Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2020-01-21
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2020-01-21

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale: Steer calves weighing less than 500 lbs were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however steady undertones were noticed; 500-649 lbs steers sold mostly 3.00-6.00 lower in a narrow comparison. Steers weighing over 650 lbs sold with steady undertones. Heifer calves weighing less than 450 lbs sold with higher undertones in a narrow comparison; 450-649 lbs heifers sold mostly 2.00-4.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Load lots of calves were limited this sale, however demand was mostly good for limited offerings. Calves this week were mostly offered in small to medium size packages. Demand for calves was mostly moderate this week. Quality was mostly average this week and not as attractive as last week. Market activity this week was mostly moderate to active. Weigh up cows sold on good to very good demand. Packer buyers showed significantly more demand this week for cows destined for immediate harvest. Slaughter cows sold mostly 5.00-8.00 higher on all classes. Feeding demand was mostly good this week as well. Feeding cow sold mostly 5.00-8.00 higher. Packers and feeding buyers both showed good to very good demand for feeding quality cows. Cow quality was mostly average to attractive this week. Several sets of fed cows were seen this week. These cows were met with very good demand. A large part of the offering this week was comprised of bred cows and heifers. Bred cattle sold on mostly good demand throughout the sale. The stands were packed with ranchers throughout the afternoon which helped create a very active market. Packers and feeding buyers helped sustain the bottom of the aged cow market as many cows sold to packers and feeding buyers to feed or slaughter. Young age cows suitable to re-breed were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower to sharply lower undertones were noticed.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $162.83/cwt on 536 head.

Average price

$162.83

536 head · 635 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,034

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$127

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

$7.88/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+1.00

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	638	163.20	1,041	511
Medium and Large 1-2	588	155.32	913	25

One grade step is worth $7.88/cwt here — about $127 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 sale536 hd

162.83

—

MT average4 barns · 1,705 hd

161.83

+1.00

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	1,831	76.06	1,392	12
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	Average	1,624	72.61	1,179	26
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	2,055	68.00	1,397	1thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,394	55.16	769	5thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,210	51.42	622	39

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	Medium and Large 1	—	566	156.62/cwt	154.00–158.00	886	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	785	144.76/cwt	143.00–145.00	1,136	34
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	728	147.67/cwt	147.50–149.75	1,075	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	594	154.00/cwt	154.00–154.00	915	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	545	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	899	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	613	163.88/cwt	154.75–165.25	1,005	144
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	685	150.79/cwt	148.00–154.75	1,033	102
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	513	179.16/cwt	174.00–183.00	919	79
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	454	192.17/cwt	184.50–194.00	872	34
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	421	190.06/cwt	188.00–198.00	800	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	379	219.00/cwt	219.00–219.00	830	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	585	162.68/cwt	162.00–164.50	952	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	841	148.25/cwt	148.25–148.25	1,247	67
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,220	1,125.00/cwt	1,125.00–1,125.00	13,725	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,233	1,574.45/cwt	1,400.00–1,625.00	19,413	122
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,316	1,407.20/cwt	1,300.00–1,485.00	18,519	47
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,390	1,198.91/cwt	1,050.00–1,310.00	16,665	96
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,191	54.50/cwt	54.50–54.50	649	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,250	58.50/cwt	58.50–58.50	731	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,087	74.19/cwt	62.00–92.00	806	40
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,288	63.33/cwt	60.00–71.00	816	23
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,384	58.93/cwt	54.00–65.50	816	88
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,049	1,529.14/cwt	1,425.00–1,600.00	16,041	185
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	918	1,500.00/cwt	1,500.00–1,500.00	13,770	19
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	605	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	811	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	657	139.50/cwt	139.50–139.50	917	8
Bulls	—	—	1,901	77.73/cwt	76.50–83.50	1,478	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	516	149.00/cwt	149.00–149.00	769	10
Bulls	Large 1	—	665	135.50/cwt	135.50–135.50	901	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	704	132.00/cwt	132.00–132.00	929	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	990	49.00/cwt	49.00–49.00	485	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,354	996.95/cwt	900.00–1,050.00	13,499	166
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,325	61.47/cwt	57.50–62.50	814	25
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,414	825.00/cwt	825.00–825.00	11,666	7
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Non-Legible BANGS	—	1,432	1,025.00/cwt	1,025.00–1,025.00	14,678	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	995	60.49/cwt	60.00–61.00	602	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,191	51.86/cwt	51.50–54.50	618	12
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,211	866.56/cwt	775.00–885.00	10,494	22
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,325	51.50/cwt	51.50–51.50	682	1
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	—	1,604	70.58/cwt	70.00–71.50	1,132	17
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	—	1,663	76.44/cwt	76.00–77.50	1,271	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,268	54.08/cwt	52.50–57.00	686	18
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,178	50.15/cwt	46.00–52.00	591	16
Bulls	—	—	1,690	72.73/cwt	72.50–73.50	1,229	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	523	156.13/cwt	155.00–159.00	817	43
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	547	153.50/cwt	153.50–153.50	840	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,093	40.50/cwt	40.00–41.00	443	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,235	59.00/cwt	59.00–59.00	729	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	2,055	68.00/cwt	68.00–68.00	1,397	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,411	56.07/cwt	55.50–57.00	791	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	738	130.15/cwt	128.00–130.50	961	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	464	158.73/cwt	158.00–162.50	737	36
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	448	145.50/cwt	145.50–145.50	652	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	370	174.00/cwt	174.00–174.00	644	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	418	172.00/cwt	172.00–172.00	719	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	614	144.71/cwt	141.00–148.00	889	59
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	408	154.00/cwt	154.00–154.00	628	8
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,024	126.00/cwt	126.00–126.00	1,290	7
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,118	119.50/cwt	119.50–119.50	1,336	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	338	174.00/cwt	174.00–174.00	588	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	673	134.20/cwt	133.50–135.00	903	34

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 →