Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2021-08-31
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2021-08-31

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers were all too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed. Steer calves sold steady to weak. Yearling heifers sold mostly steady to 3.00 higher. Heifer calves under 350 lbs sold 5.00-10.00 lower, heifer calves over 350 lbs sold steady to 2.00 lower. Demand for yearlings was mostly good, while demand for calves was mostly moderate. Quality this week was average to very attractive. Yearlings were offered in mostly moderate size packages with many heifers in the offering. Calves were offered in moderate to load lot size packages. All cattle continue to sell in light flesh as drought conditions have cattle selling early, thin and light. Yearling heifers continue to be sold bred with consignors offering to pay to abort them if the buyer wishes to send them to feed. Several sets of attractive heifers were purchased as replacements this sale and are located as bred heifers (Per Cwt) in the report below. Market activity was moderate to active. Weigh up cows sold on light to moderate demand for heavy offerings. Packers continue to show lighter demand for slaughter cows as many are very thin and low yielding. Slaughter cows sold mostly 2.00-3.00 lower on boning and lean cows, breaking cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend. Feeding cows sold unevenly steady. Slaughter bulls sold steady to 2.00 higher with stronger demand seen from feeding and trading buyers this week. A heavy offering of bred cows were seen this week. Cows are just getting far enough along to confirm pregnant. Cows confirmed bred sold per head and cows not far enough along sold as exposed and were sold per cwt. Many sets of exposed cows had their breeding percentage announced before selling. Demand for bred cows was mostly good to very good with a large buying pool actively bidding on offerings. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on good to very good demand. These offerings sold sharply higher as many buyers were actively bidding on these offerings.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $168.40/cwt on 1,625 head.

Average price

$168.40

1,625 head · 568 lb average

Value per head Derived

$957

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$428

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Large 1

$39.10/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+6.14

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	556	170.28	946	1,463
Medium and Large 1-2	467	168.30	786	61
Medium 1	629	149.56	940	46
Medium 1-2	681	145.00	987	12thin
Large 1	1,047	131.19	1,374	43

One grade step is worth $39.10/cwt here — about −$428 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 sale1,625 hd

168.40

—

MT average2 barns · 2,461 hd

162.26

+6.14

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	—	High	1,729	80.45	1,391	79
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,587	67.47	1,071	33
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Very Low	1,400	63.67	891	44
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,136	54.61	620	359

Every lot, as filed

80 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
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,412	69.00/cwt	69.00–69.00	974	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,521	68.00/cwt	67.50–69.00	1,034	13
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,470	47.50/cwt	47.50–47.50	698	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,379	54.86/cwt	52.50–55.50	757	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	940	41.00/cwt	41.00–41.00	385	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	924	49.76/cwt	48.00–51.00	460	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,499	69.50/cwt	69.50–69.50	1,042	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,381	65.70/cwt	64.00–68.25	907	28
Bulls	—	—	2,027	90.00/cwt	88.50–92.00	1,824	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	371	197.50/cwt	197.50–197.50	733	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	966	117.00/cwt	117.00–117.00	1,130	4
Heifers	Large 1Fleshy	—	1,036	131.00/cwt	131.00–131.00	1,357	14
Heifers	Medium 1	—	624	149.75/cwt	149.75–149.75	934	41
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,032	134.55/cwt	133.50–135.00	1,389	22
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	777	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	1,166	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	967	146.50/cwt	146.50–146.50	1,417	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	344	208.14/cwt	205.00–215.00	716	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	371	221.18/cwt	218.00–222.50	821	215
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	433	191.32/cwt	186.00–194.00	828	43
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	459	197.70/cwt	185.00–205.00	907	190
Steers	Medium 1	—	625	172.00/cwt	172.00–172.00	1,075	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	737	163.00/cwt	163.00–163.00	1,201	5
Steers	Large 1	—	1,080	140.50/cwt	140.50–140.50	1,517	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	764	163.21/cwt	161.00–165.00	1,247	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	587	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	998	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	328	221.49/cwt	219.00–225.00	726	98
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	467	168.24/cwt	164.00–175.00	786	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	275	197.14/cwt	193.00–202.00	542	27
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	417	180.88/cwt	178.00–182.50	754	346
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	823	160.50/cwt	159.00–161.00	1,321	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	270	232.00/cwt	225.00–237.00	626	34
Steers	Medium 1	—	660	169.08/cwt	168.50–169.75	1,116	30
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	334	187.53/cwt	186.00–205.00	626	211
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	764	154.93/cwt	154.00–156.00	1,184	174
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	342	180.22/cwt	173.00–181.50	616	26
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	409	167.95/cwt	165.00–174.00	687	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	419	213.87/cwt	200.00–220.00	896	420
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	386	184.43/cwt	181.00–187.50	712	261
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	830	142.00/cwt	142.00–142.00	1,179	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	625	153.00/cwt	153.00–153.00	956	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	988	138.00/cwt	138.00–138.00	1,363	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	646	160.00/cwt	160.00–160.00	1,034	29
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	890	149.50/cwt	149.50–149.50	1,331	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	720	156.00/cwt	156.00–156.00	1,123	36
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	918	143.67/cwt	143.00–145.00	1,319	46
Heifers	Medium 1-2	—	681	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	987	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	871	141.59/cwt	141.00–142.00	1,233	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	826	148.93/cwt	146.50–152.75	1,230	153
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	362	172.00/cwt	172.00–172.00	623	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	878	146.58/cwt	144.00–147.00	1,287	90
Heifers	Large 1Fleshy	—	1,119	121.00/cwt	121.00–121.00	1,354	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	744	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	1,123	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	917	138.00/cwt	138.00–138.00	1,265	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	691	154.00/cwt	154.00–154.00	1,064	48
Heifers	Medium 1	—	667	148.00/cwt	148.00–148.00	987	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,164	1,403.04/cwt	1,225.00–1,435.00	16,331	154
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,010	1,524.12/cwt	1,300.00–1,560.00	15,394	65
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	855	148.67/cwt	145.00–152.00	1,271	55
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	625	83.00/cwt	83.00–83.00	519	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,120	52.75/cwt	52.75–52.75	591	15
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,236	57.27/cwt	54.00–59.75	708	96
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,196	1,375.00/cwt	1,375.00–1,375.00	16,445	8
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,094	825.00/cwt	825.00–825.00	9,026	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	986	87.76/cwt	65.00–95.00	865	82
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	821	97.31/cwt	86.00–104.00	799	128
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,246	1,002.84/cwt	875.00–1,050.00	12,495	146
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,057	65.60/cwt	62.00–67.50	693	11
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,086	87.82/cwt	86.00–91.00	954	11
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,433	76.70/cwt	74.00–80.00	1,099	6
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,265	80.50/cwt	80.50–80.50	1,018	1
Bulls	—	—	1,697	78.25/cwt	68.00–82.00	1,328	44
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,175	56.56/cwt	55.75–58.50	665	26
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,143	54.30/cwt	49.00–56.00	621	122
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,251	61.91/cwt	61.50–62.50	774	51
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,154	45.50/cwt	41.00–48.50	525	8
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,702	66.50/cwt	66.50–66.50	1,132	15
Bulls	—	—	1,839	84.06/cwt	83.00–87.50	1,546	25
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,091	52.76/cwt	49.50–54.00	576	146
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	870	46.00/cwt	46.00–46.00	400	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,430	58.50/cwt	58.50–58.50	837	1

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 →