Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2021-01-12
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2021-01-12

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Steer calves under 500 lbs sold mostly 10.00 lower, 500-599 lbs steers sold steady to 3.00 higher; steers over 600 lbs sold fully steady. Yearling heifers were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Heifers under 450 lbs were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. 450-550 lbs heifers sold 5.00-8.00 higher, Heifers over 550 lbs sold fully steady. Feeder cattle quality was mostly attractive today with many long strings of high quality weaned calves on offer. Lightweight calves sold on mostly light demand this sale with very few takers for this weight of cattle this week. CME positions traded off sharply most of the day as feed commodities traded mostly higher on a bullish WASDE report which was released at 11 AM. Market activity was mostly moderate to active this week. Weigh up cows sold on light to moderate demand for mostly moderate offerings. Both packer and feeding cow buyers showed lighter demand for cows this week. This allowed all cow prices to slide lower. Feeding cows sold mostly 2.00-3.00 lower. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive, however overall the cow offering was not as attractive as the prior week. Slaughter cows mostly 1.00 lower. Slaughter bulls sold 1.00-2.00 lower in a narrow comparison. Young age cows suitable to rebreed sold mostly 5.00-8.00 lower. Quality was mostly average to attractive. Most of these offerings sold as feeding cows this week and were reported as slaughter cows returning to feed. Demand was mostly light to moderate.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $160.69/cwt on 1,408 head.

Average price

$160.69

1,408 head · 563 lb average

Value per head Derived

$905

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$26

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

$36.58/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−1.93

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	494	164.58	813	59
Medium and Large 1	566	160.79	910	1,331
Medium 1	493	157.00	774	8thin
Large 1	656	128.00	840	10thin

One grade step is worth $36.58/cwt here — about −$26 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 sale1,408 hd

160.69

—

MT average3 barns · 4,003 hd

162.62

−1.93

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	1,798	77.11	1,387	19
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,322	55.75	737	62
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,617	53.94	873	9thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,159	48.15	558	233

Every lot, as filed

69 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 1Fancy	—	522	164.12/cwt	162.00–165.50	857	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	651	129.00/cwt	129.00–129.00	840	53
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	705	124.00/cwt	124.00–124.00	874	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	519	155.63/cwt	153.00–159.50	808	71
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	568	150.12/cwt	149.50–155.00	853	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	602	118.00/cwt	118.00–118.00	710	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	527	162.95/cwt	161.50–165.00	859	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	727	134.09/cwt	134.00–135.00	975	43
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	648	127.00/cwt	127.00–127.00	823	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	424	183.04/cwt	181.00–185.00	776	99
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	471	169.12/cwt	164.00–172.50	797	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	327	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	523	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	950	110.50/cwt	110.50–110.50	1,050	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	634	141.00/cwt	141.00–141.00	894	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	470	178.14/cwt	172.00–184.75	837	123
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	387	161.21/cwt	160.00–164.00	624	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	339	157.82/cwt	157.00–160.00	535	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	484	158.74/cwt	155.00–168.00	768	41
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	862	113.60/cwt	113.00–114.00	979	30
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	527	172.26/cwt	164.00–179.00	908	285
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	578	158.18/cwt	150.50–164.50	914	254
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	617	150.24/cwt	145.75–154.00	927	304
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	922	114.00/cwt	114.00–114.00	1,051	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	498	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	747	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	748	130.50/cwt	130.50–130.50	976	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	343	186.23/cwt	184.00–195.00	639	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	416	163.34/cwt	158.00–166.50	679	65
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	685	126.00/cwt	126.00–126.00	863	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,320	62.50/cwt	62.50–62.50	825	1
Bulls	—	—	2,000	77.55/cwt	76.00–78.50	1,551	3
Bulls	—	—	1,920	84.00/cwt	84.00–84.00	1,613	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,645	70.50/cwt	70.50–70.50	1,160	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,393	75.00/cwt	75.00–75.00	1,045	2
Bulls	—	—	1,838	78.33/cwt	75.00–81.00	1,440	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,164	37.84/cwt	36.00–40.00	440	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	795	32.00/cwt	32.00–32.00	254	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,143	46.68/cwt	43.00–48.50	534	9
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,523	53.50/cwt	53.50–53.50	815	7
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,948	55.50/cwt	55.50–55.50	1,081	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,164	53.54/cwt	48.00–57.00	623	55
Steers	Large 1	—	656	128.00/cwt	128.00–128.00	840	10
Heifers	Large 1	—	516	141.50/cwt	141.50–141.50	730	10
Heifers	Large 1	—	473	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	714	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	955	48.00/cwt	48.00–48.00	458	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,290	48.50/cwt	48.50–48.50	626	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,163	44.81/cwt	43.00–48.50	521	113
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,174	860.00/cwt	860.00–860.00	10,096	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	809	65.00/cwt	65.00–65.00	526	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	895	75.65/cwt	48.50–80.25	677	150
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,172	49.66/cwt	48.00–53.00	582	26
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,180	58.45/cwt	57.50–59.25	690	17
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	976	40.13/cwt	36.00–41.50	392	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	403	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	625	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	439	174.00/cwt	174.00–174.00	764	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	476	147.00/cwt	147.00–147.00	700	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,322	56.40/cwt	52.00–57.50	746	51
Bulls	—	—	1,718	72.31/cwt	71.00–73.50	1,242	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,326	52.15/cwt	49.50–54.00	692	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	537	140.63/cwt	135.00–143.00	755	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	396	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	733	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	612	131.85/cwt	128.00–135.00	807	80
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,182	775.00/cwt	775.00–775.00	9,161	5
Heifers	Medium 1	—	764	111.27/cwt	110.00–112.50	850	26
Steers	Medium 1	—	493	157.00/cwt	157.00–157.00	774	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	795	115.00/cwt	115.00–115.00	914	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	665	143.50/cwt	141.75–146.00	954	158
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	561	141.90/cwt	137.00–143.50	796	59
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	582	132.72/cwt	127.00–135.00	772	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	498	159.00/cwt	159.00–159.00	792	18

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 →