Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2023-07-11
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2023-07-11

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were all too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Demand was mostly very good for very light offerings. Quality this sale was mostly plain. Most feeder cattle were offered as singles or in very small groups. Market activity was mostly active this week despite limited offerings. Weigh up cows comprised most of the offering today. Packers showed good to very good demand for both slaughter and feeding cows. Several packers or order buyers buying for packers were active this week in purchasing cows this week. Breaking and boning cows sold mostly 3.00-5.00 higher, lean cows sold 5.00-8.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Packers were aggressive as they pushed to fill slaughter needs. Several loads of cows were purchased to feed to premium white as cow quality was attractive to very attractive this week. Feeding cows sold 4.00-5.00 higher. Slaughter bulls sold fully steady. Demand for cows out paced bulls this week as several sets of high quality cows out sold bulls today. Weigh up conditions were average to above average early in the sale but deteriorated as the day progressed and cows tanked up in the heat. Young age cows sold 8.00-10.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Demand was mostly good for light offerings. Quality was mostly average to attractive this week and higher than last sale. Feeding buyers and rebreed buyers both showed good demand for offerings this week. Lower corn prices allowed feeding buyers to become more aggressive as they purchased young age cows for that purpose.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $249.76/cwt on 21 head.

Average price

$249.76

21 head · 664 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,659

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$200

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

$9.52/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+8.35

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	624	253.38	1,580	13thin
Medium and Large 1	730	243.86	1,780	8thin

One grade step is worth $9.52/cwt here — about −$200 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 sale21 hd

249.76

—

MT average2 barns · 82 hd

241.41

+8.35

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	1,653	116.73	1,930	102
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,510	114.45	1,728	89
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,376	110.63	1,523	147
Cows	Lean 85-90%	High	1,195	101.59	1,214	45

Every lot, as filed

39 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
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,147	132.09/cwt	110.00–162.50	1,515	40
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,028	160.84/cwt	129.00–180.00	1,653	25
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,321	110.98/cwt	110.50–112.50	1,466	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	947	150.42/cwt	142.50–165.00	1,424	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,271	108.92/cwt	108.00–109.00	1,384	12
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,579	117.23/cwt	115.75–118.25	1,851	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,248	111.97/cwt	111.50–112.50	1,397	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,510	111.72/cwt	108.00–113.00	1,687	10
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,538	116.21/cwt	114.50–117.00	1,787	41
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,464	112.67/cwt	112.50–113.00	1,649	33
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,366	112.86/cwt	108.00–118.50	1,542	42
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,095	80.61/cwt	76.00–86.00	883	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,387	108.81/cwt	103.00–112.50	1,509	39
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	985	97.50/cwt	97.50–97.50	960	1
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,185	114.50/cwt	113.00–116.00	1,357	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,276	121.00/cwt	121.00–121.00	1,544	8
Bulls	—Natural	—	1,931	127.97/cwt	125.00–130.00	2,471	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,055	107.00/cwt	107.00–107.00	1,129	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	544	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,414	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	893	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	1,965	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	709	248.00/cwt	248.00–248.00	1,758	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	617	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,481	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	546	239.00/cwt	239.00–239.00	1,305	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	780	223.52/cwt	220.00–227.00	1,743	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	600	259.00/cwt	259.00–259.00	1,554	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	765	236.97/cwt	235.00–238.00	1,813	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	645	264.00/cwt	264.00–264.00	1,703	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	705	231.00/cwt	231.00–231.00	1,629	1
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,110	97.47/cwt	90.00–105.00	1,082	4
Bulls	—	—	1,914	125.76/cwt	122.00–130.50	2,407	17
Bulls	—	—	1,673	117.00/cwt	113.00–122.00	1,957	46
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,378	96.12/cwt	92.00–101.00	1,325	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,176	101.66/cwt	96.50–105.00	1,196	20
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,196	92.83/cwt	90.00–95.50	1,110	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	960	99.00/cwt	99.00–99.00	950	1
Bulls	—	—	1,615	108.73/cwt	103.50–113.00	1,756	20
Bulls	—	—	2,095	113.00/cwt	113.00–113.00	2,367	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,346	114.72/cwt	112.00–120.50	1,544	33
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,413	107.57/cwt	100.00–112.50	1,520	28

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 →