Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2024-05-28
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-05-28

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. Feeder cattle quality was mostly plain to average, with one set of attractive, replacement quality heifers seen today. CME positions saw sharp triple digit gains today after trading mostly sideway for much of last week. Market activity was mostly active this week despite light offerings. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good demand for light to moderate offerings. Demand for slaughter cows was good, but slightly lighter than last week as packers opted to send most offerings to feed. Cow quality today was attractive to very attractive with many sets of high quality cows off reputation ranches. Slaughter cows sold mostly 1.00-2.00 lower on all classes. Demand for feeding cows remains very good. 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 steady to weak. Slaughter bulls sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. Weigh up conditions were mostly average to above average today with most cows 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, steady to weak undertones were noticed. Quality was average to attractive. Demand was good to very good again this week.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $301.48/cwt on 21 head. That ranks 1 of 16 comparable sales and sits −138.96 against this barn's trailing median of $440.43.

Average price

$301.48

21 head · 544 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,641

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$210

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

$15.45/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+35.67

vs MT average

+33.86 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	548	302.95	1,661	19thin
Medium and Large 1-2	505	287.50	1,452	2thin

One grade step is worth $15.45/cwt here — about $210 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

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 sale21 hd

301.48

—

MT average2 barns · 42 hd

265.81

+35.67

National average129 barns · 6,320 hd

267.62

+33.86

This barn, trailing median16 sales

440.43

−138.96

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	1,774	159.92	2,837	20
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,621	137.90	2,236	15
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,374	137.49	1,889	224
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,195	129.58	1,548	65

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
Heifer Pairs	Open	(<2 yrs)	1,008	$3,100	20

Every lot, as filed

42 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
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	650–700	658	256.00/cwt	256.00–256.00	1,684	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	900–950	928	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	1,995	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	800–850	805	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	1,771	1
Bulls	Large 1	950–1000	988	204.00/cwt	204.00–204.00	2,016	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	715	252.00/cwt	252.00–252.00	1,802	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	586	286.00/cwt	286.00–286.00	1,676	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	560	317.00/cwt	317.00–317.00	1,775	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	668	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,870	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	650–700	689	268.50/cwt	268.50–268.50	1,850	52
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	505	287.50/cwt	287.50–287.50	1,452	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	535	309.00/cwt	309.00–309.00	1,653	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	455	317.00/cwt	317.00–317.00	1,442	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	615	290.00/cwt	290.00–290.00	1,784	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	627	288.00/cwt	288.00–288.00	1,806	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	—	1,248	177.52/cwt	170.00–185.00	2,215	2
Heifer Pairs	Medium 1	—	1,008	3,100.00/head	3,100.00–3,100.00	3,100	20
Stock Cows	Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	720	187.50/cwt	187.50–187.50	1,350	1
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	745	194.63/cwt	181.00–199.00	1,450	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	994	190.47/cwt	156.50–211.00	1,893	83
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	959	179.43/cwt	157.00–184.00	1,721	11
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,030	171.98/cwt	137.00–193.00	1,771	72
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	818	159.94/cwt	140.00–180.00	1,308	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,543	150.33/cwt	149.00–152.00	2,320	2
Bulls	—	—	1,588	147.00/cwt	147.00–147.00	2,334	2
Bulls	—	—	1,836	164.18/cwt	161.00–170.00	3,014	15
Bulls	—	—	1,675	141.00/cwt	141.00–141.00	2,362	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,565	139.00/cwt	139.00–139.00	2,175	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,203	129.48/cwt	121.00–132.50	1,558	25
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,233	135.97/cwt	134.00–137.00	1,677	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,145	118.75/cwt	116.00–121.00	1,360	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,680	130.04/cwt	129.00–131.00	2,185	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,379	136.91/cwt	134.00–138.50	1,888	66
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	980	113.00/cwt	113.00–113.00	1,107	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,212	135.40/cwt	133.00–142.00	1,641	20
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,139	117.23/cwt	112.00–122.00	1,335	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,234	128.62/cwt	124.00–132.00	1,587	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,375	135.90/cwt	129.00–138.00	1,869	81
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,366	140.47/cwt	139.00–145.00	1,919	72
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,405	128.00/cwt	128.00–128.00	1,798	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	985	124.00/cwt	124.00–124.00	1,221	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,655	148.00/cwt	148.00–148.00	2,449	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,740	136.49/cwt	135.00–137.50	2,375	3

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 →