Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2023-09-26
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2023-09-26

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to week: Feeder steers were all too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed. Yearling heifers over 700 lbs sold mostly 3.00-6.00 lower. Heifers under 700 lbs were not well compared, however steady to firm undertones were noticed. Demand for yearlings was mostly moderate, however lighter demand was seen later in the day as buyers filled loads and following a sharply lower close on the board of trade. Consignments of spring born calves have been slow to come to market. Some late season rains have helped green up pastures and allowed ranchers to keep cows and calves out on grass. Calves sold on mostly moderate demand for light offerings. Not enough steer or heifer calves were seen this week to develop an accurate market trend. CME positions traded off today as outside equities pressured the market lower. Feeder cattle contracts closed 4.95 lower on the October to close at 253.875 while the November closed at 256.875, 5.825 lower. Market activity was mostly moderate today. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand for light offerings. Demand for all cows was good today as feeding buyers and packer buyers both were aggressively over limited offerings. Breaking cows were not well compared. Very few cows were purchased to slaughter this week as packers purchased most cows to send to feed. Boning and lean cows sold generally steady in a very narrow comparison. Feeding cows sold steady to firm in a narrow comparison. Slaughter bulls sold generally steady. Feeding bulls sold mostly steady to firm. Weigh up conditions were average to below average as many cows and bulls were pushing some fill today. Young age cows were too lightly tested last week to develop any market trend. Good demand was seen for all offerings.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $252.98/cwt on 513 head.

Average price

$252.98

513 head · 728 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,841

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$1,059

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

$98.00/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+7.51

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 2	373	285.00	1,063	6thin
Medium and Large 1	735	253.08	1,861	457
Medium and Large 1-2	679	251.57	1,708	45
Medium 1	755	240.00	1,812	3thin
Large 1-2	1,135	187.00	2,122	2thin

One grade step is worth $98.00/cwt here — about −$1,059 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 sale513 hd

252.98

—

MT average3 barns · 1,216 hd

245.47

+7.51

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	1,519	110.17	1,673	23
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,485	112.50	1,671	1thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,395	108.72	1,517	13
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,130	98.27	1,111	60

Every lot, as filed

60 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	—	300	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	915	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	423	298.00/cwt	298.00–298.00	1,261	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	648	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,750	62
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	660	269.00/cwt	269.00–269.00	1,775	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	710	256.99/cwt	255.00–258.00	1,825	28
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	873	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,964	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	705	268.00/cwt	268.00–268.00	1,889	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	704	242.00/cwt	242.00–242.00	1,704	5
Steers	Medium 1	—	665	270.40/cwt	270.00–270.50	1,798	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	387	307.50/cwt	307.00–310.00	1,190	46
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	326	334.00/cwt	334.00–334.00	1,089	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	373	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	1,063	6
Steers	Medium 1	—	714	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,892	9
Steers	Medium 1	—	571	276.00/cwt	276.00–276.00	1,576	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	778	252.00/cwt	252.00–252.00	1,961	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	723	252.00/cwt	252.00–252.00	1,822	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	865	242.42/cwt	235.50–244.00	2,097	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	782	264.50/cwt	264.50–264.50	2,068	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	349	342.50/cwt	342.50–342.50	1,195	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	—	403	292.00/cwt	292.00–292.00	1,177	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	309	337.50/cwt	337.50–337.50	1,043	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	287	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	1,019	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	430	326.37/cwt	326.00–340.00	1,403	37
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	820	255.04/cwt	251.00–258.00	2,091	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	721	245.97/cwt	241.00–248.50	1,773	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	820	236.16/cwt	232.00–238.75	1,937	69
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	880	230.64/cwt	229.00–233.50	2,030	63
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	743	244.97/cwt	241.00–249.00	1,820	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	994	222.92/cwt	222.50–223.50	2,216	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	—	768	237.00/cwt	237.00–237.00	1,820	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,152	90.06/cwt	86.00–95.50	1,037	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,174	111.48/cwt	111.00–113.00	1,309	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,148	97.64/cwt	94.00–98.00	1,121	14
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,129	107.14/cwt	102.00–109.00	1,210	11
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,485	112.50/cwt	112.50–112.50	1,671	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,414	116.34/cwt	116.00–116.50	1,645	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,088	84.00/cwt	84.00–84.00	914	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,230	109.50/cwt	109.50–109.50	1,347	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	878	67.59/cwt	66.00–69.00	593	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	900	88.20/cwt	84.00–92.00	794	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,384	110.87/cwt	107.00–112.50	1,534	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,189	102.59/cwt	99.00–107.00	1,220	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,330	92.50/cwt	92.50–92.50	1,230	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,420	102.19/cwt	99.00–104.00	1,451	3
Bulls	—	—	1,680	107.10/cwt	102.00–111.50	1,799	5
Bulls	—	—	1,710	113.00/cwt	113.00–113.00	1,932	1
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,082	104.53/cwt	103.50–105.00	1,131	3
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,608	108.85/cwt	106.50–113.50	1,750	7
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,474	115.70/cwt	113.00–119.00	1,705	7
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	870	109.00/cwt	109.00–109.00	948	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,100	122.02/cwt	111.50–125.00	1,342	10
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	908	140.11/cwt	125.00–148.00	1,272	3
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	885	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	1,106	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	892	162.54/cwt	140.00–190.00	1,450	46
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	914	229.21/cwt	228.50–230.75	2,095	19
Heifers	Medium 1	—	755	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,812	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	957	225.46/cwt	224.75–229.00	2,158	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	776	245.24/cwt	240.50–250.00	1,903	124
Heifers	Large 1-2	—	1,135	187.00/cwt	187.00–187.00	2,122	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	772	238.22/cwt	237.00–239.00	1,839	23

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 →