Sale reports / Montana / Miles City Livestock Commission / 2020-05-05

Miles City Livestock Commission

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Miles City, Montana · Tue, May 5
● Final49 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1773
Feeder Cattle receipts
585 head
1,078 vs last sale 1,663 204 vs year ago 381 · +53.5%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
170 head
42 vs last sale 128 55 vs year ago 115 · +47.8%
Replacement Cattle receipts
237 head
135 vs last sale 372 227 vs year ago 464 · 48.9%
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: The best test for feeder steers was 650-699 lbs, which sold mostly 5.00 lower. All other weights of feeder steers were too lightly tested to trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Feeder heifers were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Quality this week was mostly plain to average and significantly lower than last week. CME contracts traded with triple digit losses today and buyers showed limited demand as a result. Demand was mostly light for light offerings. Market activity was slow. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand for moderate offerings. Slaughter cows sold mostly 1.00-3.00 higher on boning and lean cows, breaking cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Packers purchased the majority of the cows for immediate harvest this week. Feeding cow buyers picked around the edges this sale attempting to buy some cows away from packers, however limited offerings were destined to feed this week. Feeding cows sold mostly 1.00-2.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady to 2.00 lower on a lower quality offering of bulls. Young age cows suitable to feed or re-breed sold on mostly light to moderate demand. These offerings sold steady to 3.00 lower. Quality was average.

Weight class

Bulls · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
0–100 lb bulls averaged $118.14/cwt on 191 head. That ranks 1 of 27 comparable sales and sits 81.77 against this barn's trailing median of $199.90.
Average price
$118.14
191 head · 683 lb average
Value per head Derived
$806
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$113
per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Large 1-2
$52.36/cwt at this weight
vs the market
+12.01
vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1-2684120.36823133
Medium 1-2673113.8276657
Large 1-21,04568.007111thin
One grade step is worth $52.36/cwt here — about $113 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 0–100 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

This barn's trailing prices 0–100 lb

27 sales
231203175146median 199.9012/1602/2404/1406/0208/18
Bulls 0–100 lb: high $217.49, low $160.10, median $199.90 across 27 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

How it compared 0–100 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only
This sale191 hd
118.14
MT average3 barns · 355 hd
106.13
+12.01
This barn, trailing median27 sales
199.90
−81.77
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 · $/cwt
Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.
ClassGradeDressingAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
BullsHigh1,73479.251,37441
CowsBoner 80-85%High1,46157.7184330
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,57057.008951thin
CowsLean 85-90%Very Low1,19252.7762970

Every lot, as filed

49 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.
ClassGrade / descriptionWeightAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
Bulls1,97786.39/cwt86.00–87.501,7084
Bulls1,80479.94/cwt76.00–84.001,44215
Bulls1,62674.15/cwt72.00–76.001,20617
BullsMedium and Large 1-2696119.36/cwt119.00–121.50831115
BullsMedium 1-2542125.00/cwt125.00–125.006788
BullsMedium 1-2694112.00/cwt112.00–112.0077749
SteersMedium and Large 1907105.00/cwt105.00–105.009523
SteersMedium and Large 1646140.00/cwt140.00–140.009048
Heifer PairsMedium and Large 11,0641,693.60/cwt1,675.00–1,700.0018,02018
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,32658.35/cwt56.50–60.7577438
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,15267.19/cwt57.00–82.0077482
Stock CowsMedium and Large 195584.95/cwt64.00–99.5081148
SteersMedium and Large 1-2575142.40/cwt139.00–144.0081926
SteersMedium and Large 1955104.50/cwt104.50–104.509986
SteersLarge 1911104.00/cwt104.00–104.009475
SteersLarge 1654135.00/cwt135.00–135.008838
SteersLarge 1797113.50/cwt113.50–113.509059
SteersMedium 1524144.00/cwt144.00–144.007557
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2624126.00/cwt126.00–126.007869
SteersMedium and Large 1562155.00/cwt155.00–155.0087122
SteersMedium and Large 1690134.93/cwt134.00–139.0093157
SteersMedium and Large 1-2640138.00/cwt138.00–138.008833
SteersMedium and Large 1-2471145.00/cwt145.00–145.006834
SteersMedium and Large 1-2440146.50/cwt146.50–146.5064511
HeifersMedium and Large 1670130.00/cwt130.00–130.0087123
HeifersLarge 1628113.00/cwt113.00–113.0071010
HeifersMedium and Large 2413121.00/cwt121.00–121.005009
HeifersMedium and Large 1634130.00/cwt130.00–130.0082412
HeifersMedium and Large 1542140.50/cwt140.50–140.5076219
HeifersMedium and Large 190275.00/cwt275.00–275.002481
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,57057.00/cwt57.00–57.008951
CowsLean 85-90%1,12539.91/cwt39.00–41.004492
CowsLean 85-90%1,27259.29/cwt59.00–59.507547
CowsBoner 80-85%1,47061.17/cwt60.50–62.008993
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2518134.59/cwt131.00–137.0069713
HeifersMedium and Large 2536122.00/cwt122.00–122.006545
BullsMedium and Large 1100250.00/cwt250.00–250.002503
BullsMedium and Large 1-2571130.50/cwt130.50–130.507459
BullsMedium and Large 1-2644123.00/cwt123.00–123.007929
CowsLean 85-90%1,26655.74/cwt55.00–57.0070624
CowsLean 85-90%1,17451.83/cwt47.00–55.0060831
CowsBoner 80-85%1,46057.32/cwt55.50–58.5083727
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed1,12956.12/cwt52.50–59.006345
CowsLean 85-90%Light Weight97050.00/cwt50.00–50.004851
CowsLean 85-90%Light Weight88839.26/cwt39.00–39.503492
CowsLean 85-90%Light Weight91742.03/cwt41.00–44.003853
BullsNatural1,85590.00/cwt90.00–90.001,6701
BullsNatural1,65988.50/cwt88.50–88.501,4684
BullsLarge 1-2Full1,04568.00/cwt68.00–68.007111

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.