Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2024-10-01
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-10-01

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder calves were scarcely tested this week thus no comparisons can be made. Demand for limited calves was good to very good. Yearling steers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Yearling heifers under 800 lbs sold mostly 3.00-6.00 lower, heifers over 800 lbs sold unevenly steady from 2.00 lower to 4.00 higher. Demand was mostly moderate to good today. Demand improved as the sale progressed and buyers tried to fill loads. CME Feeder cattle positions sold off yesterday and today following news of a port strike which is weighing on market positions. Quality this sale was mostly average and overall not as attractive as last week's sale. Market activity was mostly moderate to active today. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate demand for light to moderate offerings. Demand for slaughter cows was light to moderate, while feeding cow demand was moderate to good. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested this week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Demand for slaughter cows was stronger this week as packers purchased almost exclusively for immediate harvest. Feeding cows sold unevenly steady from 3.00 lower to 5.00 higher. Private feeding cow buyers were very aggressive as they bid on cow suitable to feed. Private feeders pushed all cow prices higher this week as the pushed packer buyers on all offerings, even very thin and lower yielding offerings. This helped improve slaughter cow demand as packers were forced to pay higher money for offerings this week. Slaughter bulls sold on mostly light to moderate demand. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady to 5.00 lower. Weigh up conditions were average to above average this week. Young cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold generally steady on like quality in a very narrow comparison. Young age cow quality was mostly average to attractive today. Demand for young cows to rebreed was good.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 400–500 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

400–500 lb heifers averaged $325.00/cwt on 1 head. That ranks 1 of 15 comparable sales and sits −167.49 against this barn's trailing median of $492.49.

Average price

$325.00

1 head · 405 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,316

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

—

single grade reported

vs the market

+36.55

vs MT average

+55.64 vs national

What quality paid 400–500 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	405	325.00	1,316	1thin

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

This barn's trailing prices 400–500 lb

15 sales

Heifers 400–500 lb: high $525.54, low $417.50, median $492.49 across 15 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

How it compared 400–500 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale1 hd

325.00

—

MT average3 barns · 61 hd

288.45

+36.55

National average174 barns · 12,414 hd

269.36

+55.64

This barn, trailing median15 sales

492.49

−167.49

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	1,675	140.89	2,359	45
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,368	122.14	1,671	76
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,629	120.67	1,965	3thin
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,169	118.29	1,383	229

Every lot, as filed

48 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
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,385	122.15/cwt	115.00–126.50	1,692	52
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	960	106.00/cwt	106.00–106.00	1,018	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	1050–1100	1,055	192.00/cwt	192.00–192.00	2,026	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	911	235.56/cwt	235.50–238.00	2,146	41
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	501	320.50/cwt	320.50–320.50	1,606	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	415	343.00/cwt	343.00–343.00	1,423	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	722	246.87/cwt	246.50–247.00	1,782	79
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	973	187.96/cwt	181.00–192.00	1,829	27
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	435	337.50/cwt	337.50–337.50	1,468	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	550	282.50/cwt	282.50–282.50	1,554	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	786	238.76/cwt	238.00–241.00	1,877	85
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,129	135.90/cwt	130.00–158.00	1,534	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	876	227.35/cwt	226.00–234.00	1,992	38
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	921	225.84/cwt	222.00–232.00	2,080	31
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	870	161.25/cwt	150.00–169.00	1,403	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	1000–1050	1,013	219.00/cwt	219.00–219.00	2,218	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	915	206.00/cwt	206.00–206.00	1,885	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	1000–1050	1,000	182.50/cwt	182.50–182.50	1,825	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	963	217.79/cwt	215.00–218.50	2,097	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	826	237.25/cwt	234.00–240.50	1,960	86
Bulls	—	—	1,807	144.83/cwt	142.00–148.00	2,617	23
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,163	118.13/cwt	110.00–120.00	1,374	8
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,680	111.00/cwt	111.00–111.00	1,865	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,335	111.08/cwt	108.00–114.00	1,483	2
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,260	129.00/cwt	129.00–129.00	1,625	1
Bulls	—	—	1,596	137.46/cwt	130.00–139.50	2,194	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	864	237.73/cwt	234.00–239.00	2,054	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	736	237.82/cwt	236.00–240.00	1,750	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	845	233.00/cwt	233.00–233.00	1,969	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2	800–850	840	233.50/cwt	233.50–233.50	1,961	7
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	375	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	1,275	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	405	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,316	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,350	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	1,944	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,352	133.12/cwt	129.00–135.00	1,800	3
Bulls	Large 1	1100–1150	1,100	189.00/cwt	189.00–189.00	2,079	1
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	770	143.00/cwt	143.00–143.00	1,101	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	956	144.71/cwt	142.50–145.00	1,383	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	879	224.96/cwt	223.00–227.00	1,977	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,480	127.00/cwt	127.00–127.00	1,880	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,245	105.00/cwt	105.00–105.00	1,307	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,080	83.58/cwt	72.00–89.00	903	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,215	106.00/cwt	106.00–106.00	1,288	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,154	111.33/cwt	102.00–116.00	1,285	31
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	971	96.54/cwt	91.00–99.50	937	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,093	128.32/cwt	127.00–130.00	1,403	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,327	123.85/cwt	121.00–124.00	1,643	20
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,603	125.50/cwt	125.50–125.50	2,012	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,182	121.15/cwt	117.00–125.50	1,432	176

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 →