Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2023-11-28
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2023-11-28

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested last sale to develop any market trend. Steer calves under 500 lbs were too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. 500-599 lb steers sold generally steady, steer calves over 600 lbs sold 8.00-10.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Heifer calves under 450 lbs were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. 450-499 lb heifers sold steady to 5.00 higher, 500-549 lbs sold fully steady, heifers over 550 lbs were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Quality this week was average to very attractive and very consistent throughout the sale. Package sizes were larger this week than last and allowed buyers to start and build loads of like quality calves. Demand was moderate to good for all feeder cattle on offer. Several sets of long weaned calves were seen this week and these were met with mostly good demand. CME positions sold off sharply late last week and yesterday, however today saw sharply higher prices and buyers responded positively to higher contract prices. The January closed at 221.05, while the March contract closed at 223.50, 8.25 and 7.20 higher than Mondays close. Market activity was mostly active today with a large buyer pool on hand of both ranchers and order buyers. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand and moderate to heavy offerings. Demand for slaughter cows was mostly light to moderate this week as packers opted to send most cows to feed. Slaughter cows sold generally steady on all offerings. A large portion of the cow offering was purchased to feed this week. Feeding quality cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand. High quality feeding cows, suitable to feed to premium white sold mostly steady to 3.00 higher. Thin feeding or turn out cows sold steady to firm. Many thin, low dressing or very low dressing cows were seen this week. A large buyer pool was actively bidding on this class of cows this week. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Weigh up conditions were mixed this week. Young age cows sold on mostly light demand this week. Most of these offerings were purchased to feed. Quality this week was mostly plain to average.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $254.99/cwt on 826 head.

Average price

$254.99

826 head · 538 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,373

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$10

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

$77.31/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+10.02

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	402	267.31	1,074	73
Medium and Large 1	556	255.86	1,423	625
Medium 1	528	245.92	1,298	123
Large 1	560	190.00	1,064	5thin

One grade step is worth $77.31/cwt here — about $10 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 sale826 hd

254.99

—

MT average3 barns · 1,086 hd

244.97

+10.02

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	1,686	110.29	1,860	22
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,657	94.39	1,564	19
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Very Low	1,402	85.73	1,202	82
Cows	Lean 85-90%	High	1,172	79.29	929	474

Every lot, as filed

79 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	—	426	263.60/cwt	261.00–265.00	1,123	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	805	211.62/cwt	193.00–212.50	1,704	44
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	581	263.20/cwt	258.00–281.00	1,529	80
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	418	276.00/cwt	276.00–276.00	1,154	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	353	316.00/cwt	316.00–316.00	1,115	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	479	276.60/cwt	264.00–284.00	1,325	92
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	340	282.50/cwt	280.00–285.00	961	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	575	244.62/cwt	235.00–249.50	1,407	118
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	630	266.85/cwt	266.85–266.85	1,681	60
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	373	269.16/cwt	265.00–272.50	1,004	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	368	296.31/cwt	280.00–300.00	1,090	34
Steers	Medium 1	—	381	292.50/cwt	292.50–292.50	1,114	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	344	337.50/cwt	337.50–337.50	1,161	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	429	312.76/cwt	309.00–323.00	1,342	46
Steers	Large 1	—	697	207.50/cwt	207.50–207.50	1,446	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	733	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	1,613	8
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	360	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	972	5
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	445	301.00/cwt	301.00–301.00	1,339	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	675	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	1,654	26
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	453	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	1,359	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	525	290.61/cwt	276.25–302.00	1,526	206
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	576	271.84/cwt	261.00–278.00	1,566	40
Steers	Medium 1	—	497	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	1,416	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	409	313.94/cwt	311.00–319.00	1,284	23
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	657	250.50/cwt	250.50–250.50	1,646	29
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	461	288.48/cwt	285.00–290.00	1,330	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	461	298.07/cwt	294.00–300.00	1,374	69
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	516	294.13/cwt	284.00–300.00	1,518	33
Steers	Large 1	—	738	205.50/cwt	205.50–205.50	1,517	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	367	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,138	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	612	257.21/cwt	254.00–260.00	1,574	79
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	364	330.91/cwt	329.00–345.00	1,205	29
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	328	322.56/cwt	320.00–325.00	1,058	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	442	258.00/cwt	258.00–258.00	1,140	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	808	194.00/cwt	194.00–194.00	1,568	2
Heifers	Medium 1	—	667	221.75/cwt	221.75–221.75	1,479	54
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	711	219.50/cwt	219.50–219.50	1,561	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	381	286.00/cwt	286.00–286.00	1,090	9
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	463	291.95/cwt	291.00–300.00	1,352	28
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,127	92.02/cwt	90.00–95.00	1,037	9
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,635	96.00/cwt	96.00–96.00	1,570	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,153	67.66/cwt	61.00–76.00	780	20
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,239	82.77/cwt	82.00–85.00	1,026	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,032	56.42/cwt	54.00–59.00	582	13
Bulls	—	—	1,730	114.11/cwt	108.00–116.00	1,974	11
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,418	69.77/cwt	69.00–70.50	989	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,686	98.72/cwt	98.50–99.50	1,664	10
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,690	94.22/cwt	91.50–96.50	1,592	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,335	86.00/cwt	86.00–86.00	1,148	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	927	64.35/cwt	61.00–72.00	597	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,394	80.83/cwt	72.50–84.00	1,127	38
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,463	82.43/cwt	80.00–84.50	1,206	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,204	83.85/cwt	79.00–89.00	1,010	225
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,155	76.64/cwt	65.00–80.00	885	196
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,442	96.50/cwt	96.50–96.50	1,392	8
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,399	90.19/cwt	84.00–95.00	1,262	31
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,568	84.91/cwt	83.00–87.00	1,331	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,592	85.94/cwt	85.00–88.00	1,368	3
Bulls	—	—	1,584	103.84/cwt	96.00–106.50	1,645	5
Bulls	—	—	1,830	118.00/cwt	118.00–118.00	2,159	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,753	114.03/cwt	113.00–115.00	1,999	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,603	101.97/cwt	94.00–106.50	1,635	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	982	141.03/cwt	122.00–186.00	1,385	53
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,279	100.00/cwt	100.00–100.00	1,279	9
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	871	126.47/cwt	112.50–140.00	1,102	30
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,007	107.86/cwt	92.50–135.00	1,086	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,020	178.58/cwt	171.00–186.00	1,822	12
Heifers	Large 1	—	560	190.00/cwt	190.00–190.00	1,064	5
Heifers	Medium 1	—	444	257.00/cwt	257.00–257.00	1,141	36
Heifers	Medium 1	—	397	274.00/cwt	274.00–274.00	1,088	28
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	429	280.71/cwt	273.00–289.00	1,204	54
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	373	272.93/cwt	255.00–284.00	1,018	29
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	659	204.00/cwt	204.00–204.00	1,344	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	456	269.00/cwt	269.00–269.00	1,227	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	918	196.00/cwt	196.00–196.00	1,799	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	511	267.16/cwt	257.00–272.00	1,365	110
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	528	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,399	53
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	854	196.00/cwt	196.00–196.00	1,674	22
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	620	225.40/cwt	220.00–229.00	1,397	31

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 →