Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2020-11-03
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2020-11-03

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 under 400 lbs sold 6.00-7.00 lower; unweaned steer calves sold mostly steady to 5.00 higher. Unweaned heifer calves under 400 lbs sold steady to weak; heifers over 400 lbs sold unevenly steady from 5.00 lower to 3.00 higher. Quality this week was average to attractive. Demand was mostly moderate for heavy offerings. Lighter demand was seen for light weight calves suitable to develop into yearlings. Lightweight calves had fewer takers this week and heavier supplies as calves continue to come off the cow very light and thin. Lightweight calf quality has been mixed depending on how thin calves got while still on the cow. Market activity this week was moderate to active. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand. Packers opted to send a very large portion of the cow offering to feed this week. Many cows were sent to short term feed for slaughter during the upcoming holiday weeks. Packers opted to send more plain to average quality cows to feed (albeit short term feed) this week. Feeding cows sold steady to 3.00 lower while slaughter cows sold 1.00-2.00 lower. Slaughter bulls sold steady to 2.00 lower. Feeding bulls sold generally steady. 2-3 year olds suitable to feed or re-breed sold steady to 3.00 higher. Quality was average to attractive this week and overall better than last week.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $163.77/cwt on 1,922 head.

Average price

$163.77

1,922 head · 495 lb average

Value per head Derived

$811

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$28

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

$6.67/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+6.57

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	495	164.56	814	1,695
Medium and Large 1-2	498	157.89	787	227

One grade step is worth $6.67/cwt here — about $28 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 sale1,922 hd

163.77

—

MT average5 barns · 5,147 hd

157.20

+6.57

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	1,738	74.73	1,299	38
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,553	64.66	1,004	33
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Very Low	1,355	56.63	767	166
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,165	48.84	569	380

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
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	433	168.56/cwt	150.00–173.00	730	51
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	480	168.01/cwt	160.00–174.25	806	362
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	470	138.60/cwt	135.00–143.00	651	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	569	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	711	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	323	156.65/cwt	155.00–160.00	506	66
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	624	129.95/cwt	124.00–134.00	811	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	437	140.64/cwt	140.00–142.00	615	30
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	673	118.00/cwt	118.00–118.00	794	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	683	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	888	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	424	178.27/cwt	171.00–184.00	756	204
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	299	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	568	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	571	149.09/cwt	141.00–156.00	851	338
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	610	126.50/cwt	126.50–126.50	772	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	383	183.55/cwt	177.00–197.00	703	177
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Natural	—	505	149.50/cwt	149.50–149.50	755	23
Steers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	454	181.00/cwt	181.00–181.00	822	47
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	922	83.16/cwt	66.50–89.00	767	80
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	326	198.00/cwt	190.00–199.00	645	41
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	383	154.63/cwt	150.50–157.50	592	128
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	289	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	462	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	794	127.11/cwt	125.50–128.00	1,009	28
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	408	171.00/cwt	171.00–171.00	698	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	475	145.84/cwt	140.00–150.00	693	289
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	436	147.80/cwt	143.00–154.50	644	286
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	527	141.04/cwt	136.50–147.00	743	195
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	529	158.17/cwt	153.50–165.00	837	424
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	564	133.52/cwt	127.00–136.00	753	85
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,258	885.00/cwt	885.00–885.00	11,133	11
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	911	49.00/cwt	49.00–49.00	446	9
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,057	63.41/cwt	48.00–80.00	670	141
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	953	51.98/cwt	51.00–55.00	495	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,047	1,060.00/cwt	1,060.00–1,060.00	11,098	5
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,050	116.00/cwt	116.00–116.00	1,218	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	890	34.84/cwt	33.00–38.00	310	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,375	42.00/cwt	42.00–42.00	578	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,110	34.34/cwt	29.00–40.00	381	21
Bulls	—	—	1,721	69.06/cwt	62.50–74.00	1,189	7
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,745	68.75/cwt	62.50–74.50	1,200	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,163	46.33/cwt	43.00–48.50	539	138
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,371	47.14/cwt	45.00–50.00	646	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,428	42.00/cwt	42.00–42.00	600	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,149	42.93/cwt	40.00–47.00	493	29
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,394	62.19/cwt	60.00–65.00	867	44
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,525	65.50/cwt	65.50–65.50	999	25
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,130	63.00/cwt	63.00–63.00	712	22
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,641	62.05/cwt	58.00–63.50	1,018	8
Bulls	—	—	1,670	77.66/cwt	76.00–79.50	1,297	3
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,751	77.38/cwt	74.50–79.50	1,355	23
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,197	52.29/cwt	49.00–58.00	626	128
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,157	51.77/cwt	48.00–54.50	599	38
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	980	50.00/cwt	50.00–50.00	490	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,338	55.35/cwt	51.00–59.50	741	113
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	843	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	1,096	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	763	128.00/cwt	128.00–128.00	977	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	396	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	535	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	741	126.00/cwt	126.00–126.00	934	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	564	141.00/cwt	141.00–141.00	795	10
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,174	680.00/cwt	680.00–680.00	7,983	27
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	534	152.31/cwt	150.00–154.00	813	61
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	481	156.00/cwt	156.00–156.00	750	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	332	146.31/cwt	140.00–155.00	486	36
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	370	145.10/cwt	140.00–150.00	537	73
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	326	181.12/cwt	172.00–185.00	590	30
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	373	177.09/cwt	175.00–180.00	661	27
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	611	143.63/cwt	135.00–148.00	878	83
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	890	115.00/cwt	115.00–115.00	1,024	3

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 →