Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2024-01-30
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-01-30

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale: Feeder steers under 450 lbs sold were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed, steers 450-549 lbs sold mostly 10.00-20.00 higher, 550-649 lbs steers sold mostly 5.00 higher, steers over 650 lbs were not well compared. Heifer calves under 450 lbs were too lightly tested either this week or last to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to higher undertones were noticed, heifers 450-599 lbs sold mostly 5.00-10.00 higher, heifers over 600 lbs were not well compared. Quality this week was mostly average to very attractive. Most cattle were weaned 45-100 days, with a limited offering of calves straight off the cows. Package sizes were mostly moderate again this week with lots of partial loads seen. A few load lots were seen this week and they were met with very good demand. CME positions continue to tick higher. The March closed today at 241.325, 7.675 higher than last Tuesdays close. The April closed at 247.00 today. Market activity was mostly active this week with a large buyer pool noticed of both farmer feeders, ranchers and order-buyers. Demand for replacement quality cattle was good again this week with several buyers looking for heifers to breed. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good to very good demand for light to moderate offerings. Demand for slaughter cows was especially good as packer buyers showed need for cows for immediate harvest. Packers balanced buying cows to feed with meeting slaughter needs. Slaughter cows sold mostly 3.00-5.00 higher on Premium white and breaking cows. Boning and lean cows sold mostly 3.00-6.00 higher. Several buyers continue to buy feeding cows as many are betting the market continues to improve. Feeding cows sold on very good demand this sale as private buyers and packer buyers competed over high quality, sound offerings that are suitable to feed. All feeding offerings sold 3.00-8.00 higher. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 4.00-5.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Weigh up conditions were mixed today. Young age cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand this week. Feeding buyers continue to buy coming 2 year olds to feed as they hope to still feed these cows or heifers to choice. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive. This class of cows sold mostly 5.00-10.00 higher.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb heifers averaged $287.92/cwt on 1,063 head.

Average price

$287.92

1,063 head · 534 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,537

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$528

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

$46.38/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+7.63

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	340	302.50	1,029	5thin
Medium and Large 1	521	295.56	1,541	842
Medium 1-2	352	275.00	968	16thin
Medium and Large 2	480	271.00	1,301	4thin
Medium and Large 1-2	608	256.12	1,557	196

One grade step is worth $46.38/cwt here — about −$528 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 sale1,063 hd

287.92

—

MT average3 barns · 2,805 hd

280.29

+7.63

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	108.28	1,825	25
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	Average	1,702	105.36	1,794	81
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,552	102.21	1,587	15
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,385	98.38	1,362	63
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,165	89.71	1,045	169

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)	1,258	$1,750	2thin
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,197	$1,734	3thin
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,400	$1,500	1thin
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,332	$1,374	9

Every lot, as filed

89 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	—	475	312.43/cwt	300.00–318.00	1,484	297
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	701	226.00/cwt	226.00–226.00	1,584	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	579	245.83/cwt	241.00–251.00	1,423	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	—	630	264.00/cwt	264.00–264.00	1,663	85
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	—	573	285.76/cwt	285.50–286.00	1,637	173
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	482	285.57/cwt	281.00–291.00	1,376	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	645	256.00/cwt	256.00–256.00	1,651	21
Steers	Medium 1	—	487	327.00/cwt	327.00–327.00	1,592	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	845	199.00/cwt	199.00–199.00	1,682	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	—	870	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	1,827	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	382	317.50/cwt	317.50–317.50	1,213	32
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	462	288.76/cwt	288.00–291.00	1,334	32
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	525	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,523	5
Steers	Medium 1	—	322	327.79/cwt	320.00–337.50	1,055	39
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	506	307.65/cwt	307.50–308.00	1,557	27
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	573	293.50/cwt	293.50–293.50	1,682	6
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	413	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	1,260	2
Steers	Medium 1	—	729	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	1,713	4
Steers	Medium 1	—	394	321.00/cwt	321.00–321.00	1,265	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	584	306.70/cwt	295.00–312.50	1,791	256
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	—	967	208.00/cwt	208.00–208.00	2,011	35
Steers	Medium 1-2	—	438	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	1,336	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	529	302.19/cwt	297.50–305.00	1,599	36
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	423	330.87/cwt	321.00–335.00	1,400	44
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	738	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	1,734	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	472	348.72/cwt	340.00–354.50	1,646	55
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	471	318.32/cwt	302.50–334.00	1,499	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	385	343.00/cwt	343.00–343.00	1,321	3
Steers	Medium 1-2	—	307	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	860	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	423	349.69/cwt	344.00–359.00	1,479	29
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	678	257.66/cwt	253.00–263.00	1,747	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	375	367.66/cwt	367.50–372.50	1,379	32
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	524	337.32/cwt	333.00–340.00	1,768	140
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	417	334.00/cwt	334.00–334.00	1,393	42
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	485	335.06/cwt	322.00–335.75	1,625	37
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	634	293.00/cwt	293.00–293.00	1,858	114
Steers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	553	331.00/cwt	331.00–331.00	1,830	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	—	547	304.00/cwt	304.00–304.00	1,663	25
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	—	1,035	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	1,915	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	—	986	189.14/cwt	189.00–190.00	1,865	35
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	549	274.50/cwt	274.50–274.50	1,507	10
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	673	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	1,380	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	624	273.00/cwt	273.00–273.00	1,704	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	494	312.00/cwt	312.00–312.00	1,541	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,394	89.18/cwt	83.00–94.50	1,243	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,577	99.77/cwt	97.50–101.00	1,573	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,118	76.57/cwt	76.00–77.00	856	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,534	104.41/cwt	104.00–104.50	1,602	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,234	97.69/cwt	91.00–100.00	1,205	23
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,392	98.21/cwt	93.00–104.00	1,367	33
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,223	102.76/cwt	102.00–103.50	1,257	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,150	91.55/cwt	85.00–92.50	1,053	55
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	—	1,710	105.49/cwt	105.25–106.25	1,804	74
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	—	1,621	104.00/cwt	104.00–104.00	1,686	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,380	89.00/cwt	89.00–89.00	1,228	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,378	99.71/cwt	96.00–104.00	1,374	22
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	956	79.24/cwt	74.00–85.00	758	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,348	105.86/cwt	104.50–107.00	1,427	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,180	85.33/cwt	81.00–92.00	1,007	61
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,153	96.08/cwt	93.00–99.00	1,108	15
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,290	102.50/cwt	102.50–102.50	1,322	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	898	72.65/cwt	70.00–75.00	652	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,515	107.00/cwt	107.00–107.00	1,621	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,585	102.00/cwt	102.00–102.00	1,617	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,520	99.00/cwt	99.00–99.00	1,505	1
Bulls	—	—	1,803	113.88/cwt	111.00–119.00	2,053	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	881	200.57/cwt	199.00–201.50	1,767	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	309	308.34/cwt	302.50–310.00	953	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	780	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	1,599	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Fleshy	—	887	197.75/cwt	197.75–197.75	1,754	17
Heifers	Medium 1	—	340	302.50/cwt	302.50–302.50	1,029	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	417	315.59/cwt	311.00–317.50	1,316	68
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	480	271.00/cwt	271.00–271.00	1,301	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	376	303.30/cwt	294.00–307.50	1,140	62
Heifers	Medium 1-2	—	352	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	968	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	438	288.00/cwt	288.00–288.00	1,261	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	587	279.61/cwt	271.00–284.50	1,641	87
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,332	1,373.91/head	1,335.00–1,385.00	1,374	9
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,258	1,750.00/head	1,750.00–1,750.00	1,750	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,197	1,733.78/head	1,700.00–1,750.00	1,734	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,400	1,500.00/head	1,500.00–1,500.00	1,500	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,063	122.00/cwt	122.00–122.00	1,297	10
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,063	119.14/cwt	111.00–128.00	1,266	25
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,025	91.00/cwt	91.00–91.00	933	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,003	151.14/cwt	122.00–177.00	1,516	26
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	988	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	1,482	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,223	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	1,847	20
Bulls	—	—	1,845	126.01/cwt	125.00–128.00	2,325	4
Bulls	—	—	1,565	99.37/cwt	90.00–111.00	1,555	13

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 →