Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2023-12-12
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2023-12-12

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Steer calves under 450 lbs were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on a very attractive offering. Steer calves over 450 lbs sold generally steady to firm. Heifer calves under 450 lbs sold 4.00-8.00 higher, heifers 450-599 lbs sold steady to firm, heifers over 600 lbs were not well compared, however lower undertones were noticed. Quality this week was mostly average to very attractive, and overall much more attractive than last week. Package sizes were larger this week with more partial loads and large packages seen. The best demand continues to be for light weight calves suitable to develop into yearlings. Buyers were willing to buy larger calves to make yearlings as long as they were in light flesh. Calves too heavy or to fleshy to make yearlings sold on light to moderate demand. Several sets of long weaned calves were seen this week and these were met with mostly good demand. CME positions have posted gains for the last few trading sessions; higher contract movement seen again today. The January contract closed 1.30 higher to close at 218.975, while the March contract closed 1.00 higher to close at 219.60. Market activity was mostly active this week with a good buyer pool on hand actively bidding on offerings. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate demand for light to moderate offerings. Demand for slaughter cows was light to moderate this week and stronger than last week. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady on breaking and boning cows in a narrow comparison. Lean cows sold mostly 2.00-4.00 higher as packers competed with feeding buyers over offerings. A large portion of the cow offering was purchased to feed again this week. High quality feeding cows, suitable to feed to premium white sold mostly steady. Thin feeding or turn out cows sold 2.00 to 5.00 higher. Cow flesh scores are starting to improve as many ranchers have weaned calves and cows are starting to flesh back up. A large buyer pool for thin cows continues to be seen. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 2.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average to average to start the sale but improved as the sale progressed. Young age cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand this week. Quality this week was mostly average and not as attractive as last weeks sale. This class of cows sold mostly 10.00-15.00 lower. Most offerings sold to feeding buyers this week.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $299.77/cwt on 830 head.

Average price

$299.77

830 head · 502 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,506

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$58

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

$48.71/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+19.95

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	503	300.49	1,512	782
Medium 1	472	296.36	1,399	39
Medium and Large 1-2	577	251.78	1,453	9thin

One grade step is worth $48.71/cwt here — about $58 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 sale830 hd

299.77

—

MT average4 barns · 3,176 hd

279.82

+19.95

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	1,779	97.06	1,727	11
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,544	88.49	1,366	8thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,371	82.03	1,124	54
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,172	80.13	939	236

Every lot, as filed

56 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 1Unweaned	—	600	209.00/cwt	209.00–209.00	1,254	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	691	195.00/cwt	195.00–195.00	1,347	13
Steers	Medium 1	—	449	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,392	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	419	346.23/cwt	340.00–356.00	1,451	43
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	485	272.00/cwt	272.00–272.00	1,319	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	346	387.50/cwt	387.50–387.50	1,341	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	635	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,524	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	389	316.00/cwt	316.00–316.00	1,229	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	675	229.00/cwt	229.00–229.00	1,546	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	662	244.50/cwt	244.50–244.50	1,619	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	443	324.38/cwt	316.00–330.00	1,437	61
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	519	284.31/cwt	273.00–294.00	1,476	41
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	572	265.16/cwt	261.00–269.50	1,517	127
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	707	238.00/cwt	238.00–238.00	1,683	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	688	244.00/cwt	244.00–244.00	1,679	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	575	266.18/cwt	265.00–268.00	1,531	31
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	421	302.00/cwt	302.00–302.00	1,271	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	392	366.00/cwt	366.00–366.00	1,435	31
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	—	499	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,447	23
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	621	250.51/cwt	249.00–252.00	1,556	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	519	286.06/cwt	277.00–291.50	1,485	82
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	472	306.05/cwt	290.00–311.00	1,445	102
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	492	262.61/cwt	261.00–268.00	1,292	43
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	475	277.01/cwt	266.00–283.00	1,316	124
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	418	298.38/cwt	275.00–312.00	1,247	55
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	433	251.00/cwt	251.00–251.00	1,087	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	658	197.50/cwt	197.50–197.50	1,300	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	370	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	1,351	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,250	62.50/cwt	62.50–62.50	781	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,133	77.28/cwt	63.00–80.00	876	68
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,192	83.75/cwt	80.00–89.00	998	131
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,354	78.61/cwt	71.50–83.00	1,064	15
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,200	71.80/cwt	65.50–78.00	862	28
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,392	74.93/cwt	65.00–84.50	1,043	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,135	83.95/cwt	81.00–85.50	953	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,708	85.60/cwt	84.00–87.00	1,462	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,489	89.45/cwt	89.00–91.50	1,332	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	838	54.10/cwt	51.00–57.00	453	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,374	85.18/cwt	83.50–90.00	1,170	32
Bulls	—	—	1,978	108.08/cwt	106.00–110.00	2,138	2
Bulls	—	—	1,698	90.10/cwt	82.00–95.00	1,530	6
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,580	102.00/cwt	102.00–102.00	1,612	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,925	104.45/cwt	103.00–106.00	2,011	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	895	95.00/cwt	95.00–95.00	850	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	922	130.58/cwt	112.00–146.00	1,204	43
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,163	85.00/cwt	85.00–85.00	989	7
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	997	101.14/cwt	87.00–128.00	1,008	30
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	479	309.65/cwt	294.00–312.00	1,483	155
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	916	188.50/cwt	188.50–188.50	1,727	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	386	300.60/cwt	295.00–310.00	1,160	32
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	780	192.00/cwt	192.00–192.00	1,498	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	919	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	1,700	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	579	233.65/cwt	225.00–246.00	1,353	26
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	378	374.14/cwt	360.00–380.00	1,414	36
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	508	259.50/cwt	259.50–259.50	1,318	39
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	411	293.37/cwt	282.00–295.00	1,206	16

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 →