Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2024-02-20
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-02-20

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale: Feeder steers and heifers were too lightly tested last week to develop a full market trend, however unevenly steady undertones were noticed on steers and steady to firm undertones were noticed on heifers. Demand was mostly moderate to good for light to moderate offerings. Quality this week was mostly plain to average with a limited offering of attractive offerings seen. Most cattle were long weaned from 45-100 days. Package sizes were mostly small this week, however one part load and one full load were seen. CME positions continue to push higher as strong prices were seen both today and last Friday. The March contract closed today at 251.375, 3.375 higher than last Tuesdays close. The April closed at 255.35 today, 3.60 higher than last Tuesdays close. Market activity was mostly moderate to active this week. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good to very good demand for light offerings. Demand for slaughter cows was good to very good as packers pushed to fill loads on light offerings. Slaughter cows sold mostly 2.00-4.00 higher on breaking cows. Boning cows sold mostly 5.00-9.00 higher in a narrow comparison, lean cows were not well compared as most cows sold to feeding buyers this week. Private feeding cow buyers were very aggressive this week. Feeding cows sold mostly 5.00-10.00 higher as packers and feeding cow buyers both bid aggressive over offerings. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop a full market trend, however steady to higher undertones were noticed. Weigh up conditions were mixed today. Several sets of fed cows sold this week. Demand for fed cows remains very good. Fed cow offerings were mixed for breaking and premium white, some breaking cows were purchased to return to feed as they needed more days on feed to grade white. Young age cows were too lightly tested last week to develop a full market trend, however higher undertones were noticed as both feeding and rebreed buyers showed good demand for young offerings. A moderate offering of bred cows and heifers sold in todays sale. Demand was good to very good for all bred cows and heifers on offer. The stands were packed for the bred cow portion of the sale. Broken mouth cows sold on very good demand as ranchers hope to get one to two more calf crops out of them. Salvage value for slaughter cows has also improved as well which helped push this class of cows higher.

Weight class

Steers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

0–100 lb steers averaged $306.60/cwt on 606 head.

Average price

$306.60

606 head · 575 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,762

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$353

per head · Medium 1-2 over Large 1-2

$66.00/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+2.69

vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1-2	381	331.00	1,261	5thin
Medium and Large 2	453	312.50	1,416	11thin
Medium 1	499	310.78	1,551	45
Medium and Large 1	605	306.34	1,853	365
Medium and Large 1-2	544	305.94	1,663	176
Large 1-2	609	265.00	1,614	4thin

One grade step is worth $66.00/cwt here — about −$353 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 sale606 hd

306.60

—

MT average3 barns · 1,414 hd

303.91

+2.69

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	117.48	1,981	18
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	Average	1,544	111.83	1,727	89
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,488	110.60	1,645	53
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,392	110.06	1,532	132
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,140	100.23	1,143	74

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	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,019	$2,375	7
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,517	$2,175	9
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,362	$2,081	220
Bred Heifers	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,054	$2,791	221

Every lot, as filed

82 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	—	474	314.93/cwt	304.00–325.00	1,493	32
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	623	270.60/cwt	270.00–271.00	1,686	29
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	394	324.58/cwt	324.00–327.50	1,279	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	688	221.00/cwt	221.00–221.00	1,520	4
Steers	Medium 1	—	569	293.00/cwt	293.00–293.00	1,667	6
Steers	Medium 1	—	382	332.50/cwt	332.50–332.50	1,270	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	924	209.50/cwt	209.50–209.50	1,936	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	843	227.00/cwt	227.00–227.00	1,914	12
Heifers	Medium 1-2	—	330	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	990	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	532	295.94/cwt	295.50–297.00	1,574	44
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	615	292.98/cwt	292.00–294.00	1,802	18
Steers	Medium 1	—	630	282.00/cwt	282.00–282.00	1,777	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	535	315.47/cwt	313.00–319.00	1,688	51
Steers	Medium and Large 2	—	453	312.50/cwt	312.50–312.50	1,416	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	430	320.04/cwt	317.00–322.50	1,376	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	484	326.07/cwt	322.00–331.00	1,578	42
Steers	Medium 1-2	—	381	331.00/cwt	331.00–331.00	1,261	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	528	326.96/cwt	326.00–331.00	1,726	15
Steers	Large 1-2	—	609	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,614	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	337	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	1,196	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	403	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,370	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	669	272.00/cwt	272.00–272.00	1,820	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	736	261.58/cwt	253.00–263.00	1,925	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	655	287.29/cwt	280.00–290.50	1,882	30
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	413	346.94/cwt	345.00–351.50	1,433	29
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	584	315.19/cwt	313.00–321.00	1,841	157
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	762	218.57/cwt	217.50–219.00	1,666	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	423	331.67/cwt	330.00–337.50	1,403	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	583	296.44/cwt	293.50–310.00	1,728	19
Steers	Medium 1	—	478	321.00/cwt	321.00–321.00	1,534	6
Steers	Medium 1	—	517	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,680	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	651	298.25/cwt	298.25–298.25	1,942	90
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	471	340.11/cwt	332.00–344.00	1,602	6
Steers	Medium 1	—	422	324.02/cwt	320.00–331.00	1,367	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1	—	614	298.00/cwt	298.00–298.00	1,830	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	487	307.00/cwt	307.00–307.00	1,495	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	—	330	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	1,040	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	386	332.50/cwt	332.50–332.50	1,283	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	822	209.00/cwt	209.00–209.00	1,718	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	—	655	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,474	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	665	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,596	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,177	92.99/cwt	84.00–102.00	1,094	19
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,387	110.44/cwt	110.00–111.50	1,532	9
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,391	110.30/cwt	109.50–112.00	1,534	115
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,433	108.38/cwt	108.00–109.50	1,553	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,145	108.25/cwt	104.00–110.50	1,239	24
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,533	110.00/cwt	110.00–110.00	1,686	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	967	86.66/cwt	86.00–88.00	838	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,230	102.50/cwt	102.50–102.50	1,261	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,920	108.50/cwt	108.50–108.50	2,083	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,467	110.85/cwt	110.00–114.00	1,626	44
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,645	106.00/cwt	106.00–106.00	1,744	1
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	—	1,544	111.83/cwt	110.00–113.25	1,727	89
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,381	104.01/cwt	102.00–108.00	1,436	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	825	98.00/cwt	98.00–98.00	809	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,137	99.68/cwt	91.00–103.00	1,133	26
Bulls	—	—	1,758	120.12/cwt	117.50–126.00	2,112	7
Bulls	—	—	1,920	136.00/cwt	136.00–136.00	2,611	1
Bulls	—	—	1,623	110.42/cwt	108.00–115.00	1,792	3
Bulls	—Natural	—	1,759	124.38/cwt	119.00–127.00	2,188	3
Bulls	—Natural	—	1,630	115.58/cwt	113.00–118.00	1,884	2
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,358	101.09/cwt	91.50–112.00	1,373	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	843	170.64/cwt	155.00–186.00	1,438	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,362	118.00/cwt	118.00–118.00	1,607	9
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,398	2,149.90/head	2,125.00–2,185.00	2,150	143
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	878	200.37/cwt	161.00–212.00	1,759	19
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	1,052	155.05/cwt	146.00–175.00	1,631	3
Bred Heifers	Medium 1	—	911	2,496.68/head	2,150.00–2,650.00	2,497	26
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,074	2,839.88/head	2,650.00–2,900.00	2,840	190
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,517	2,175.00/head	2,175.00–2,175.00	2,175	9
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,121	140.72/cwt	110.00–163.00	1,577	31
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	940	131.09/cwt	109.00–140.00	1,232	5
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	860	181.00/cwt	181.00–181.00	1,557	1
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,029	2,475.00/head	2,475.00–2,475.00	2,475	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,019	2,375.00/head	2,375.00–2,375.00	2,375	7
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,249	103.00/cwt	103.00–103.00	1,286	7
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,416	2,069.06/head	2,050.00–2,085.00	2,069	32
Bred Cows	Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,394	1,725.00/head	1,725.00–1,725.00	1,725	9
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,166	1,905.12/head	1,750.00–2,000.00	1,905	36
Heifers	Medium 1	—	389	327.48/cwt	321.00–329.00	1,274	30
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	—	657	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,708	28
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	589	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,531	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 →