Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2024-12-03
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-12-03

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Steer calves under 500 lbs sold mostly 5.00-8.00 higher in a narrow comparison; steers over 500 lbs steers sold steady to 5.00 higher. Heifers under 450 lbs sold mostly 10.00 higher; heifers over 450 lbs sold mostly steady to 10.00 higher. Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Calf quality was mostly average to attractive on all offerings. Heifer quality this week was much more attractive compared to last weeks sale. Demand was mostly good to very good for all offerings. The best demand continues to be seen for light weight offerings to run on grass in California and wheat pastures in Texas, Oklahoma, or Kansas. Many weaned offerings were seen this week. Most weaned offerings were weaned from 45 to 90 days. Demand for weaned offerings was mostly good to very good. Many sets of cattle which are too heavy to go to grass were purchased by Canadian buyers again this week. Demand for cattle to ship north remains very good. Market activity was mostly active today with a large buyer pool on hand both ringside and bidding over the internet. Weigh up cows sold on moderate demand for moderate offerings. Demand for slaughter cows remains light while feeding cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand. Slaughter cows sold generally steady to firm in a very narrow comparison on all classes. Feeding cow demand remains moderate to good. 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 1.00 to 3.00 on high quality cows suitable to feed to premium white. Thin feeding cows sold mostly steady to 2.00 higher. Cow quality this week was average to attractive, but overall not as attractive as last weeks offering. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady to 3.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Weigh up conditions were mostly average this week. Young cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold mostly 5.00-10.00 higher. Young age cows sold on mostly good demand for light to moderate offerings. Quality was mostly average to attractive today and overall much more attractive than last week.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $313.84/cwt on 285 head. That ranks 1 of 16 comparable sales and sits −126.59 against this barn's trailing median of $440.43.

Average price

$313.84

285 head · 526 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,649

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$155

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium 1

$28.04/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+6.87

vs MT average

+30.52 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	526	314.04	1,650	283
Medium 1	523	286.00	1,496	2thin

One grade step is worth $28.04/cwt here — about $155 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 400–500 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 sale285 hd

313.84

—

MT average3 barns · 332 hd

306.97

+6.87

National average190 barns · 29,311 hd

283.32

+30.52

This barn, trailing median16 sales

440.43

−126.59

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	—	High	1,750	134.20	2,349	60
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,666	118.09	1,967	22
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,378	116.48	1,605	165
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,187	109.75	1,302	199

Every lot, as filed

82 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	—	934	208.10/cwt	146.00–220.50	1,944	135
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	400	352.00/cwt	352.00–352.00	1,408	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	482	370.99/cwt	351.50–388.00	1,788	212
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	841	232.50/cwt	232.50–232.50	1,955	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	377	392.70/cwt	387.50–400.00	1,480	82
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	561	330.21/cwt	323.00–333.00	1,852	64
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	428	352.42/cwt	333.00–376.00	1,508	167
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	648	306.00/cwt	306.00–306.00	1,983	30
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	342	401.28/cwt	382.50–408.00	1,372	37
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	700–750	723	239.00/cwt	239.00–239.00	1,728	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	936	225.50/cwt	225.50–225.50	2,111	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	609	308.92/cwt	296.50–313.00	1,881	61
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	473	326.26/cwt	315.00–340.50	1,543	183
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	631	269.00/cwt	269.00–269.00	1,697	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	484	362.55/cwt	351.00–368.00	1,755	104
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	1000–1050	1,026	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	2,103	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	391	447.00/cwt	447.00–447.00	1,748	38
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	422	398.13/cwt	392.00–409.00	1,680	37
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	526	343.50/cwt	343.50–343.50	1,807	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	600	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,620	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	1,204	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	1,625	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	495	308.00/cwt	308.00–308.00	1,525	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	200–250	246	540.00/cwt	540.00–540.00	1,328	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	481	312.00/cwt	312.00–312.00	1,501	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	313	474.31/cwt	470.00–500.00	1,485	27
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	581	296.00/cwt	296.00–296.00	1,720	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	485	346.00/cwt	346.00–346.00	1,678	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	383	406.00/cwt	406.00–406.00	1,555	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,125	130.51/cwt	121.00–142.50	1,468	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	509	319.29/cwt	318.00–320.00	1,625	20
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	449	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	1,504	15
Steers	Small and Medium 2-3	550–600	588	110.00/cwt	110.00–110.00	647	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	543	334.00/cwt	334.00–334.00	1,814	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	436	378.45/cwt	360.00–390.00	1,650	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	489	329.94/cwt	322.00–348.00	1,613	13
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,715	120.34/cwt	120.00–121.00	2,064	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,362	96.41/cwt	90.00–102.00	1,313	11
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,450	88.00/cwt	88.00–88.00	1,276	1
Bulls	—	—	2,165	149.00/cwt	149.00–149.00	3,226	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,488	128.38/cwt	124.00–136.00	1,910	5
Bulls	—	—	1,862	142.21/cwt	137.00–146.00	2,648	27
Bulls	—	—	1,672	126.71/cwt	110.00–137.00	2,119	27
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,116	95.26/cwt	91.00–100.00	1,063	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,100	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	1,375	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,470	108.77/cwt	103.00–114.00	1,599	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,223	115.09/cwt	108.00–120.00	1,408	141
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,346	108.30/cwt	104.00–112.00	1,458	16
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,093	102.00/cwt	92.00–108.00	1,115	28
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,662	118.50/cwt	118.50–118.50	1,969	18
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,585	104.00/cwt	104.00–104.00	1,648	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,156	83.61/cwt	72.50–87.00	967	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	886	88.80/cwt	83.00–91.00	787	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,214	99.95/cwt	98.00–106.00	1,213	6
Steers	Large 1	550–600	583	274.00/cwt	274.00–274.00	1,597	6
Steers	Large 1	450–500	491	319.00/cwt	319.00–319.00	1,566	4
Steers	Large 1	700–750	748	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	1,795	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,379	119.64/cwt	113.00–123.00	1,650	130
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,305	132.00/cwt	132.00–132.00	1,723	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	930	85.00/cwt	85.00–85.00	791	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	441	341.00/cwt	341.00–341.00	1,504	9
Heifers	Medium 1	500–550	523	286.00/cwt	286.00–286.00	1,496	2
Heifers	Medium 1	450–500	467	302.00/cwt	302.00–302.00	1,410	18
Heifers	Medium 1	400–450	416	327.84/cwt	325.00–337.50	1,364	37
Heifers	Medium 2	400–450	448	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,187	6
Steers	Medium 2	500–550	516	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	1,445	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	361	445.26/cwt	435.00–471.00	1,607	41
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	476	309.38/cwt	304.00–312.50	1,473	37
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	314	373.11/cwt	365.00–381.00	1,172	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	383	345.21/cwt	332.50–350.00	1,322	29
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	439	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,427	17
Bulls	Medium and Large 2	550–600	588	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	1,558	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	758	195.26/cwt	193.00–197.50	1,480	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	963	216.00/cwt	216.00–216.00	2,080	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	324	482.89/cwt	455.00–500.00	1,565	27
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	557	331.17/cwt	322.00–333.00	1,845	18
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	437	352.50/cwt	352.50–352.50	1,540	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	300–350	305	470.00/cwt	470.00–470.00	1,434	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	574	293.00/cwt	269.00–297.00	1,682	29
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	520	316.44/cwt	290.00–322.00	1,645	254
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	530	343.32/cwt	343.00–343.50	1,820	36
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	417	420.83/cwt	390.00–424.00	1,755	67
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,090	144.54/cwt	122.00–190.00	1,575	50

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 →