Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2024-04-30
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-04-30

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers were too lightly tested either this week or last week to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed. Demand was mostly moderate to good for light offerings. Quality this week was mixed from plain to attractive. Replacement quality heifers sold on good demand again this week. CME positions sold off sharply today as all contracts sold with triple digit losses. Market activity was mostly moderate this week. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good demand for light offerings. Demand for slaughter cows was stronger this week. Packers were forced to become more aggressive as the sale progressed. More cows were destined for slaughter this week than last week. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady to 2.00 higher on all offerings. Demand for feeding cows was good to very good today. Several private feeders and packer buyers both pushed to own high quality offerings. Feeding cows sold mostly steady to firm. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady. Weigh up conditions were mostly average to above average. Young cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold unevenly steady, light weight offerings under 1100 lbs sold mostly higher and heavyweight offerings over 1100 lbs sold mostly lower. Demand for these offerings was moderate to good. Demand from buyers looking for wet bagged cows was very good as these offerings sold with the best demand. Quality this week was mixed from plain to attractive.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $280.30/cwt on 23 head. That ranks 1 of 16 comparable sales and sits −160.13 against this barn's trailing median of $440.43.

Average price

$280.30

23 head · 584 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,638

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$46

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

$7.20/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−2.46

vs MT average

+11.92 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	564	285.00	1,607	8thin
Medium and Large 1-2	595	277.80	1,653	15thin

One grade step is worth $7.20/cwt here — about −$46 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 700–800 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

16 sales

Heifers 500–600 lb: high $468.13, low $352.48, median $440.43 across 16 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale23 hd

280.30

—

MT average2 barns · 183 hd

282.77

−2.46

National average173 barns · 11,009 hd

268.38

+11.92

This barn, trailing median16 sales

440.43

−160.13

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	1,727	137.70	2,378	38
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,614	137.87	2,226	9thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,381	134.52	1,858	58
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,148	130.39	1,496	68

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 Heifers	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	958	$2,284	12

Every lot, as filed

57 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
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,000	183.63/cwt	149.00–212.00	1,836	114
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	973	213.50/cwt	213.50–213.50	2,077	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	750–800	773	1,900.00/head	1,900.00–1,900.00	1,900	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	750–800	760	243.50/cwt	243.50–243.50	1,851	31
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	603	274.50/cwt	274.50–274.50	1,655	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	650–700	668	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	1,637	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	50–100	90	400.00/head	400.00–400.00	400	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	638	286.50/cwt	286.50–286.50	1,828	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	660	257.98/cwt	254.00–260.00	1,703	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	605	279.50/cwt	279.50–279.50	1,691	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	564	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	1,607	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	650–700	688	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,789	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	678	249.62/cwt	248.50–252.00	1,692	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	700–750	742	249.08/cwt	248.00–258.00	1,848	44
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	595	277.80/cwt	277.00–279.00	1,653	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	609	267.42/cwt	265.00–271.00	1,629	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	460	292.50/cwt	292.50–292.50	1,346	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	673	267.00/cwt	267.00–267.00	1,797	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	498	322.50/cwt	322.50–322.50	1,606	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	532	322.49/cwt	320.00–325.00	1,716	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	708	233.00/cwt	233.00–233.00	1,650	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	850–900	873	221.50/cwt	221.50–221.50	1,934	5
Bulls	Large 1	1150–1200	1,175	174.00/cwt	174.00–174.00	2,045	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	850–900	884	191.00/cwt	191.00–191.00	1,688	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	743	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	1,672	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	500–550	505	299.00/cwt	299.00–299.00	1,510	3
Bulls	Large 1	1100–1150	1,115	176.00/cwt	176.00–176.00	1,962	14
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	700–750	715	251.00/cwt	251.00–251.00	1,795	2
Bulls	—	—	2,047	149.40/cwt	147.00–155.50	3,058	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,144	125.61/cwt	120.00–133.00	1,437	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,081	135.41/cwt	135.00–136.00	1,464	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,152	109.57/cwt	105.00–115.00	1,262	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,503	125.85/cwt	122.00–129.00	1,892	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,720	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	2,391	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,151	132.60/cwt	129.50–134.00	1,526	14
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,196	136.85/cwt	134.50–139.50	1,637	30
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,364	133.74/cwt	130.00–137.00	1,824	20
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,365	122.00/cwt	122.00–122.00	1,665	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,401	139.09/cwt	138.00–144.00	1,949	9
Bulls	—	—	1,584	124.97/cwt	116.00–136.00	1,980	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	758	110.11/cwt	105.00–112.50	835	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,450	138.00/cwt	138.00–138.00	2,001	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,352	134.92/cwt	132.50–136.00	1,824	20
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,574	137.26/cwt	135.50–139.50	2,160	7
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,790	141.00/cwt	141.00–141.00	2,524	1
Bulls	—	—	1,782	142.66/cwt	136.00–146.00	2,542	17
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,358	122.55/cwt	114.00–131.00	1,664	2
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,285	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	1,799	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,380	123.29/cwt	115.00–130.00	1,701	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,808	139.74/cwt	135.00–144.00	2,526	2
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,260	2,175.00/head	2,175.00–2,175.00	2,175	2
Bred Heifers	Medium 1	—	898	2,305.35/head	2,300.00–2,350.00	2,305	10
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,048	142.12/cwt	130.00–162.50	1,489	7
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,126	154.10/cwt	135.00–188.00	1,735	35
Stock Cows	Medium 2	—	693	117.50/cwt	117.50–117.50	814	2
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	775	178.66/cwt	147.50–188.00	1,385	8
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	912	171.41/cwt	148.00–184.00	1,563	10

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 →