Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2024-05-14
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-05-14

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 any market trend. Demand was mostly good for light offerings. Quality this week was mostly plain to average. Boxed beef values surged today, to 304.39 and 293.82 on choice and select respectfully. Up $5.44 on choice and $6.64 on select. This gave support to CME live cattle and feeder cattle contracts as all CME positions pushed sharply higher today with most contracts showing triple digit gains. Market activity was mostly active this week. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good demand for light offerings. Demand for slaughter cows was stronger this week as packers showed good demand for cows for immediate harvest. Slaughter cows sold mostly 2.00 higher on breaking cows, boning and lean cows sold 2.00-4.00 higher. Demand for feeding cows was good to very good today as both packers and private buyers both showed very good demand for cows as tight supplies and high demand continue to be seen. Feeding cows sold mostly 2.00-3.00 higher on a higher quality cow offering. Cow quality was mostly average to very attractive this week. Slaughter bulls sold steady to firm in a narrow comparison. Weigh up conditions were mostly average to above average today as most cows were emptied out from being out grazing. Young cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, higher undertones were noticed on a higher quality offering. Demand for these offerings was good to very good. Quality this week was mostly attractive. The majority of open young wet bagged 2-3 year olds brought $1950-$2075 per head on todays sale. Heifers that never had a calf sold back mostly 10.00-15.00 per hundredweight to their wet bagged counterparts.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $284.73/cwt on 79 head. That ranks 1 of 14 comparable sales and sits −155.70 against this barn's trailing median of $440.43.

Average price

$284.73

79 head · 570 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,623

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$238

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

$30.73/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+4.63

vs MT average

+14.73 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	578	298.00	1,722	44
Medium and Large 1-2	586	272.78	1,598	5thin
Medium and Large 2	555	267.27	1,484	30

One grade step is worth $30.73/cwt here — about $238 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 500–600 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

14 sales

Heifers 500–600 lb: high $468.13, low $357.36, median $440.43 across 14 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 sale79 hd

284.73

—

MT average2 barns · 88 hd

280.11

+4.63

National average167 barns · 11,471 hd

270.00

+14.73

This barn, trailing median14 sales

440.43

−155.70

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	—	Low	1,743	145.94	2,544	52
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	High	1,529	140.90	2,154	68
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,530	138.54	2,120	108
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,398	137.08	1,916	191
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,175	127.04	1,493	113

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)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,315	$2,300	2thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,370	$2,050	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,403	$2,875	4thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,435	$2,619	46
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,378	$2,600	9
Heifer Pairs	Open	(<2 yrs)	966	$3,209	58

Every lot, as filed

70 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 2	500–550	542	271.00/cwt	271.00–271.00	1,469	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	448	306.00/cwt	306.00–306.00	1,371	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	578	298.00/cwt	298.00–298.00	1,722	44
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	904	174.62/cwt	141.00–190.00	1,579	32
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,315	2,300.00/head	2,300.00–2,300.00	2,300	2
Heifers	Medium 1-2	400–450	412	284.00/cwt	284.00–284.00	1,170	6
Heifer Pairs	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	966	3,208.77/head	3,150.00–3,275.00	3,209	58
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	753	211.94/cwt	211.00–213.00	1,596	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,370	2,050.00/head	2,050.00–2,050.00	2,050	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,378	2,600.00/head	2,600.00–2,600.00	2,600	9
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,403	2,875.00/head	2,875.00–2,875.00	2,875	4
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,395	2,595.70/head	2,585.00–2,635.00	2,596	38
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,623	2,731.35/head	2,725.00–2,750.00	2,731	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	310	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	1,209	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	700–750	749	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,910	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	488	295.83/cwt	286.00–298.00	1,444	26
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	394	302.50/cwt	302.50–302.50	1,192	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	662	284.00/cwt	284.00–284.00	1,880	10
Steers	Large 1	850–900	860	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	1,763	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	599	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,527	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	570	316.59/cwt	314.00–317.00	1,805	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	400	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	1,340	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	476	324.36/cwt	324.00–325.00	1,544	8
Steers	Large 1	650–700	663	253.00/cwt	253.00–253.00	1,677	2
Heifers	Medium 1-2	450–500	494	272.00/cwt	272.00–272.00	1,344	9
Steers	Medium 1-2	450–500	498	298.00/cwt	298.00–298.00	1,484	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	620	277.82/cwt	271.00–286.00	1,722	25
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	505	298.25/cwt	298.25–298.25	1,506	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	668	254.00/cwt	254.00–254.00	1,697	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	586	272.78/cwt	265.00–278.00	1,598	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	668	249.00/cwt	249.00–249.00	1,663	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	483	283.00/cwt	283.00–283.00	1,367	2
Bulls	Large 1	1150–1200	1,175	171.00/cwt	171.00–171.00	2,009	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	759	216.00/cwt	216.00–216.00	1,639	4
Bulls	Large 1	1200–1250	1,245	172.00/cwt	172.00–172.00	2,141	1
Bulls	—	—	1,580	135.25/cwt	122.00–141.00	2,137	14
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	—	1,445	147.00/cwt	147.00–147.00	2,124	1
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	—	1,498	141.22/cwt	141.00–143.00	2,115	56
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,660	131.65/cwt	131.00–132.00	2,185	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,188	129.86/cwt	125.00–133.00	1,543	28
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,408	138.72/cwt	138.50–139.75	1,953	18
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,196	135.75/cwt	133.00–139.00	1,624	40
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,546	144.66/cwt	143.00–145.00	2,236	17
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,178	127.89/cwt	125.00–131.00	1,507	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,183	95.98/cwt	90.00–102.00	1,135	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,217	115.04/cwt	108.00–121.00	1,400	10
Bulls	—	—	1,731	147.55/cwt	143.00–153.00	2,554	20
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,489	140.47/cwt	139.50–146.00	2,092	27
Cows	Premium White 65-75%Heavy Weight	—	2,075	136.00/cwt	136.00–136.00	2,822	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,360	140.18/cwt	139.00–146.00	1,906	36
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,394	136.05/cwt	129.00–140.00	1,897	84
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,442	124.41/cwt	120.00–127.00	1,794	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,099	118.30/cwt	110.00–122.00	1,300	11
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	944	110.45/cwt	103.00–116.00	1,043	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Heavy Weight	—	2,010	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	2,714	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,373	136.52/cwt	131.00–140.00	1,874	37
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,216	134.61/cwt	132.00–137.50	1,637	7
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	—	1,655	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	2,300	10
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,546	137.34/cwt	135.00–140.00	2,123	69
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,410	122.55/cwt	115.00–127.00	1,728	4
Bulls	—	—	2,037	156.66/cwt	154.00–160.00	3,191	13
Bulls	—	—	2,395	154.00/cwt	154.00–154.00	3,688	1
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,260	141.00/cwt	141.00–141.00	1,777	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,255	135.31/cwt	130.00–142.00	1,698	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,260	142.00/cwt	142.00–142.00	1,789	1
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	780	188.95/cwt	181.00–197.00	1,474	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	925	210.74/cwt	150.00–233.50	1,949	92
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,038	144.24/cwt	140.00–150.00	1,497	2
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	1,165	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	1,619	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,026	183.04/cwt	147.00–212.00	1,878	55

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 →