Sale reports / Montana / Miles City Livestock Commission / 2023-05-23

Miles City Livestock Commission

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Miles City, Montana · Tue, May 23
● Final54 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1773
Feeder Cattle receipts
178 head
92 vs last sale 270 26 vs year ago 204 · 12.7%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
334 head
18 vs last sale 316 54 vs year ago 388 · 13.9%
Replacement Cattle receipts
239 head
194 vs last sale 433 40 vs year ago 199 · +20.1%
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last reported sale: Feeder cattle were all too lightly tested this week and last reported sale to develop any market trend. Quality this sale was mostly plain to average with a few offerings of very attractive replacement quality heifers seen. Demand was mostly good to very good for light offerings. Cattle were offered in mostly small packages or as singles. Market activity was mostly active this week. Weigh up cows sold on good to very good demand for light to moderate offerings. Slaughter cows were sold mostly 5.00-8.00 higher on all classes. Packers showed good demand for both feeding and slaughter cows today as they pushed to own as many offerings as possible. Feeding cows sold mostly 5.00-7.00 higher. Rain fell across many locations in the southern plains as the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles as well as portions of Northern New Mexico and Kansas all received much needed rain. This has helped slow some cow culling and tightened supplies forcing packers to become more aggressive as they search for cows to cover slaughter needs. Culling from spring brandings is starting to wrap up across much of the country further tightening the availability of cows to the packer. Packers continue to be aggressive as they try to put cows away on feed for the 4th of July holiday. Slaughter bulls sold 7.00-8.00 higher on very good demand. Demand for feeding bulls remains good. Cow and bull quality was mostly attractive to very attractive this week. Weigh up conditions were average to above average this week as many cows have been out on grass and were emptied out on fresh green grass. Young age cows sold mostly 6.00-8.00 higher. Demand for young age cows was very good this week. Several buyers purchased cows up to 6 years old to rebreed and much of the advancement in this class was seen for 3-6 year old cows.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 0–100 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
0–100 lb heifers averaged $205.30/cwt on 122 head.
Average price
$205.30
122 head · 737 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,512
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
−$269
per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Medium and Large 1
$10.96/cwt at this weight
vs the market
30.44
vs MT average

What quality paid 0–100 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1-2608215.221,3096thin
Medium 1585207.671,21518thin
Medium and Large 1772204.261,57798
One grade step is worth $10.96/cwt here — about −$269 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.

How it compared 0–100 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only
This sale122 hd
205.30
MT average2 barns · 1,595 hd
235.74
−30.44
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
BullsLow1,651119.981,98155
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,593105.211,67636
CowsBoner 80-85%Average1,370103.291,415138
CowsLean 85-90%High1,15094.991,09288

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 $/cwt figures above.
ClassStageAgeAvg wt$/headHead
Cow-Calf PairsOpenMiddle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,379$2,0268
Heifer PairsOpen(<2 yrs)954$2,2004thin

Every lot, as filed

54 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
BullsMedium and Large 1760184.00/cwt184.00–184.001,3981
BullsMedium and Large 1950166.00/cwt166.00–166.001,5771
BullsLarge 1-21,060142.00/cwt142.00–142.001,5051
BullsLarge 11,075161.00/cwt161.00–161.001,7311
BullsLarge 11,148152.00/cwt152.00–152.001,7452
BullsMedium and Large 1-2854172.00/cwt172.00–172.001,4694
HeifersMedium 1525226.00/cwt226.00–226.001,1873
SteersLarge 11,006181.00/cwt181.00–181.001,8214
HeifersMedium and Large 1Replacement818198.15/cwt191.00–202.501,62178
Cow-Calf PairsMedium and Large 11,3792,025.50/head2,000.00–2,050.002,0268
Heifer PairsMedium and Large 19542,200.00/head2,200.00–2,200.002,2004
Stock CowsMedium 1705162.13/cwt156.00–165.001,1433
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1936171.99/cwt154.00–190.001,61068
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1-2885150.49/cwt143.00–167.001,33219
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,048138.71/cwt106.00–182.001,45493
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1-21,005111.00/cwt111.00–111.001,1161
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,222105.91/cwt104.00–109.001,29416
Stock CowsLarge 1967152.50/cwt152.50–152.501,4753
BullsNatural1,475104.00/cwt104.00–104.001,5341
BullsNatural2,025136.00/cwt136.00–136.002,7541
BullsReturn to Feed1,353120.76/cwt120.00–121.001,6344
BullsReturn to Feed1,279109.89/cwt105.00–113.001,4054
Bulls1,693122.94/cwt118.00–129.002,08121
Bulls1,600111.71/cwt96.00–118.001,78714
CowsBoner 80-85%1,36799.90/cwt97.00–105.001,36622
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,610105.95/cwt105.50–107.001,70615
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,562109.27/cwt108.00–113.001,70710
CowsLean 85-90%1,180101.83/cwt100.50–103.001,2023
CowsBoner 80-85%1,397106.44/cwt105.50–109.001,48712
CowsBoner 80-85%1,27594.29/cwt92.00–96.001,2022
CowsLean 85-90%Light Weight92087.77/cwt86.00–89.008077
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,38592.00/cwt92.00–92.001,2741
CowsBreaker 75-80%Heavy Weight2,050107.00/cwt107.00–107.002,1941
CowsLean 85-90%Return to Feed1,210103.19/cwt99.00–106.501,24914
CowsLean 85-90%Return to Feed1,16089.29/cwt89.00–90.501,0365
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,91094.00/cwt94.00–94.001,7951
CowsLean 85-90%1,14580.00/cwt80.00–80.009161
CowsLean 85-90%1,12887.89/cwt82.00–92.0099110
CowsLean 85-90%1,17394.68/cwt93.00–96.501,11113
BullsLight Weight1,28095.00/cwt95.00–95.001,2161
Bulls1,950132.86/cwt129.00–137.002,5919
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,361102.54/cwt99.00–105.001,39663
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,383106.26/cwt105.00–112.001,47038
CowsBreaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,512100.50/cwt100.50–100.501,5209
CowsLean 85-90%Return to Feed1,16595.96/cwt92.00–99.001,11835
HeifersMedium 1603204.00/cwt204.00–204.001,2302
HeifersMedium 1596204.00/cwt204.00–204.001,21613
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2608215.22/cwt202.00–222.001,3096
HeifersMedium and Large 1618227.19/cwt224.00–228.001,40410
HeifersMedium and Large 1570229.00/cwt229.00–229.001,30510
SteersMedium and Large 1-2690221.00/cwt221.00–221.001,5251
SteersMedium and Large 1-2615234.00/cwt234.00–234.001,4391
SteersMedium and Large 1-2571260.40/cwt257.00–263.001,4877
SteersMedium and Large 1-2531262.50/cwt262.50–262.501,3944

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.