Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2021-03-09
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2021-03-09

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Steers under 450 lbs were too lightly tested last week to develop any market trend. All other weights of steers sold unevenly steady. Heifers weighing less than 500 lbs were too lightly tested either this week or last to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed. Heifers over 500 lbs sold unevenly steady. Demand was mostly good this week for grass cattle and moderate to good for all cattle destined for the feedlot. Quality this week was average to attractive however quality was not as attractive overall as last week. This created uneven prices in places. Local ranchers continue to purchase cattle to run on grass this summer and were active bidders and buyers again this week. Market activity this week was mostly moderate to active. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand for moderate offerings. Feeding buyers and packer buyers competed over fed cow offerings this week as both showed good demand for fed cows. The fed cow offering this week was not as fleshy as last week, however these offerings did offer buyers much better weigh up conditions. Feeding cows sold mostly steady to 2.00 higher. The best demand this week was for fed cows which feeding and packer buyers both opted to return to feed. Slaughter cows sold steady to weak. Packers only sent cows to harvest which were not suitable to feed. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. A heavy offering of bred cows were seen this sale. Demand was mostly moderate to good with many ranchers in the stands actively bidding on offerings. Quality was average to attractive. 2 year old to young age cows were too lightly tested last week to develop any market trend. Moderate to good demand was seen this week for these offerings.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $157.76/cwt on 832 head.

Average price

$157.76

832 head · 524 lb average

Value per head Derived

$827

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$13

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

$21.41/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+3.43

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	400	158.91	636	65
Medium and Large 1	535	157.77	844	763
Medium and Large 2	453	137.50	623	4thin

One grade step is worth $21.41/cwt here — about $13 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 sale832 hd

157.76

—

MT average3 barns · 1,870 hd

154.32

+3.43

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	1,794	82.46	1,479	12
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	Low	1,893	64.50	1,221	2thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,605	62.32	1,000	98
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,408	58.66	826	55
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,157	55.81	646	128

Every lot, as filed

73 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	—	386	196.37/cwt	196.00–197.00	758	23
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	682	148.73/cwt	146.75–154.50	1,014	51
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	443	183.00/cwt	183.00–183.00	811	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	620	161.47/cwt	155.00–167.00	1,001	81
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	688	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	860	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	378	171.58/cwt	171.00–172.00	649	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	335	211.72/cwt	208.00–212.75	709	57
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	765	138.50/cwt	138.50–138.50	1,060	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	702	124.00/cwt	124.00–124.00	870	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	417	193.63/cwt	187.00–197.00	807	73
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	523	162.25/cwt	157.00–168.50	849	113
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	509	172.49/cwt	170.00–174.00	878	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	567	164.00/cwt	164.00–164.00	930	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	758	125.00/cwt	122.00–125.50	948	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	731	142.62/cwt	142.00–149.00	1,043	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	585	167.72/cwt	166.00–177.00	981	65
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	635	141.48/cwt	140.00–144.00	898	42
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	750	115.00/cwt	115.00–115.00	863	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	524	169.84/cwt	169.75–170.00	890	75
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	491	184.91/cwt	184.50–185.00	908	77
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	526	183.46/cwt	181.00–185.00	965	192
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,021	1,483.49/cwt	1,425.00–1,535.00	15,146	35
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	470	165.11/cwt	161.00–171.00	776	15
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	979	58.50/cwt	58.50–58.50	573	9
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	945	76.00/cwt	76.00–76.00	718	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,376	924.79/cwt	835.00–1,010.00	12,725	197
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	663	139.02/cwt	131.00–140.25	922	79
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	348	166.00/cwt	166.00–166.00	578	53
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	606	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	818	9
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,389	1,202.47/cwt	1,200.00–1,210.00	16,702	133
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,204	54.58/cwt	49.00–56.50	657	31
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,725	62.34/cwt	61.75–63.00	1,075	2
Bulls	—	—	1,687	78.74/cwt	71.00–82.00	1,328	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,133	61.99/cwt	58.50–63.50	702	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,433	62.49/cwt	58.00–64.50	895	15
Bulls	—	—	1,870	85.11/cwt	83.00–88.50	1,592	7
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	—	1,905	60.50/cwt	60.50–60.50	1,153	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,240	44.35/cwt	43.00–46.00	550	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	745	42.00/cwt	42.00–42.00	313	1
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	—	1,880	68.50/cwt	68.50–68.50	1,288	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,702	66.01/cwt	65.75–66.50	1,123	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,399	60.20/cwt	58.00–64.00	842	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,400	56.23/cwt	56.00–57.00	787	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,130	55.68/cwt	52.00–56.00	629	45
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,197	60.49/cwt	57.00–63.25	724	33
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,398	56.72/cwt	50.50–57.50	793	24
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,360	1,567.81/cwt	1,535.00–1,625.00	21,322	81
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,673	63.25/cwt	62.75–64.75	1,058	63
Bred Heifers	Medium 1	—	815	1,175.00/cwt	1,175.00–1,175.00	9,576	4
Steers	Large 1	—	690	141.00/cwt	141.00–141.00	973	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	921	49.03/cwt	45.00–54.50	452	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	960	55.50/cwt	55.50–55.50	533	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	510	166.00/cwt	166.00–166.00	847	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,445	59.99/cwt	59.00–61.25	867	30
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,034	74.87/cwt	63.00–93.00	774	45
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,067	1,559.53/cwt	1,475.00–1,675.00	16,640	77
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	730	85.00/cwt	85.00–85.00	621	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	906	104.02/cwt	91.00–115.50	942	36
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	271	166.00/cwt	166.00–166.00	450	28
Steers	Medium 1	—	516	169.25/cwt	168.00–175.00	873	14
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	508	156.50/cwt	156.50–156.50	795	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	485	174.00/cwt	174.00–174.00	844	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	708	122.00/cwt	122.00–122.00	864	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	453	137.50/cwt	137.50–137.50	623	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	515	156.50/cwt	156.00–157.00	806	12
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,213	772.98/cwt	725.00–810.00	9,376	33
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	553	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	857	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	372	168.41/cwt	166.00–172.50	626	29
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	429	170.76/cwt	164.00–172.00	733	105
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	578	156.00/cwt	156.00–156.00	902	44
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	577	154.00/cwt	145.50–160.00	889	201
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	443	161.78/cwt	159.50–165.00	717	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	461	152.00/cwt	152.00–152.00	701	9

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 →