Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2024-01-09
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-01-09

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale: Feeder steers under 450 lbs sold steady to 10.00 lower on a lower quality offering, steers over 450 lbs sold mostly 10.00-15.00 higher, with instances of 20.00 higher seen on some high quality offerings. Heifer calves under 550 lbs sold mostly 5.00-7.00 higher, heifers over 550 lbs were not well compared, however demand for this weight of heifers was much better this sale as both replacement buyers and grass cattle buyers competed over offerings. Buyers were buying a heavier weight of feeders to send to grass as they purchased steers up to 650 lbs and heifers up to 600 lbs for that purpose. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive. Most cattle were weaned 45-90 days, with a limited offering of calves straight off the cows. Calves straight off the cow were mostly very high quality and buyers showed good demand despite the fact they were not weaned. Package sizes were mostly moderate this week with one load lot seen. Demand for todays single load lot was very good. CME positions have seen slight gains since the last sale in December. The January contract closed today at 223.775 while the March closed at 224.875. Market activity was mostly active this week with a large buyer pool noticed. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand for moderate offerings. Demand for cows was mostly light to start the sale but improved as additional buyers entered the market. Demand for slaughter cows was light to moderate this week. Breaking slaughter cows sold mostly 5.00-7.00 higher, boning slaughter cows sold generally steady, lean slaughter cows sold mostly 2.00 higher. Most of the cow offering returned to feed this week as both packers and private buyers both purchased cows to feed this week. High quality feeding cows, suitable to feed to premium white sold mostly steady to 2.00 higher. Thin feeding or turn out cows sold steady to 3.00 higher. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady to 2.00 lower in a narrow comparison. Weigh up conditions were mixed this week. Young age cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand this week. More interest was seen for this class of cows as additional buyers were in the market looking for rebreed quality cows. Quality this week was mostly average. This class of cows sold mostly steady to 5.00 higher.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $301.85/cwt on 786 head.

Average price

$301.85

786 head · 529 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,597

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$130

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

$41.77/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+16.18

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	452	317.66	1,437	83
Medium and Large 2	401	305.20	1,224	15thin
Medium and Large 1	536	304.58	1,632	575
Medium and Large 1-2	568	275.89	1,568	113

One grade step is worth $41.77/cwt here — about −$130 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 sale786 hd

301.85

—

MT average2 barns · 1,316 hd

285.67

+16.18

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	—	High	1,909	99.79	1,905	29
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,509	101.76	1,535	41
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	Average	1,763	98.73	1,740	13
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,365	88.97	1,214	180
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,171	79.82	934	289

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)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,505	$1,600	19

Every lot, as filed

83 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	—	573	232.00/cwt	232.00–232.00	1,329	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	635	243.00/cwt	243.00–243.00	1,543	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	—	588	268.24/cwt	265.00–268.50	1,577	50
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	396	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	1,129	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	465	305.63/cwt	301.00–315.00	1,421	26
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	472	316.00/cwt	316.00–316.00	1,492	19
Steers	Medium 1	—	386	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,274	17
Steers	Medium 1	—	536	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,554	14
Steers	Medium 1	—	463	312.33/cwt	308.00–315.00	1,446	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	653	251.00/cwt	251.00–251.00	1,639	13
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	567	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,446	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	407	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	1,241	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	884	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	1,901	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	387	327.00/cwt	327.00–327.00	1,265	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	447	308.00/cwt	308.00–308.00	1,377	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	—	656	256.43/cwt	256.00–257.00	1,682	30
Steers	Medium 1	—	444	327.00/cwt	327.00–327.00	1,452	31
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	525	313.72/cwt	297.00–320.50	1,647	161
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	540	282.27/cwt	273.00–289.00	1,524	20
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	344	322.00/cwt	322.00–322.00	1,108	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	564	289.65/cwt	282.00–293.00	1,634	42
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	311	367.50/cwt	367.50–367.50	1,143	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	429	333.24/cwt	325.00–348.50	1,430	68
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	378	342.96/cwt	338.00–352.50	1,296	36
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	751	235.90/cwt	235.50–243.00	1,772	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	741	243.50/cwt	243.50–243.50	1,804	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	479	321.54/cwt	312.00–325.50	1,540	83
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	674	242.29/cwt	240.00–244.00	1,633	35
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	616	281.99/cwt	272.00–289.00	1,737	70
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	506	301.00/cwt	301.00–301.00	1,523	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	618	276.50/cwt	276.50–276.50	1,709	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	617	288.06/cwt	286.00–289.00	1,777	25
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	719	239.00/cwt	239.00–239.00	1,718	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	576	277.01/cwt	272.00–280.00	1,596	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	675	257.04/cwt	252.00–260.00	1,735	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	564	269.24/cwt	254.50–273.00	1,519	46
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	438	276.67/cwt	271.00–286.00	1,212	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	479	289.99/cwt	280.00–293.00	1,389	195
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	706	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	1,553	13
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	610	247.50/cwt	247.50–247.50	1,510	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	516	284.00/cwt	284.00–284.00	1,465	5
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	—	1,925	95.50/cwt	95.50–95.50	1,838	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,165	62.01/cwt	61.00–63.00	722	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,516	78.09/cwt	74.00–83.00	1,184	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,341	89.32/cwt	85.00–95.50	1,198	145
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,449	99.19/cwt	97.00–103.00	1,437	12
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,189	85.52/cwt	82.00–91.00	1,017	145
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	—	1,573	102.50/cwt	102.50–102.50	1,612	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	858	60.09/cwt	51.00–64.00	516	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	935	63.00/cwt	63.00–63.00	589	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	973	76.66/cwt	76.00–78.00	746	3
Bulls	—	—	2,279	110.00/cwt	110.00–110.00	2,507	8
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,393	88.48/cwt	84.00–93.00	1,233	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,199	86.08/cwt	82.00–88.00	1,032	29
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,508	102.08/cwt	101.50–102.50	1,539	40
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,457	82.08/cwt	73.00–85.00	1,196	14
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,545	89.00/cwt	89.00–89.00	1,375	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,130	76.58/cwt	67.50–82.00	865	42
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,179	68.30/cwt	61.50–80.00	805	62
Bulls	—	—	2,175	106.00/cwt	106.00–106.00	2,306	1
Bulls	—	—	2,030	109.50/cwt	109.50–109.50	2,223	1
Bulls	—	—	1,757	90.66/cwt	78.00–103.50	1,593	14
Bulls	—	—	1,668	105.83/cwt	105.00–108.00	1,765	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,242	90.49/cwt	89.50–91.00	1,124	20
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	868	82.46/cwt	80.00–87.50	716	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,042	105.98/cwt	87.50–128.00	1,104	30
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	814	113.00/cwt	113.00–113.00	920	10
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	927	151.08/cwt	132.00–183.00	1,401	124
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,505	1,600.00/head	1,600.00–1,600.00	1,600	19
Heifers	Medium 1	—	539	256.18/cwt	246.50–261.00	1,381	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	600	254.00/cwt	254.00–254.00	1,524	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	585	248.78/cwt	247.50–249.50	1,455	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	423	300.28/cwt	293.00–309.00	1,270	54
Heifers	Large 1	—	490	277.00/cwt	277.00–277.00	1,357	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	530	266.56/cwt	263.50–270.00	1,413	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	—	613	262.00/cwt	262.00–262.00	1,606	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	—	429	267.00/cwt	267.00–267.00	1,145	11
Heifers	Medium 1	—	437	282.00/cwt	282.00–282.00	1,232	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	507	281.00/cwt	281.00–281.00	1,425	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	389	309.87/cwt	301.00–313.00	1,205	17
Heifers	Large 1	—	449	282.00/cwt	282.00–282.00	1,266	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	477	286.00/cwt	286.00–286.00	1,364	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	376	299.00/cwt	299.00–299.00	1,124	4

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 →