Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2023-12-19
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2023-12-19

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 400 lbs were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Steer calves 450-549 lbs sold mostly 10.00 higher; steers over 550 lbs were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Heifer calves under 400 lbs sold mostly steady to 5.00 higher, heifers 400-499 lbs sold steady to 10.00 higher; heifers over 500 lbs were not well compared, however higher undertones were noticed. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive, and overall similar to last week. Package sizes were smaller this week compared to last. Large packages and partial loads sold with very good demand this week as buyers wanted to piece together loads of like quality cattle. The best demand continues to be for light weight calves suitable to develop into yearlings. Most calves were weaned this week and these offerings were met with mostly good demand. A few packages of high quality unweaned calves were seen this week and despite being unweaned buyers showed very good demand for high quality calves. CME positions have posted gains for the last few trading sessions and ended last week higher than it started for the first time in weeks. CME positions were higher most of the day but sold off into the close. The January contract closed 1.275 lower to settle at 221.90, while the March closed 0.95 lower to settle at 223.20. Market activity was mostly active this week with a similar size smaller buyer pool noticed. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate demand for light to moderate offerings. This week packers opted to send most cows to harvest as feedlots are mostly full and packers gathered supplies for the holiday break. Demand for slaughter cows was moderate this week and stronger than last week. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady to 3.00 higher on breaking cows in a narrow comparison. Boning cows sold mostly steady to firm, while lean cows sold steady to 2.00 lower. A limited portion of the cow offering was purchased to feed this week. High quality feeding cows, suitable to feed to premium white sold mostly steady to firm. Thin feeding or turn out cows sold steady to 3.00 lower. Cow flesh scores are starting to improve as many ranchers have weaned calves and cows are starting to flesh back up. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady in a narrow comparison. Weigh up conditions were mixed this week. Young age cows sold on mostly moderate demand this week. More interest was seen for this class of cows as additional buyers were in the market looking for both feeding and rebreed quality cows. Quality this week was mostly average. This class of cows sold mostly 5.00-10.00 higher.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $308.63/cwt on 448 head.

Average price

$308.63

448 head · 496 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,531

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$123

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

$43.57/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+24.24

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	497	314.11	1,562	386
Medium and Large 2	394	283.00	1,115	20
Medium and Large 1-2	532	270.53	1,439	42

One grade step is worth $43.57/cwt here — about $123 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 sale448 hd

308.63

—

MT average4 barns · 1,381 hd

284.39

+24.24

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	1,787	101.90	1,821	29
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,646	88.38	1,455	12
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,363	86.61	1,180	140
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,174	75.70	889	219

Replacement cattle Per head

By class, stage and age

Bred stock and pairs are reported per head, not per hundredweight — these prices are never mixed with the $/cwt figures above.

Class	Stage	Age	Avg wt	$/head	Head
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,291	$2,167	23
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,110	$2,000	3thin
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,280	$1,743	30
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,161	$1,550	4thin
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,279	$1,405	129
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,390	$1,350	2thin
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,395	$1,250	2thin
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,348	$1,175	2thin

Every lot, as filed

78 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
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	578	239.00/cwt	239.00–239.00	1,381	2
Heifers	Large 1	—	526	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,210	6
Heifers	Medium 1	—	482	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,205	5
Heifers	Medium 1	—	748	195.00/cwt	195.00–195.00	1,459	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	470	284.63/cwt	272.50–290.50	1,338	124
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	456	291.00/cwt	291.00–291.00	1,327	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	531	287.00/cwt	287.00–287.00	1,524	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	590	272.50/cwt	272.50–272.50	1,608	51
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	447	339.50/cwt	339.50–339.50	1,518	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	342	384.00/cwt	384.00–384.00	1,313	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	628	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,601	49
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	485	306.67/cwt	305.00–315.00	1,487	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	550	282.00/cwt	282.00–282.00	1,551	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	532	296.11/cwt	284.00–305.00	1,575	67
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	432	351.79/cwt	342.00–356.00	1,520	115
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	325	395.00/cwt	395.00–395.00	1,284	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	482	293.00/cwt	293.00–293.00	1,412	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	523	277.50/cwt	277.50–277.50	1,451	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	442	312.16/cwt	311.00–322.50	1,380	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	577	252.00/cwt	252.00–252.00	1,454	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	660	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	1,551	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	291	397.50/cwt	397.50–397.50	1,157	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	839	196.03/cwt	190.00–198.00	1,645	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	512	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,331	29
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	380	291.11/cwt	285.00–295.00	1,106	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	370	360.51/cwt	353.00–370.00	1,334	46
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	394	283.00/cwt	283.00–283.00	1,115	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	672	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	1,378	10
Heifers	Medium 1	—	438	262.50/cwt	262.50–262.50	1,150	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	237	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	640	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	—	544	274.00/cwt	274.00–274.00	1,491	40
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	—	739	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	1,515	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	423	299.49/cwt	299.00–300.00	1,267	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	379	307.32/cwt	295.00–315.00	1,165	58
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	275	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	825	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	371	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	1,020	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	343	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	755	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	488	249.36/cwt	240.00–260.00	1,217	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	515	256.00/cwt	256.00–256.00	1,318	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,635	85.41/cwt	83.00–88.00	1,396	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,335	80.00/cwt	80.00–80.00	1,068	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,464	87.93/cwt	84.00–90.50	1,287	13
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,198	72.33/cwt	65.00–76.00	867	61
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,153	50.27/cwt	42.50–58.00	580	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,131	68.24/cwt	60.00–75.00	772	55
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,153	89.50/cwt	89.50–89.50	1,032	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,793	92.63/cwt	91.00–94.00	1,661	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,352	77.70/cwt	71.00–83.00	1,051	25
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,353	88.71/cwt	84.00–90.60	1,200	101
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,198	84.03/cwt	76.00–86.50	1,007	56
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,116	89.50/cwt	89.50–89.50	999	10
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,582	83.48/cwt	81.50–87.50	1,321	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	966	66.67/cwt	61.00–73.50	644	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	960	76.00/cwt	76.00–76.00	730	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,630	90.82/cwt	90.50–92.00	1,480	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,254	82.86/cwt	76.00–90.50	1,039	23
Bulls	—	—	1,945	108.08/cwt	103.00–110.00	2,102	14
Bulls	—	—	1,600	112.00/cwt	112.00–112.00	1,792	1
Bulls	—	—	1,701	95.61/cwt	88.00–98.50	1,626	10
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	980	82.00/cwt	82.00–82.00	804	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,740	104.50/cwt	104.50–104.50	1,818	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,535	83.00/cwt	83.00–83.00	1,274	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	834	148.90/cwt	113.00–199.00	1,242	128
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	1,120	65.00/cwt	65.00–65.00	728	9
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	735	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	956	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,161	1,550.00/head	1,550.00–1,550.00	1,550	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,110	2,000.00/head	2,000.00–2,000.00	2,000	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,330	1,250.00/head	1,250.00–1,250.00	1,250	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	893	94.46/cwt	80.00–101.00	844	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,044	105.66/cwt	90.00–127.50	1,103	70
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	847	122.72/cwt	105.00–135.00	1,039	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,272	1,818.60/head	1,475.00–1,975.00	1,819	26
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,291	2,167.32/head	1,850.00–2,300.00	2,167	23
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,390	1,350.00/head	1,350.00–1,350.00	1,350	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,395	1,250.00/head	1,250.00–1,250.00	1,250	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,348	1,175.00/head	1,175.00–1,175.00	1,175	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,279	1,405.45/head	1,310.00–1,435.00	1,405	129
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	868	194.00/cwt	194.00–194.00	1,684	5

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 →