Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2021-10-12
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2021-10-12

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers and heifers were scarcely tested this week thus no trend is available. Limited yearlings sold on moderate to good demand. Steer calves sold unevenly steady from 5.00 lower to 5.00 higher. Heifer calves under 450 lbs sold mostly 5.00-10.00 lower, heifers over 450 sold steady to 5.00 higher. Quality this week was mixed from plain to attractive. Weather conditions were poor to very poor today as wet, heavy snow was seen all across the region. Calves looked stressed at times as temperatures hovered in the low 30's and all calves were soaking wet. Despite poor weather, feeder cattle sold on mostly moderate demand. High quality claves with two rounds of vaccinations sold with the best demand, while average quality calves sold on light to moderate demand. Transportation continues to be very tight as trucks and drivers are limited. Buyers focused on buying front end calves, especially ones with two rounds of vaccinations and passed or discounted average quality calves or calves with only spring shots. Market activity was moderate overall. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light demand for very heavy offerings. Cows continue to be mostly very thin. Packers showed mostly light demand for slaughter cows as very heavy offerings are being seen across the region. Slaughter cows sold mostly 6.00-10.00 lower on lean cows, breaking and boning cows were not well tested. Feeding cows sold mostly 3.00-7.00 lower. Feeding cow demand improved as the sale progressed. Eight cow buyers were actively bidding on cows to feed this sale. Many thin cows purchased to turn out on corn stalks or feed a holding ration until the market improves. Others were purchased as exposed and will return to the country to preg test and keep until spring. Slaughter bulls sold 2.00-3.00 lower on a lower quality offering. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold mostly 3.00-5.00 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 $188.45/cwt on 1,490 head.

Average price

$188.45

1,490 head · 441 lb average

Value per head Derived

$831

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$524

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 2-3

$89.11/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+9.29

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	443	194.11	860	1,333
Medium and Large 1-2	441	173.43	765	73
Medium 2	421	120.00	505	14thin
Medium and Large 2	420	110.58	464	61
Medium and Large 2-3	320	105.00	336	9thin

One grade step is worth $89.11/cwt here — about $524 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 sale1,490 hd

188.45

—

MT average5 barns · 6,113 hd

179.16

+9.29

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	1,696	76.44	1,296	50
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,445	63.00	910	1thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,314	58.95	774	59
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,138	44.72	509	556

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	—	567	128.81/cwt	124.00–131.00	730	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	920	145.50/cwt	145.50–145.50	1,339	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	380	154.57/cwt	154.00–156.00	587	30
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	419	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	608	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	—	497	169.00/cwt	169.00–169.00	840	73
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	640	131.00/cwt	131.00–131.00	838	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	423	158.06/cwt	155.00–162.00	669	123
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	624	137.16/cwt	134.00–140.00	856	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	325	131.00/cwt	131.00–131.00	426	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	381	134.74/cwt	130.00–139.00	513	55
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	334	161.33/cwt	151.00–164.50	539	42
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	707	158.00/cwt	158.00–158.00	1,117	44
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	942	138.13/cwt	137.00–144.00	1,301	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 2-3Unweaned	—	236	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	307	24
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,149	685.00/cwt	685.00–685.00	7,871	27
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,174	850.00/cwt	850.00–850.00	9,979	27
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	835	89.00/cwt	89.00–89.00	743	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,287	48.00/cwt	48.00–48.00	618	19
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,041	58.11/cwt	53.00–64.25	605	59
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	824	106.38/cwt	80.00–114.50	877	152
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,242	52.00/cwt	52.00–52.00	646	10
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,014	73.32/cwt	61.00–95.00	743	127
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,125	1,219.88/cwt	1,075.00–1,275.00	13,724	88
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,003	1,360.00/cwt	1,360.00–1,360.00	13,641	21
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,030	54.77/cwt	52.50–65.00	564	8
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,608	79.10/cwt	77.00–83.00	1,272	11
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,710	74.00/cwt	74.00–74.00	1,265	2
Bulls	—	—	1,630	70.29/cwt	64.00–74.00	1,146	15
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,169	50.09/cwt	47.00–55.00	586	159
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,328	64.02/cwt	63.00–66.00	850	16
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,296	57.47/cwt	54.00–62.00	745	41
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,558	48.72/cwt	45.00–52.00	759	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,445	63.00/cwt	63.00–63.00	910	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,181	58.00/cwt	58.00–58.00	685	34
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	520	156.93/cwt	147.50–160.00	816	64
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	562	143.66/cwt	143.50–150.00	807	40
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	545	138.00/cwt	138.00–138.00	752	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	379	168.44/cwt	166.50–169.75	638	300
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	276	230.87/cwt	217.00–234.00	637	47
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	469	143.02/cwt	142.00–144.00	671	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	271	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	461	31
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	445	145.38/cwt	145.00–146.00	647	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1Value Added	—	353	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	812	166
Steers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	417	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	876	124
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	507	163.85/cwt	162.00–164.00	831	31
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	311	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	513	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	470	158.35/cwt	147.50–164.50	744	227
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	333	176.20/cwt	170.00–177.50	587	153
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	422	171.00/cwt	171.00–171.00	722	3
Steers	Medium 2Unweaned	—	421	120.00/cwt	120.00–120.00	505	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	324	186.00/cwt	186.00–186.00	603	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	423	194.23/cwt	186.00–206.50	822	164
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	478	179.18/cwt	170.00–190.00	856	279
Steers	Medium and Large 2-3Unweaned	—	320	105.00/cwt	105.00–105.00	336	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	481	167.93/cwt	162.00–172.00	808	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	321	219.70/cwt	210.00–234.00	705	85
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	570	163.95/cwt	154.00–166.00	935	154
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	529	166.99/cwt	163.00–168.50	883	123
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	386	206.97/cwt	204.50–221.00	799	152
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	420	110.58/cwt	107.50–112.50	464	61
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	280	199.51/cwt	185.00–207.50	559	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	616	152.83/cwt	151.00–156.00	941	33
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	863	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	1,200	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	788	148.00/cwt	148.00–148.00	1,166	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	831	146.00/cwt	146.00–146.00	1,213	9
Bulls	Medium and Large 2-3Unweaned	—	366	110.00/cwt	110.00–110.00	403	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	396	132.50/cwt	132.50–132.50	525	26
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	433	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	671	27
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,100	33.70/cwt	25.00–36.00	371	38
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	951	34.25/cwt	34.00–35.00	326	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	930	28.26/cwt	23.00–31.00	263	11
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,172	40.01/cwt	37.00–44.00	469	47
Bulls	—	—	1,783	79.53/cwt	75.00–83.50	1,418	22
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,133	43.85/cwt	38.00–48.00	497	237
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,053	35.65/cwt	35.50–36.00	375	26

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 →