Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2024-02-06
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-02-06

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale: Feeder steers under 550 lbs sold mostly 5.00-10.00 higher, steers 550-749 lbs sold mostly steady to 10.00 higher, steers over 750 lbs were not well compared. Heifer calves under 550 lbs sold steady to firm, 550-599 lbs heifers sold mostly 10.00 higher, heifers over 600 lbs were to lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Quality this week was mostly average to very attractive. Most cattle were weaned 45-100 days. Package sizes were larger this week as most packages were partial load lots, with a small selection of load lots seen. Demand for small packages or singles was lighter this week as buyers were able to put together loads easier with larger packages. CME positions were higher again today and have pushed higher since last week. The March closed today at 246.675, 5.35 higher than last Tuesdays close. The April closed at 251.70 today, 4.70 higher than last Tuesdays close. Market activity was mostly active this week with a large buyer pool noticed of both farmer feeders, ranchers and order-buyers. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good to very good demand for light offerings. Demand for slaughter cows was especially good as packer buyers showed need for cows for immediate harvest as well as to feed. Packers continue to try to balance buying cows to feed and cows for slaughter. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady to 2.00 higher on breaking cows and boning cows, lean cows sold mostly 1.00-2.00 higher. Several buyers continue to buy feeding cows as many are betting the market continues to improve. Both packer and private feeding cow buyers both pushed high quality feeding cows higher as supplies were mostly light. Feeding offerings sold mostly 1.00-2.00 higher. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady to 3.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Weigh up conditions were mixed today. Young age cows sold on mostly good demand this week. Feeding buyers continue to buy coming 2 year old's to feed, especially ones who haven't calved. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive. This class of cows sold mostly 10.00-20.00 higher.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $315.28/cwt on 1,032 head.

Average price

$315.28

1,032 head · 575 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,814

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$238

per head · Medium 1 over Medium and Large 1

$38.83/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+13.86

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	459	349.11	1,602	98
Medium and Large 1-2	464	347.77	1,614	32
Medium 1-2	441	336.00	1,482	6thin
Medium and Large 1	593	310.28	1,840	896

One grade step is worth $38.83/cwt here — about −$238 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 sale1,032 hd

315.28

—

MT average3 barns · 1,962 hd

301.41

+13.86

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	1,718	106.17	1,824	20
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,557	105.93	1,649	48
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,425	98.99	1,411	74
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,191	95.48	1,137	42

Every lot, as filed

48 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	—	617	272.00/cwt	272.00–272.00	1,678	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	348	326.00/cwt	326.00–326.00	1,134	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	432	317.41/cwt	310.00–320.50	1,371	74
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	485	273.00/cwt	273.00–273.00	1,324	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	511	288.00/cwt	288.00–288.00	1,472	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	376	312.00/cwt	312.00–312.00	1,173	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	755	244.50/cwt	244.50–244.50	1,846	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	727	257.92/cwt	255.00–259.00	1,875	29
Steers	Medium 1	—	447	356.73/cwt	342.00–358.00	1,595	38
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	631	289.47/cwt	282.50–306.00	1,827	133
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	530	342.09/cwt	323.00–356.00	1,813	178
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	466	346.65/cwt	337.50–348.00	1,615	8
Steers	Medium 1	—	498	333.72/cwt	331.00–334.00	1,662	43
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	350	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	1,295	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	434	361.11/cwt	355.00–367.50	1,567	14
Steers	Medium 1	—	387	371.00/cwt	371.00–371.00	1,436	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	412	368.22/cwt	366.00–376.00	1,517	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	468	355.10/cwt	350.00–359.00	1,662	81
Steers	Medium 1-2	—	441	336.00/cwt	336.00–336.00	1,482	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	543	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,738	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	693	269.88/cwt	268.50–282.50	1,870	102
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	486	314.79/cwt	307.00–318.50	1,530	126
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	374	329.21/cwt	327.00–335.00	1,231	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	521	305.94/cwt	298.00–315.00	1,594	103
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,171	85.22/cwt	80.00–92.50	998	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,120	97.97/cwt	94.50–99.00	1,097	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,238	104.00/cwt	104.00–104.00	1,288	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,483	105.00/cwt	105.00–105.00	1,557	9
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,432	104.95/cwt	102.50–105.50	1,503	17
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,379	101.66/cwt	95.50–106.00	1,402	26
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,493	92.00/cwt	92.00–92.00	1,374	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,170	104.50/cwt	104.00–105.00	1,223	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,605	107.41/cwt	106.00–107.50	1,724	22
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,676	104.17/cwt	101.50–105.50	1,746	9
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,442	97.20/cwt	93.50–100.00	1,402	26
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,404	93.94/cwt	93.00–95.00	1,319	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,176	93.13/cwt	92.00–93.50	1,095	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,215	97.20/cwt	94.00–100.00	1,181	21
Bulls	—	—	1,746	113.66/cwt	112.00–115.00	1,985	5
Bulls	—	—	2,395	124.00/cwt	124.00–124.00	2,970	1
Bulls	—	—	1,659	102.22/cwt	88.50–111.00	1,696	14
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,035	140.26/cwt	104.00–180.00	1,452	35
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,095	98.50/cwt	98.50–98.50	1,079	3
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	765	152.50/cwt	152.50–152.50	1,167	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	965	194.11/cwt	161.00–228.00	1,873	51
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	584	318.29/cwt	299.00–320.50	1,859	263
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	644	277.50/cwt	277.50–277.50	1,787	76
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	569	291.09/cwt	285.00–295.00	1,656	61

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 →