 lbs heifers sold fully steady, 500-599 lbs heifers sold mostly 4.00-8.00 higher, all other weights of heifers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand this sale was mostly good for all feeder calves on offer. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive. With lightened sale schedules seen over the last two and a half weeks buyers returned to the auction this week eager to purchase offerings. Demand for lightweight calves suitable to develop into yearlings was mostly good to very good, especially for calves weighing less than 550 lbs. Market activity this week was mostly active. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand for heavy offerings. Slaughter cows sold steady to 1.00 higher on lean and boning cows. Feeding cows sold mostly 2.00-5.00 higher on good demand from both feeding and packer buyers. Several additional feeding buyers were in the market this week helping improve demand on all cows suitable to feed. Slaughter bulls sold generally steady. Cows suitable to re-breed sold sharply higher as several buyers were in the market for young age cows. Offerings were average to attractive.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $173.59/cwt on 710 head.

Average price

$173.59

710 head · 544 lb average

Value per head Derived

$945

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$104

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

$5.37/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+0.00

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	551	174.42	961	600
Medium and Large 1-2	507	169.05	857	110

One grade step is worth $5.37/cwt here — about $104 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 sale710 hd

173.59

—

MT average1 barns · 710 hd

173.59

+0.00

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	—	Average	1,902	72.99	1,388	29
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	Average	1,486	65.60	975	36
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,513	51.87	785	5thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,193	45.41	542	25

Every lot, as filed

61 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	Large 1	—	1,039	133.23/cwt	130.00–134.50	1,384	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	385	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	674	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	856	142.50/cwt	142.50–142.50	1,220	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	410	186.90/cwt	181.00–190.00	766	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	565	149.00/cwt	149.00–149.00	842	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	334	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	685	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	620	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	936	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	483	174.98/cwt	172.00–177.00	845	42
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	630	161.69/cwt	161.00–162.00	1,019	52
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	427	197.89/cwt	192.00–215.00	845	50
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	728	148.98/cwt	145.00–151.50	1,085	32
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	541	161.88/cwt	158.50–166.50	876	51
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	760	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	1,094	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	531	172.66/cwt	167.50–181.00	917	91
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	952	94.00/cwt	94.00–94.00	895	9
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,146	885.00/cwt	885.00–885.00	10,142	12
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,265	775.00/cwt	775.00–775.00	9,804	8
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,223	57.32/cwt	53.00–59.50	701	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	570	163.49/cwt	161.00–167.50	932	86
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	677	152.53/cwt	150.00–154.00	1,033	72
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,149	72.21/cwt	58.00–106.00	830	148
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	936	122.70/cwt	114.00–123.00	1,148	30
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,317	57.90/cwt	52.50–63.50	763	154
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,326	60.95/cwt	54.00–68.00	808	122
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	905	129.00/cwt	129.00–129.00	1,167	14
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	615	132.00/cwt	132.00–132.00	812	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	587	137.00/cwt	137.00–137.00	804	5
Bulls	—	—	1,903	73.86/cwt	71.50–76.00	1,406	18
Bulls	—	—	1,839	66.01/cwt	61.50–69.50	1,214	7
Bulls	—	—	2,005	81.32/cwt	79.50–82.50	1,630	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	710	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	959	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	666	133.00/cwt	133.00–133.00	886	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	465	185.52/cwt	179.00–191.50	863	45
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	361	217.62/cwt	210.00–220.00	786	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	571	141.88/cwt	134.00–147.00	810	47
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	474	156.33/cwt	155.00–158.50	741	65
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	629	136.99/cwt	132.00–138.25	862	31
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	515	143.17/cwt	140.00–145.00	737	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	477	151.63/cwt	148.00–154.00	723	39
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	544	121.00/cwt	121.00–121.00	658	8
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	—	1,475	65.89/cwt	64.00–67.00	972	35
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	322	181.69/cwt	181.00–183.00	585	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	431	164.00/cwt	164.00–164.00	707	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	570	133.19/cwt	130.00–135.00	759	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	531	151.88/cwt	146.00–156.50	806	119
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	417	172.77/cwt	171.00–175.00	720	33
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	375	205.24/cwt	200.00–215.00	770	15
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,455	61.36/cwt	59.00–64.00	893	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,551	45.55/cwt	43.50–48.50	706	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,040	37.00/cwt	37.00–37.00	385	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,199	45.76/cwt	40.00–49.50	549	24
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	—	1,880	55.50/cwt	55.50–55.50	1,043	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,065	47.00/cwt	47.00–47.00	501	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,146	53.56/cwt	53.00–54.00	614	21
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,192	47.49/cwt	45.00–51.00	566	24
Bred Cows	Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,430	900.00/cwt	900.00–900.00	12,870	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Natural	—	439	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	834	32
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Natural	—	494	159.50/cwt	159.50–159.50	788	82
Steers	Medium and Large 1Natural	—	454	199.50/cwt	199.50–199.50	906	57
Steers	Medium and Large 1Natural	—	523	182.50/cwt	182.50–182.50	954	89
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	391	194.00/cwt	194.00–194.00	759	5

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 →