Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2021-03-30
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2021-03-30

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Steers were all too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher to sharply higher undertones were noticed. Heifers were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to higher undertones were noticed. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive. Demand was mostly good this week. Bidders were very active this week with more participants bidding and buying this week. CME positions were higher six consecutive days in a row and buyers showed good demand as a result. Some moisture fell across the region over the past week this helped bolster demand for grass cattle this week. Boxed beef cutout values traded sharply higher over the last couple days as warmer weather and easing restrictions in some states has bolstered demand for beef. The Boxed beef cutout value was 244.83 on choice and 235.92 on select, 5.30 and 3.42 higher respectively. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good to very good demand for light offerings. Packers and feeding buyers both were very active in bidding on cows this week. Light supplies across the upper Plains states have pushed cow prices higher. Packers and feeding buyers competing over offerings pushed cows sharply higher. Feeding cows sold 2.00-4.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher to sharply higher undertones were noticed. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 3.00-5.00 higher. Bull quality this week was very attractive. Bull offerings were heavy. 2 year old to young age cows sold mostly 10.00-12.00 higher. Stronger demand was seen for these offerings again this week as rebreed buyers were searching for cows that lost calves.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $178.13/cwt on 537 head.

Average price

$178.13

537 head · 577 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,028

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$178

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

$60.57/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+3.61

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	578	179.57	1,038	461
Medium and Large 1-2	539	172.96	932	71
Large 1-2	1,022	119.00	1,216	5thin

One grade step is worth $60.57/cwt here — about −$178 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 sale537 hd

178.13

—

MT average2 barns · 697 hd

174.51

+3.61

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	1,801	88.39	1,591	70
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,608	68.17	1,096	3thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,473	65.89	971	19
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,107	59.96	663	21

Every lot, as filed

57 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 1	—	693	138.84/cwt	138.50–143.50	962	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	611	152.44/cwt	143.00–154.00	931	35
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	518	163.77/cwt	158.50–166.00	848	116
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	620	139.97/cwt	138.00–143.00	868	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	489	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	905	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	446	160.50/cwt	160.50–160.50	716	7
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	853	88.00/cwt	88.00–88.00	751	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	652	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	1,076	35
Steers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	550	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	1,045	81
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	958	129.00/cwt	129.00–129.00	1,236	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	590	159.56/cwt	154.00–165.00	941	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	545	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	790	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	478	154.00/cwt	154.00–154.00	736	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	443	192.15/cwt	191.00–194.50	851	18
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,360	62.50/cwt	62.50–62.50	850	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	995	47.00/cwt	47.00–47.00	468	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	452	194.00/cwt	194.00–194.00	877	53
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	573	158.32/cwt	150.00–159.00	907	67
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	780	142.45/cwt	141.50–142.75	1,111	38
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	639	172.28/cwt	169.00–177.00	1,101	36
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	552	185.90/cwt	185.50–186.00	1,026	57
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	743	146.22/cwt	145.50–150.00	1,086	6
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,468	87.50/cwt	87.50–87.50	1,285	3
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,300	84.50/cwt	84.50–84.50	1,099	1
Bulls	—	—	1,670	80.67/cwt	73.50–83.50	1,347	11
Bulls	—	—	2,014	96.22/cwt	93.00–99.50	1,938	18
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	75	200.00/cwt	200.00–200.00	150	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	95	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	309	1
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,215	104.50/cwt	104.50–104.50	1,270	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,670	67.50/cwt	67.50–67.50	1,127	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	905	64.50/cwt	64.50–64.50	584	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,608	68.17/cwt	67.50–69.00	1,096	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	944	52.91/cwt	52.00–55.00	499	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,483	70.87/cwt	70.75–71.00	1,051	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	900	65.00/cwt	65.00–65.00	585	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,066	76.60/cwt	66.50–93.00	817	36
Dairy Steers	Large 3	—	655	60.50/cwt	60.50–60.50	396	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,098	62.28/cwt	61.50–63.00	684	2
Bulls	—	—	1,776	87.05/cwt	83.50–92.00	1,546	37
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,228	65.90/cwt	64.50–67.00	809	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	539	173.22/cwt	173.00–177.00	934	51
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	540	187.41/cwt	183.00–188.25	1,012	110
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	505	173.00/cwt	173.00–173.00	874	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,466	65.35/cwt	63.00–67.50	958	15
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,081	57.02/cwt	55.00–58.00	616	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,228	64.65/cwt	63.50–67.00	794	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	572	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	824	10
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	532	153.00/cwt	153.00–153.00	814	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	381	189.71/cwt	189.50–192.00	723	11
Steers	Large 1-2	—	1,022	119.00/cwt	119.00–119.00	1,216	5
Bulls	Large 1-2	—	1,053	113.00/cwt	113.00–113.00	1,190	5
Bulls	Large 1	—	1,111	116.51/cwt	115.00–118.00	1,294	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	475	163.99/cwt	161.00–164.75	779	157
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	416	167.33/cwt	167.25–167.50	696	29
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	935	131.00/cwt	131.00–131.00	1,225	10
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	985	118.00/cwt	118.00–118.00	1,162	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	931	103.28/cwt	72.00–114.00	962	72

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 →