Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2024-06-11
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-06-11

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 moderate for very light offerings. Feeder cattle quality was mostly plain, and mostly offered in small packages or as singles. Market activity was mostly moderate as quality limited demand this week. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good to very good demand for moderate to heavy offerings. Demand for slaughter cows was good however, most offerings were purchased to feed. Only lame, blemished, or very old cows were sent to immediate harvest. Cow quality today was attractive to very attractive with many sets of high quality cows off reputation ranches. Slaughter cows sold mostly 2.00 higher on breaking cows, boning and lean cows sold steady to 2.00 higher. Packers and private buyers both showed very good demand for cows to feed. Cow supplies continue to tighten as spring culling comes to an end. Most ranchers have turned out and branded pairs and seasonal culling is starting to slow. Feeding cows sold mostly 1.00-2.00 higher, with 3.00 higher seen at times. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 4.00-8.00 higher with instances of 10.00 higher seen at times as additional packer buyers were in the market this week bidding aggressively on bull offerings. 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 sold mostly 8.00-10.00 higher as several buyers were in the market this week searching for cows suitable to rebreed. 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 $269.00/cwt on 2 head. That ranks 1 of 16 comparable sales and sits −171.43 against this barn's trailing median of $440.43.

Average price

$269.00

2 head · 543 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,459

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$131

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

$18.00/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−24.93

vs MT average

+3.63 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Large 1	500	278.00	1,390	1thin
Medium and Large 1-2	585	260.00	1,521	1thin

One grade step is worth $18.00/cwt here — about −$131 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 sale2 hd

269.00

—

MT average3 barns · 54 hd

293.93

−24.93

National average154 barns · 8,969 hd

265.37

+3.63

This barn, trailing median16 sales

440.43

−171.43

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	1,787	164.29	2,935	50
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,602	141.65	2,269	35
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,378	140.36	1,934	320
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,174	131.84	1,547	84
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,520	125.00	1,900	1thin

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
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,215	$2,375	1thin

Every lot, as filed

49 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	—	1,093	197.23/cwt	156.00–233.00	2,156	22
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	735	187.50/cwt	187.50–187.50	1,378	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,155	163.39/cwt	144.00–170.00	1,887	10
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	947	147.48/cwt	144.00–151.00	1,397	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,094	182.01/cwt	144.00–210.00	1,991	34
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,215	2,375.00/head	2,375.00–2,375.00	2,375	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	367	306.33/cwt	285.00–313.00	1,124	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	745	222.50/cwt	222.50–222.50	1,658	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	421	286.24/cwt	280.00–290.00	1,205	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	585	260.00/cwt	260.00–260.00	1,521	1
Heifers	Large 1	500–550	500	278.00/cwt	278.00–278.00	1,390	1
Heifers	Large 1	700–750	703	226.00/cwt	226.00–226.00	1,589	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2	800–850	810	216.00/cwt	216.00–216.00	1,750	2
Steers	Large 1-2	700–750	734	243.00/cwt	243.00–243.00	1,784	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	670	249.62/cwt	247.00–251.00	1,672	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	458	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,489	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	355	333.00/cwt	333.00–333.00	1,182	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	765	230.74/cwt	230.00–231.00	1,765	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	300–350	338	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,048	2
Heifers	Large 1	300–350	345	317.50/cwt	317.50–317.50	1,095	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	950–1000	965	192.97/cwt	191.00–195.00	1,862	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	825	216.00/cwt	216.00–216.00	1,782	2
Bulls	Large 1	1050–1100	1,065	208.00/cwt	208.00–208.00	2,215	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	900–950	915	213.00/cwt	213.00–213.00	1,949	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	887	188.30/cwt	163.00–210.00	1,670	10
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,318	144.60/cwt	142.00–148.00	1,906	3
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,255	143.57/cwt	139.00–148.00	1,802	2
Bulls	—Natural	—	1,855	184.00/cwt	184.00–184.00	3,413	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,177	132.17/cwt	127.00–137.00	1,556	15
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,750	143.59/cwt	142.00–145.00	2,513	2
Bulls	—	—	1,774	157.96/cwt	150.00–165.00	2,802	21
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,380	143.23/cwt	141.50–146.50	1,977	103
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	963	114.45/cwt	110.00–116.00	1,102	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,285	139.50/cwt	139.50–139.50	1,793	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,134	117.61/cwt	102.00–125.00	1,334	14
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,500	143.06/cwt	142.00–145.50	2,146	38
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,520	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	1,900	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,601	140.73/cwt	137.00–142.50	2,253	8
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,347	138.85/cwt	130.50–141.50	1,870	163
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,605	140.31/cwt	136.00–142.00	2,252	15
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,187	127.70/cwt	125.00–130.00	1,516	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,408	127.28/cwt	126.50–128.00	1,792	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,404	136.93/cwt	133.00–140.00	1,922	7
Bulls	—	—	1,939	176.45/cwt	165.00–189.00	3,421	21
Bulls	—	—	1,523	143.41/cwt	141.00–146.00	2,184	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,372	125.82/cwt	119.00–128.00	1,726	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,077	117.82/cwt	109.00–124.00	1,269	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,209	139.72/cwt	137.50–143.00	1,689	41
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,568	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	2,258	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 →