Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2021-09-28
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2021-09-28

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers were scarcely traded this week thus no trend is available. Steer calves under 400 lbs sold sharply lower. Steer calves over 400 lbs sold mostly 8.00-12.00 lower. Yearling heifers were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to weak undertones were noticed on heifers under 950 lbs and steady to firm undertones were noticed over 950 lbs. Yearling quality was plain to average, with most offerings sold in small groups or as singles. Calf quality this week was mixed from plain to very attractive. Quality overall was similar to last week with many long strings and load lots of calves on offer. Demand for calves was mostly light to moderate for calves and mostly moderate for yearlings. Vaccinations were critical for buyers this week. Calves with two rounds of preconditioning shots often sold with a 10.00-15.00 premium to calves with only only spring shots. This led to wide price spreads in places. Buyers in the corn-belt are busy with harvest which hampered calf demand. Local demand remains light as feed availability remains limited and weather conditions are expected to see large temperature swings this week. Weaned calves were left untagged and most of these offerings were weaned for 50 days or longer. Market activity this week was mostly slow. Weigh up cows sold on moderate demand for heavy offerings. Packers continue to show need for cows for immediate harvest as lighter supplies are available to the packer due to dairy men and farmers being busy with harvest. Slaughter cows sold steady to 1.00 higher on all classes. Feeding cows sold 2.00-3.00 higher. Slaughter bulls sold steady on a lower quality offering. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold steady to 3.00 higher. Quality this week was average to attractive and similar to last week.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $185.10/cwt on 1,633 head.

Average price

$185.10

1,633 head · 441 lb average

Value per head Derived

$817

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$65

per head · Medium 1 over Medium and Large 2

$7.06/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+1.97

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	361	191.06	690	32
Medium and Large 1-2	408	185.66	758	229
Medium and Large 1	450	184.87	832	1,357
Medium and Large 2	340	184.00	626	15thin

One grade step is worth $7.06/cwt here — about $65 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 sale1,633 hd

185.10

—

MT average3 barns · 3,747 hd

183.13

+1.97

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	1,695	80.37	1,362	42
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,748	73.46	1,284	5thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,402	66.07	927	120
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,177	55.15	649	489

Every lot, as filed

75 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 1-2Unweaned	—	419	158.15/cwt	157.00–159.00	663	29
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	382	161.72/cwt	158.00–164.00	618	69
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	507	151.55/cwt	144.00–154.50	768	94
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	417	161.00/cwt	161.00–161.00	671	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	723	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	1,092	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	932	133.00/cwt	133.00–133.00	1,240	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	270	176.82/cwt	174.00–179.00	477	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	326	164.61/cwt	164.00–165.00	537	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	487	145.03/cwt	144.00–151.00	706	20
Heifers	Large 1	—	1,017	132.00/cwt	132.00–132.00	1,342	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	915	142.00/cwt	142.00–142.00	1,299	16
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,099	600.00/cwt	600.00–600.00	6,594	11
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,032	55.00/cwt	55.00–55.00	568	28
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	960	52.47/cwt	50.00–55.00	504	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,083	59.44/cwt	58.00–61.00	644	39
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	921	97.14/cwt	71.00–105.75	895	172
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,155	60.51/cwt	59.00–62.00	699	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,077	74.12/cwt	61.50–88.00	798	50
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,126	51.00/cwt	51.00–51.00	574	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,202	795.74/cwt	755.00–830.00	9,565	89
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,071	53.00/cwt	53.00–53.00	568	6
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,323	69.62/cwt	65.50–72.50	921	3
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,370	78.50/cwt	78.50–78.50	1,075	1
Bulls	—	—	1,615	76.36/cwt	73.00–79.00	1,233	10
Bulls	—	—	1,827	90.49/cwt	90.00–91.00	1,653	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,127	53.74/cwt	53.00–55.00	606	38
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,500	58.00/cwt	58.00–58.00	870	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,725	63.00/cwt	63.00–63.00	1,087	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,455	66.50/cwt	66.50–66.50	968	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,259	63.92/cwt	60.00–66.00	805	68
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,748	73.46/cwt	73.00–75.00	1,284	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,403	66.54/cwt	63.50–70.00	934	95
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,221	59.34/cwt	57.00–61.50	725	72
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,171	52.79/cwt	48.00–56.00	618	264
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	752	149.60/cwt	148.00–150.00	1,125	40
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	472	153.74/cwt	146.75–159.50	726	211
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	437	161.38/cwt	160.00–165.00	705	72
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	411	181.00/cwt	181.00–181.00	744	26
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	839	148.00/cwt	148.00–148.00	1,242	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	444	192.00/cwt	192.00–192.00	852	22
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	381	168.76/cwt	162.00–173.00	643	294
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	564	136.60/cwt	135.50–140.00	770	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1NHTC	—	912	145.75/cwt	145.75–145.75	1,329	36
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	440	175.40/cwt	168.00–177.00	772	40
Steers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	—	506	189.00/cwt	189.00–189.00	956	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	322	207.45/cwt	203.00–217.50	668	155
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	312	182.38/cwt	172.00–187.00	569	145
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	246	229.04/cwt	227.50–230.00	563	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	342	197.48/cwt	194.00–201.00	675	57
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	478	167.20/cwt	158.00–171.00	799	39
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	340	184.00/cwt	184.00–184.00	626	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	296	217.50/cwt	217.50–217.50	644	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	548	166.50/cwt	166.50–166.50	912	69
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	529	167.42/cwt	162.00–171.60	886	265
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	386	186.00/cwt	186.00–186.00	718	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	362	201.88/cwt	194.00–211.00	731	91
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	342	195.00/cwt	195.00–195.00	667	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	470	184.17/cwt	169.00–191.00	866	244
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	571	160.24/cwt	154.00–164.00	915	66
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	282	219.01/cwt	218.00–227.50	618	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	427	188.65/cwt	180.00–199.00	806	405
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	391	193.39/cwt	190.00–196.00	756	53
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	830	143.48/cwt	142.50–144.75	1,191	33
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	989	135.20/cwt	132.00–136.00	1,337	5
Heifers	Medium 1	—	694	156.25/cwt	156.25–156.25	1,084	25
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	386	171.00/cwt	171.00–171.00	660	9
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	519	157.50/cwt	157.50–157.50	817	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	583	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	875	9
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,353	55.00/cwt	55.00–55.00	744	8
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,385	70.91/cwt	69.50–72.00	982	13
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,094	46.09/cwt	44.00–47.50	504	27
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	905	43.08/cwt	41.00–44.50	390	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	945	50.82/cwt	49.00–52.00	480	5
Bulls	—	—	1,768	82.12/cwt	79.00–86.50	1,452	25
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,203	71.25/cwt	71.00–73.00	857	8

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 →