Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2020-03-10
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2020-03-10

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale: Steer calves were too lightly tested either this week or last week to develop an accurate market trend, however lower to sharply lower undertones were noticed. Heifer calves weighing less than 500 lbs sold mostly 8.00-10.00 lower, 500-649 lbs heifers sold mostly 2.00-5.00 lower. All other weights of heifers were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however sharply lower undertones were noticed. CME positions continue to slide lower as traders react to volatile financial markets and the potential affects of COVID-19 going forward. Grass buyers this week showed much more restraint as they bid on offerings. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive. Cattle were in mostly light to moderate flesh. Demand for feeder cattle was mostly light for light to moderate offerings. Market activity this week was slow to moderate. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand and offerings. Packers showed lighter demand for slaughter cows this week. Slaughter cows sold mostly 2.00-3.00 lower on all classes of cows this week. Feeding cow demand was light to moderate as packers opted to feed high quality cows and cows that were previously on feed. Demand from non packer buyers was very light this week as most buyers remained out of the market. Feeding cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 3.00-6.00 lower in a narrow comparison. Young age cows suitable to feed or re-breed sold sharply lower due mostly to significantly lighter demand from feeder buyers. Quality this week was plain to average.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $151.38/cwt on 787 head.

Average price

$151.38

787 head · 636 lb average

Value per head Derived

$963

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$184

per head · Medium 1 over Large 1

$42.00/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−5.83

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	458	175.50	804	3thin
Medium and Large 1	624	154.79	966	585
Medium and Large 1-2	602	149.35	899	94
Large 1	740	133.50	988	105

One grade step is worth $42.00/cwt here — about −$184 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 sale787 hd

151.38

—

MT average3 barns · 1,185 hd

157.21

−5.83

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	1,811	77.89	1,411	20
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,564	59.75	934	10
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,341	52.52	704	17
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,172	50.24	589	76

Every lot, as filed

56 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 1Fleshy	—	643	129.50/cwt	129.50–129.50	833	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	—	809	112.00/cwt	112.00–112.00	906	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	570	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	821	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	611	135.50/cwt	135.50–135.50	828	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	458	157.00/cwt	157.00–157.00	719	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	446	154.86/cwt	154.00–155.50	691	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	774	116.50/cwt	116.50–116.50	902	9
Steers	Large 1	—	740	133.50/cwt	133.50–133.50	988	105
Steers	Medium 1	—	458	175.50/cwt	175.50–175.50	804	3
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,110	76.00/cwt	76.00–76.00	844	1
Bulls	Large 1	—	675	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	945	3
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,025	90.00/cwt	90.00–90.00	923	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	471	163.00/cwt	163.00–163.00	768	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	511	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	818	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	594	150.77/cwt	148.00–154.50	896	33
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	950	46.32/cwt	42.50–50.50	440	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,179	49.97/cwt	45.50–54.00	589	63
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,251	55.44/cwt	53.50–58.00	694	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	965	41.50/cwt	41.50–41.50	400	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,564	59.75/cwt	59.75–59.75	934	10
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,340	51.38/cwt	50.00–57.00	688	14
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,344	57.83/cwt	57.00–59.50	777	3
Bulls	—	—	1,691	68.21/cwt	60.50–76.00	1,153	4
Bulls	—	—	1,684	79.00/cwt	77.00–81.00	1,330	11
Bulls	—	—	2,187	83.19/cwt	82.50–84.00	1,819	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,268	985.00/cwt	985.00–985.00	12,490	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Non-Legible BANGS	—	1,076	1,425.00/cwt	1,425.00–1,425.00	15,333	12
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,234	785.00/cwt	785.00–785.00	9,687	32
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	589	151.12/cwt	150.50–151.25	890	70
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	534	157.57/cwt	156.00–159.50	841	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	613	147.22/cwt	147.00–147.50	902	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	—	778	126.50/cwt	126.50–126.50	984	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	671	150.19/cwt	145.00–151.50	1,008	170
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	629	154.64/cwt	151.00–157.00	973	84
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	523	177.57/cwt	171.50–180.50	929	62
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	421	188.23/cwt	182.00–193.50	792	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	715	137.04/cwt	135.50–142.00	980	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	494	184.00/cwt	184.00–184.00	909	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	751	131.50/cwt	131.50–131.50	988	8
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,250	54.00/cwt	54.00–54.00	675	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,039	69.53/cwt	56.50–79.00	722	37
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,022	83.86/cwt	70.00–94.50	857	29
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,257	56.56/cwt	54.75–60.50	711	17
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,346	56.57/cwt	55.50–60.50	761	8
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1Non-Legible BANGS	—	1,079	1,450.00/cwt	1,450.00–1,450.00	15,646	5
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,112	1,647.66/cwt	1,600.00–1,675.00	18,322	52
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	590	154.65/cwt	153.00–167.00	912	191
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	533	156.59/cwt	151.50–164.00	835	124
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	486	162.90/cwt	156.00–164.50	792	78
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	612	141.86/cwt	135.00–145.00	868	49
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	562	151.74/cwt	147.50–152.50	853	29
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	412	164.04/cwt	162.00–171.00	676	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	760	119.00/cwt	119.00–119.00	904	28
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	716	115.00/cwt	115.00–115.00	823	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	796	129.00/cwt	129.00–129.00	1,027	37
Heifers	Large 1	—	580	142.00/cwt	142.00–142.00	824	2

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 →