Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2024-11-19
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-11-19

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Steer calves under 500 lbs sold mostly 5.00-10.00 higher. 500-649 lbs steers sold mostly steady to 5.00 higher, steers over 650 lbs were not well compared, higher undertones were noticed. Heifers under 400 lbs were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed; heifers 400-549 lbs sold mostly steady to 10.00 higher; heifers over 550 lbs were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, higher undertones were noticed. Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on heifers, steers were not well compared. Calf quality was mostly average to very attractive, however quality as a whole was not as attractive as last week. Load lots sold on very good demand this week. Load lot offerings were very attractive this week. All buyers were more aggressive as they bid on offerings and tried to fill loads. Demand for high quality heifers was mostly good this sale. Several buyers purchased heifers to feed and sort for replacements. Market activity was mostly active today with a large buyer pool noticed. Weigh up cows sold on mixed demand for heavy offerings. Demand for slaughter cows was light while feeding cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand. Slaughter cows sold generally steady to weak in a very narrow comparison on all classes. Feeding cow demand remains moderate to good. Much like last week feeding cow demand was sightly uneven. Demand started out the day mostly good, however demand moderated as buyers filled loads and exited the market. This led to wide price spreads at times, especially on lean cows. Private buyers continue to buy slightly lame or slightly blemished cows to but away on feed. Packer buyers were also active and buying slightly lame or blemished cows to put away to feed for the upcoming holidays. Feeding cows sold steady to firm on high quality cows suitable to feed to premium white. Thin feeding cows sold mostly steady to 2.00 lower. Cow quality this week was mixed from plain to attractive. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 2.00-6.00 lower in a narrow comparison. Weigh up conditions were mostly average this week. Young cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold mostly steady to 5.00 lower. A large offering of heavy weight (1050-1300 lbs) young cows sold this week. Most of these cows were just out of the reach of packers looking for high quality feeding cows. Many of these cows were purchased to feed, pregnancy check or make receipt cows and buyers gave these offerings just enough premium to keep them out of packers hands. Young age cows sold on moderate to good demand for moderate to heavy offerings. Quality was mostly average to attractive today and overall not as attractive as last week.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $326.02/cwt on 350 head. That ranks 1 of 13 comparable sales and sits −160.21 against this barn's trailing median of $486.23.

Average price

$326.02

350 head · 539 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,757

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$426

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

$89.16/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+12.80

vs MT average

+16.76 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	541	329.16	1,782	307
Medium 1	517	317.00	1,639	12thin
Medium and Large 1-2	522	302.50	1,580	29
Medium and Large 2	565	240.00	1,356	2thin

One grade step is worth $89.16/cwt here — about $426 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

13 sales

Steers 500–600 lb: high $512.23, low $440.01, median $486.23 across 13 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 sale350 hd

326.02

—

MT average5 barns · 1,704 hd

313.22

+12.80

National average182 barns · 24,645 hd

309.26

+16.76

This barn, trailing median13 sales

486.23

−160.21

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	1,694	133.34	2,258	23
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,580	118.65	1,875	16
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,381	116.76	1,613	189
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,181	106.38	1,257	140
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,090	82.00	894	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
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	945	$2,823	39
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,231	$2,408	25
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,288	$2,273	6
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,291	$2,150	23
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,417	$2,067	6
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	808	$1,950	3thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,266	$1,874	125
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,380	$1,672	8

Every lot, as filed

102 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
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	470	358.74/cwt	332.00–370.00	1,686	37
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	939	190.73/cwt	140.00–221.00	1,791	157
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,298	2,006.79/head	1,925.00–2,075.00	2,007	74
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,140	1,640.86/head	1,600.00–1,700.00	1,641	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	508	308.00/cwt	308.00–308.00	1,565	60
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	337	384.64/cwt	380.00–425.00	1,296	18
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	945	2,822.74/head	2,500.00–2,850.00	2,823	39
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,115	140.48/cwt	125.00–197.00	1,566	80
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,225	127.00/cwt	127.00–127.00	1,556	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,417	2,067.35/head	1,850.00–2,150.00	2,067	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,321	2,184.61/head	2,150.00–2,275.00	2,185	18
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	850–900	880	217.00/cwt	217.00–217.00	1,910	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	669	290.05/cwt	277.00–294.00	1,940	160
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,288	2,273.31/head	2,200.00–2,300.00	2,273	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,231	2,407.66/head	2,400.00–2,450.00	2,408	25
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	808	1,950.00/head	1,950.00–1,950.00	1,950	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	300–350	343	410.00/cwt	410.00–410.00	1,406	2
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	550–600	565	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,356	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	350–400	398	316.83/cwt	312.50–319.00	1,261	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	743	228.00/cwt	228.00–228.00	1,694	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	626	290.65/cwt	283.00–300.00	1,819	55
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	555	289.00/cwt	289.00–289.00	1,604	29
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,224	1,683.67/head	1,575.00–1,800.00	1,684	35
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	850	171.85/cwt	170.00–175.00	1,461	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	600–650	618	282.43/cwt	282.00–283.00	1,745	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	576	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	1,814	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	604	262.00/cwt	262.00–262.00	1,582	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	700–750	741	263.50/cwt	263.50–263.50	1,953	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	630	294.00/cwt	294.00–294.00	1,852	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	362	374.84/cwt	365.00–387.50	1,357	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	618	265.50/cwt	265.50–265.50	1,641	25
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	666	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,698	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	306	470.55/cwt	430.00–480.00	1,440	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	430	381.51/cwt	367.50–406.00	1,640	36
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	516	305.56/cwt	297.00–312.00	1,577	109
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	472	313.88/cwt	303.00–322.00	1,482	104
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	461	359.42/cwt	352.00–366.00	1,657	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	365	411.93/cwt	400.00–415.00	1,504	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	537	331.61/cwt	331.25–335.00	1,781	58
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	423	332.92/cwt	316.00–350.00	1,408	85
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	416	383.59/cwt	370.00–395.00	1,596	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	528	335.69/cwt	328.00–349.00	1,772	169
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	572	313.39/cwt	305.00–326.00	1,793	71
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	430	332.50/cwt	332.50–332.50	1,430	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	200–250	231	455.00/cwt	455.00–455.00	1,051	4
Bulls	—	—	1,700	140.52/cwt	139.00–143.00	2,389	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,114	90.90/cwt	85.00–99.00	1,013	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,020	91.00/cwt	91.00–91.00	928	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,185	102.12/cwt	95.00–109.00	1,210	43
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,120	122.00/cwt	122.00–122.00	1,366	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,200	114.15/cwt	107.00–120.00	1,370	78
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,750	140.00/cwt	140.00–140.00	2,450	1
Bulls	—	—	1,691	123.66/cwt	110.00–136.00	2,091	11
Bulls	—	—	1,882	154.32/cwt	154.00–155.00	2,904	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,600	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	2,000	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,392	105.96/cwt	97.00–112.00	1,475	23
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,399	125.07/cwt	123.00–130.00	1,750	16
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,374	117.63/cwt	112.00–122.00	1,616	147
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,625	107.23/cwt	102.00–111.50	1,742	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,378	130.26/cwt	125.00–135.00	1,795	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,395	124.00/cwt	124.00–124.00	1,730	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,583	118.89/cwt	117.00–119.50	1,882	14
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	1,123	73.52/cwt	65.00–77.50	826	5
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	1,120	123.15/cwt	117.50–124.00	1,379	7
Bred Cows	Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,332	1,725.00/head	1,725.00–1,725.00	1,725	6
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	600–650	640	276.00/cwt	276.00–276.00	1,766	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,520	109.00/cwt	109.00–109.00	1,657	1
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,090	82.00/cwt	82.00–82.00	894	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,040	72.60/cwt	62.00–81.00	755	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	352	427.50/cwt	427.50–427.50	1,505	8
Heifers	Medium 1-2	600–650	637	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,624	8
Heifers	Medium 1-2	650–700	658	252.00/cwt	252.00–252.00	1,658	5
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	400–450	402	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	1,266	3
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	500–550	517	317.00/cwt	317.00–317.00	1,639	12
Steers	Medium 1Unweaned	400–450	430	357.00/cwt	357.00–357.00	1,535	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	487	255.00/cwt	255.00–255.00	1,242	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	480	333.52/cwt	327.00–336.00	1,601	24
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	700–750	733	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,759	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	650–700	675	243.00/cwt	243.00–243.00	1,640	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	825	230.00/cwt	230.00–230.00	1,898	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	698	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	1,710	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	393	392.50/cwt	392.50–392.50	1,543	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	1000–1050	1,039	198.46/cwt	195.00–207.00	2,062	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	495	287.00/cwt	287.00–287.00	1,421	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	521	304.46/cwt	302.00–305.00	1,586	27
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	795	232.00/cwt	232.00–232.00	1,844	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	538	276.00/cwt	276.00–276.00	1,485	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	426	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	1,470	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	300–350	313	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	1,111	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	815	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	1,386	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,182	2,025.00/head	2,025.00–2,025.00	2,025	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,285	1,650.00/head	1,650.00–1,650.00	1,650	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	491	321.00/cwt	321.00–321.00	1,576	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	425	282.86/cwt	275.00–315.00	1,202	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	537	259.06/cwt	255.00–276.00	1,391	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	385	334.39/cwt	325.00–337.50	1,287	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	397	374.01/cwt	357.50–395.00	1,485	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	828	236.87/cwt	236.50–240.00	1,961	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	550–600	585	295.50/cwt	295.50–295.50	1,729	99
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	561	281.50/cwt	281.50–281.50	1,579	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	930	229.26/cwt	225.00–234.50	2,132	26
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,394	1,675.32/head	1,650.00–1,850.00	1,675	7

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 →