Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2020-10-20
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2020-10-20

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Unweaned steer calves weighing less than 400 lbs sold Steady to firm. 400-649 lbs sold 10.00-20.00 lower. Yearling heifers were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Unweaned heifer calves under 400 lbs sold fully steady; over 400 lbs sold 2.00-4.00 lower. Demand for all feeder cattle was light to moderate. Quality this week was average to attractive. Calves continue to sell out of extremely dry country and are light fleshed and lightweight as a result. CME positions sold off sharply early in the week and buyers adjusted prices to fit lower breakeven reflective of lower live cattle contracts. This coupled with higher grain prices created sharply lower prices this week. Calves preconditioned with two rounds sold with the best demand and sold with an $8.00-10.00 premium over calves with only spring vaccinations. Market activity was mostly slow to moderate today despite a large crowd and many buyers ringside. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand for heavy offerings. Cow quality this week was mostly average and better overall compared to last week. Many cows continue to be in very thin to thin flesh. Feeding cows sold mostly 2.00-4.00 lower on breaking flesh cows and steady to 2.00 higher on boning and lean cows. Slaughter cows sold steady to firm. Yielding conditions were slightly better this week and cows offered buyers better weigh up conditions as well. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, steady undertones were noticed. 2-3 year old cows suitable to rebreed sold mostly 5.00 lower. Quality was plain to average.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $159.65/cwt on 1,009 head.

Average price

$159.65

1,009 head · 469 lb average

Value per head Derived

$749

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$15

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

$15.47/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+2.41

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	465	162.22	754	838
Medium and Large 2	404	149.42	603	19thin
Medium and Large 1-2	504	146.75	739	152

One grade step is worth $15.47/cwt here — about $15 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 sale1,009 hd

159.65

—

MT average5 barns · 5,190 hd

157.24

+2.41

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	1,668	72.27	1,205	22
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,518	66.64	1,012	17
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,373	57.00	783	94
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,139	49.00	558	440

Every lot, as filed

79 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
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	982	71.64/cwt	60.00–81.50	704	87
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	595	126.00/cwt	126.00–126.00	750	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	438	155.86/cwt	144.00–166.00	683	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	258	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	490	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	943	1,200.00/cwt	1,200.00–1,200.00	11,316	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	763	124.67/cwt	122.00–126.00	951	19
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,303	53.76/cwt	53.00–54.50	700	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	717	131.18/cwt	130.00–133.50	941	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	475	142.67/cwt	141.50–145.00	678	35
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	538	132.46/cwt	124.00–142.00	713	46
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	525	110.00/cwt	110.00–110.00	578	8
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	916	66.73/cwt	61.00–75.00	611	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,493	69.50/cwt	69.50–69.50	1,038	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,112	900.00/cwt	900.00–900.00	10,008	8
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,363	950.00/cwt	950.00–950.00	12,949	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	916	80.92/cwt	70.00–90.00	741	68
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	963	51.01/cwt	50.00–53.00	491	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,526	66.58/cwt	64.00–69.50	1,016	12
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,377	48.69/cwt	48.00–50.00	670	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,178	50.85/cwt	48.50–55.50	599	138
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,377	58.75/cwt	52.00–62.50	809	48
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,183	55.41/cwt	52.00–62.00	656	57
Bulls	—	—	1,842	77.52/cwt	75.50–81.00	1,428	7
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,565	69.00/cwt	69.00–69.00	1,080	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	916	38.69/cwt	31.00–43.00	354	8
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,385	64.82/cwt	63.00–67.50	898	13
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,198	64.52/cwt	64.00–65.00	773	4
Bulls	—	—	1,825	83.50/cwt	83.50–83.50	1,524	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,473	63.00/cwt	63.00–63.00	928	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,118	46.49/cwt	44.25–49.50	520	139
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,100	40.76/cwt	34.00–44.50	448	23
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,365	51.82/cwt	50.50–52.00	707	25
Bulls	—	—	1,635	69.53/cwt	63.50–73.50	1,137	12
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	967	46.11/cwt	44.00–49.00	446	31
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,225	49.56/cwt	48.00–51.00	607	37
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,175	64.76/cwt	63.00–66.50	761	2
Heifers	Large 1	—	986	112.00/cwt	112.00–112.00	1,104	11
Bred Cows	Large 1	—	1,246	850.00/cwt	850.00–850.00	10,591	24
Bred Cows	Large 1	—	1,286	835.00/cwt	835.00–835.00	10,738	9
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	520	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	650	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	435	131.55/cwt	130.50–132.00	572	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	343	152.00/cwt	152.00–152.00	521	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1Natural	—	518	156.50/cwt	156.50–156.50	811	76
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	778	129.96/cwt	126.00–132.00	1,011	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	536	126.07/cwt	125.00–126.50	676	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	330	186.42/cwt	175.00–192.50	615	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	907	117.00/cwt	117.00–117.00	1,061	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	431	165.73/cwt	161.00–175.00	714	223
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	379	145.31/cwt	142.00–147.00	551	34
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	366	192.61/cwt	176.00–208.00	705	84
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	382	154.00/cwt	154.00–154.00	588	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	825	122.00/cwt	122.00–122.00	1,007	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	417	152.50/cwt	152.50–152.50	636	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	514	135.06/cwt	132.00–136.50	694	91
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	524	148.33/cwt	144.00–152.00	777	140
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	553	144.19/cwt	141.00–146.00	797	32
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	372	177.83/cwt	174.00–182.50	662	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	413	136.91/cwt	135.00–140.00	565	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	555	125.92/cwt	124.00–126.50	699	41
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	488	147.78/cwt	146.00–156.00	721	172
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	342	156.52/cwt	155.00–157.00	535	40
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	881	123.64/cwt	120.50–125.50	1,089	29
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	877	120.50/cwt	120.50–120.50	1,057	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	385	181.00/cwt	181.00–181.00	697	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	922	120.63/cwt	119.50–121.00	1,112	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	280	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	602	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	425	147.08/cwt	144.00–151.75	625	145
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	376	155.34/cwt	153.00–157.00	584	103
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	550	116.00/cwt	116.00–116.00	638	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	290	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	421	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	479	141.10/cwt	137.50–142.50	676	160
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	828	129.72/cwt	129.50–130.00	1,074	25
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	920	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	1,196	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	669	128.00/cwt	128.00–128.00	856	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	329	206.36/cwt	200.00–215.00	679	71
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	607	133.23/cwt	132.00–134.00	809	31
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	—	455	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	614	2
Heifers	Large 1-2Unweaned	—	269	127.50/cwt	127.50–127.50	343	4
Bred Cows	Large 1	—	1,086	900.00/cwt	900.00–900.00	9,774	13

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 →