Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2024-12-10
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2024-12-10

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Steer calves under 450 lbs were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to weak undertones were noticed on a lower quality offering. Steers over 450 lbs sold steady to 5.00 higher. Heifers under 450 lbs were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed on a lower quality offering. Heifers over 450 lbs sold mostly 10.00-15.00 higher. Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested last sale to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Large packages and load lots sold on very good demand as quality was mostly attractive to very attractive. Small packages of calves sold with significant discounts to load lots and large packages. Quality on small packages was also significantly lower than large packages. Demand for heifers was good to very good this sale as ranchers and order buyers both showed good demand for high quality offerings. All light weight offerings were not as attractive this week which hampered demand for this class of feeders. Market activity was mostly active today with a large buyer pool on hand. Weigh up cows sold on moderate demand for light to moderate offerings. Demand for slaughter cows remains light while feeding cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand. Slaughter cows sold generally steady in a narrow comparison on boning and lean cows, Breaking cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. 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 steady on high quality cows suitable to feed to premium white. Thin feeding cows sold mostly 1.00 to 3.00 higher. Cow quality this week was average to attractive. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady in a narrow comparison. Weigh up conditions were mostly average this week. Young cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold mostly 10.00-15.00 lower on a significantly lower quality offering. Young age cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand for light offerings. Quality was mostly plain to average and overall less attractive compared to last week.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $333.60/cwt on 532 head. That ranks 1 of 13 comparable sales and sits −152.63 against this barn's trailing median of $486.23.

Average price

$333.60

532 head · 557 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,858

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$304

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

$42.97/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−0.84

vs MT average

+9.25 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	558	335.38	1,870	510
Medium and Large 1-2	536	292.41	1,567	22

One grade step is worth $42.97/cwt here — about $304 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 sale532 hd

333.60

—

MT average4 barns · 1,747 hd

334.44

−0.84

National average185 barns · 29,268 hd

324.35

+9.25

This barn, trailing median13 sales

486.23

−152.63

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	1,653	134.66	2,225	20
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,583	120.64	1,910	12
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,399	118.66	1,660	110
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,163	110.94	1,290	139

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 Heifers	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	849	$2,300	7

Every lot, as filed

81 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	1000–1050	1,000	213.75/cwt	213.75–213.75	2,138	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	958	216.00/cwt	216.00–216.00	2,069	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	953	186.20/cwt	140.00–203.50	1,774	79
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	528	346.76/cwt	346.00–352.00	1,831	51
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	389	371.71/cwt	360.00–395.00	1,446	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	888	242.00/cwt	242.00–242.00	2,149	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	567	295.00/cwt	295.00–295.00	1,673	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	488	366.17/cwt	357.50–391.00	1,787	114
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	393	405.00/cwt	405.00–405.00	1,592	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	376	393.54/cwt	375.00–400.00	1,480	19
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	630	282.00/cwt	282.00–282.00	1,777	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	421	354.34/cwt	346.00–366.00	1,492	31
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	621	282.62/cwt	270.00–286.00	1,755	48
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	849	2,300.00/head	2,300.00–2,300.00	2,300	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	542	298.19/cwt	292.00–301.00	1,616	16
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	861	187.95/cwt	161.00–193.00	1,618	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	408	407.20/cwt	404.00–408.00	1,661	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	570	302.49/cwt	280.00–307.00	1,724	46
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	712	254.68/cwt	254.00–255.00	1,813	74
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	510	298.11/cwt	291.00–300.00	1,520	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	950–1000	955	231.00/cwt	231.00–231.00	2,206	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	467	352.59/cwt	341.00–364.00	1,647	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	437	347.11/cwt	341.00–352.50	1,517	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	608	311.36/cwt	302.00–314.00	1,893	80
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	582	314.39/cwt	307.75–338.00	1,830	158
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	398	405.00/cwt	405.00–405.00	1,612	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	730	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	1,789	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	406	390.79/cwt	390.00–392.00	1,587	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed	—	835	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	1,461	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,084	125.87/cwt	122.00–130.00	1,364	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	408	328.45/cwt	325.00–335.00	1,340	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	335	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	1,340	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	397	346.00/cwt	346.00–346.00	1,374	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	430	370.58/cwt	365.00–395.00	1,593	28
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,355	95.93/cwt	93.00–100.00	1,300	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,413	104.67/cwt	96.00–111.00	1,479	8
Bulls	—	—	1,562	128.76/cwt	117.50–137.00	2,011	8
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,297	126.00/cwt	126.00–126.00	1,634	3
Bulls	—	—	2,080	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	3,141	1
Bulls	—	—	1,823	141.77/cwt	139.00–147.00	2,584	8
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,402	119.50/cwt	114.00–124.50	1,675	77
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,383	105.10/cwt	103.00–107.00	1,454	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,130	106.37/cwt	92.00–114.00	1,202	38
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,115	80.36/cwt	77.50–84.00	896	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,638	116.32/cwt	112.00–120.50	1,905	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	934	91.16/cwt	82.50–99.00	851	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,175	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	1,469	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,198	118.55/cwt	112.00–122.00	1,420	80
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,561	122.13/cwt	120.00–122.50	1,906	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,150	93.99/cwt	87.50–101.00	1,081	9
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,618	119.00/cwt	119.00–119.00	1,925	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,391	125.77/cwt	125.00–127.00	1,749	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	861	226.00/cwt	226.00–226.00	1,946	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	560	294.00/cwt	294.00–294.00	1,646	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	539	286.00/cwt	286.00–286.00	1,542	19
Bulls	Medium 2	1000–1050	1,005	119.50/cwt	119.50–119.50	1,201	5
Heifers	Large 1	1200–1250	1,205	182.00/cwt	182.00–182.00	2,193	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	865	77.50/cwt	77.50–77.50	670	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	655	295.74/cwt	287.50–296.00	1,937	65
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	750–800	794	238.00/cwt	238.00–238.00	1,890	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	538	348.88/cwt	346.00–364.50	1,877	144
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	605	307.00/cwt	307.00–307.00	1,857	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	457	346.85/cwt	321.00–349.00	1,585	83
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	374	416.33/cwt	410.00–430.00	1,557	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	550–600	556	308.20/cwt	302.00–309.50	1,714	109
Steers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	339	457.65/cwt	450.00–495.00	1,551	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	469	392.46/cwt	390.00–400.00	1,841	55
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	438	401.75/cwt	400.00–403.00	1,760	86
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	824	248.54/cwt	247.00–249.50	2,048	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	479	334.25/cwt	314.00–338.50	1,601	178
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	335	409.00/cwt	409.00–409.00	1,370	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,033	157.74/cwt	125.00–192.50	1,629	23
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,147	141.00/cwt	141.00–141.00	1,617	12
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,392	126.00/cwt	126.00–126.00	1,754	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	506	322.33/cwt	305.50–326.00	1,631	53
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	—	1,303	131.00/cwt	131.00–131.00	1,707	34
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	370	433.57/cwt	415.00–437.00	1,604	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	778	245.00/cwt	245.00–245.00	1,906	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	447	318.00/cwt	318.00–318.00	1,421	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	515	333.00/cwt	333.00–333.00	1,715	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	561	340.43/cwt	320.50–345.50	1,910	157

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 →