Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2024-09-17
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-09-17

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: This was the first test of spring born calves for the fall so no comparisons can be made. Yearling steers were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed. Yearling heifers sold generally steady on offerings under 850 lbs, heifers over 850 lbs sold 1.00-4.00 higher. Demand for spring calves was very good as several buyers showed interest in light weight calves. CME feeder cattle positions continue to improve as higher contract prices have been seen over the last week. Today saw a spike in prices as well, with contracts seeing triple digit gains from the current contract through August 2025. Quality this sale was average to very attractive. Heifer quality continues to be more attractive than steer quality. Market activity was mostly active today. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate demand for very light offerings. Demand for slaughter cows was light to moderate, while feeding cow demand was moderate to good. Cow quality was mostly plain to average this week. Most sound cows were purchased to feed again this week. Slaughter cows and feeding cows were both too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed. Slaughter bulls sold on light to moderate demand. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 1.00-2.00 lower. Weigh up conditions were mostly average to below average today. Most cows were pushing moderate to heavy amounts of fill today. Young cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Young age cow quality was mostly average today.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $282.67/cwt on 18 head. That ranks 1 of 16 comparable sales and sits −157.77 against this barn's trailing median of $440.43.

Average price

$282.67

18 head · 549 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,552

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

—

single grade reported

vs the market

+26.00

vs MT average

+45.66 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	549	282.67	1,552	18thin

Only one grade was reported at this weight, so there is no spread to compute.

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 sale18 hd

282.67

—

MT average3 barns · 52 hd

256.66

+26.00

National average181 barns · 11,482 hd

237.01

+45.66

This barn, trailing median16 sales

440.43

−157.77

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	1,731	146.31	2,533	56
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,653	135.50	2,240	2thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,485	129.02	1,915	8thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,097	116.21	1,275	11

Every lot, as filed

55 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	900–950	923	222.76/cwt	221.00–224.50	2,056	35
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	693	255.55/cwt	255.50–256.00	1,771	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	736	248.60/cwt	244.00–251.00	1,830	25
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	882	223.00/cwt	221.00–224.50	1,967	86
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	378	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,229	23
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	776	252.50/cwt	252.50–252.50	1,959	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	776	234.03/cwt	232.00–236.00	1,816	47
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	750–800	772	231.00/cwt	231.00–231.00	1,783	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	600–650	611	276.00/cwt	276.00–276.00	1,686	48
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	430	292.50/cwt	292.50–292.50	1,258	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,015	217.00/cwt	217.00–217.00	2,203	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	492	333.99/cwt	321.00–334.75	1,643	173
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	414	363.78/cwt	355.00–365.00	1,506	119
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	963	177.00/cwt	177.00–177.00	1,705	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	725	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,849	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	835	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	1,837	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	970	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	1,601	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	300–350	314	312.50/cwt	312.50–312.50	981	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	555	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,554	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	410	332.50/cwt	332.50–332.50	1,363	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	336	372.24/cwt	362.50–381.00	1,251	43
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,360	138.00/cwt	138.00–138.00	1,877	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,185	102.00/cwt	102.00–102.00	1,209	1
Bulls	—	—	1,714	143.68/cwt	136.00–148.00	2,463	30
Bulls	—	—	1,839	150.66/cwt	148.00–155.00	2,771	18
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,400	140.27/cwt	135.00–145.00	1,964	5
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,580	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	2,386	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,527	123.72/cwt	123.00–125.00	1,889	3
Bulls	—	—	1,920	159.50/cwt	159.00–160.00	3,062	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,200	125.86/cwt	125.00–128.00	1,510	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,163	119.01/cwt	116.00–121.00	1,384	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,653	135.50/cwt	135.00–136.00	2,240	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,470	131.00/cwt	131.00–131.00	1,926	2
Steers	Medium 1-2	600–650	612	273.00/cwt	273.00–273.00	1,671	3
Bulls	Large 1	1200–1250	1,220	177.50/cwt	177.50–177.50	2,166	1
Bulls	Large 1	1100–1150	1,120	188.99/cwt	188.00–190.00	2,117	2
Bulls	Large 1-2	1150–1200	1,175	164.00/cwt	164.00–164.00	1,927	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,498	130.50/cwt	129.00–132.00	1,955	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	698	95.00/cwt	95.00–95.00	663	2
Steers	Medium 1	650–700	655	278.00/cwt	278.00–278.00	1,821	7
Heifers	Medium 1	500–550	532	284.00/cwt	284.00–284.00	1,511	12
Heifers	Medium 1	600–650	639	266.00/cwt	266.00–266.00	1,700	7
Heifers	Medium 1	550–600	583	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,632	6
Bulls	Medium 1	550–600	578	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	1,647	2
Heifers	Medium 1-2	600–650	638	253.00/cwt	253.00–253.00	1,614	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	890	219.50/cwt	219.50–219.50	1,954	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	791	229.21/cwt	226.00–232.00	1,813	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	735	239.10/cwt	237.50–241.00	1,757	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	929	217.00/cwt	217.00–217.00	2,016	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	755	249.00/cwt	249.00–249.00	1,880	1
Steers	Medium 1	550–600	565	284.00/cwt	284.00–284.00	1,605	11
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	950	214.00/cwt	214.00–214.00	2,033	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	900–950	911	219.00/cwt	219.00–219.00	1,995	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	834	227.22/cwt	226.00–232.00	1,895	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	990	217.00/cwt	217.00–217.00	2,148	2

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 →