Sale reports / Montana / Miles City Livestock Commission / 2024-04-02

Miles City Livestock Commission

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Miles City, Montana · Tue, Apr 2
● Final44 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1773
Feeder Cattle receipts
410 head
1,614 vs last sale 2,024 165 vs year ago 245 · +67.3%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
149 head
7 vs last sale 142 50 vs year ago 99 · +50.5%
Replacement Cattle receipts
186 head
118 vs last sale 68 31 vs year ago 155 · +20.0%
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle sold mostly steady with a lower undertone. Demand for feeders was moderate. Quality today was mostly average. Demand for cattle suitable to run on grass was good. Market activity today was mostly active. Weigh up cows sold on good to very good demand for moderate offerings. Packers showed good to moderate demand for all cows. Slaughter cows sold steady to 3.00 higher on breaking and boning cows, and lean cows sold mostly steady. Feeding cows sold mostly steady to 2.00 higher. Slaughter bulls sold 2.00-3.00 higher. Young age cows were 2.00 to 5.00 higher. Demand from feeding and rebreed cow buyers were good.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb heifers averaged $296.64/cwt on 71 head. That ranks 1 of 16 comparable sales and sits 143.79 against this barn's trailing median of $440.43.
Average price
$296.64
71 head · 534 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,585
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$174
per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Medium and Large 2
$15.78/cwt at this weight
vs the market
+2.08
vs MT average
+26.05 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1-2537297.751,59866
Medium and Large 2505281.971,4245thin
One grade step is worth $15.78/cwt here — about $174 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

16 sales
482434386338median 440.4312/1601/2702/2404/0705/12
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 sale71 hd
296.64
MT average3 barns · 83 hd
294.56
+2.08
National average179 barns · 13,329 hd
270.59
+26.05
This barn, trailing median16 sales
440.43
−143.79
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
BullsAverage1,732150.642,60914
CowsBoner 80-85%Average1,340133.931,79526
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,470132.711,9509thin
CowsLean 85-90%Average1,189116.381,38411

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
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,193$2,70020
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,450$2,3502thin
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1,385$2,10016
Bred Heifers2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,092$2,40011

Every lot, as filed

44 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
SteersMedium and Large 1-2400–450437335.00/cwt334.00–336.001,4644
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2300–350339315.50/cwt287.50–330.001,07020
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2450–500476309.07/cwt300.00–325.001,47144
SteersMedium and Large 2800–850840212.00/cwt212.00–212.001,7812
SteersMedium and Large 2650–700677258.00/cwt258.00–258.001,7473
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2400–450425320.49/cwt311.00–325.001,36257
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2550–600557279.39/cwt273.00–281.001,5565
SteersMedium and Large 1400–450401346.00/cwt346.00–346.001,3874
SteersMedium and Large 1500–550516326.57/cwt325.00–329.001,68515
SteersMedium and Large 2750–800756234.00/cwt234.00–234.001,7694
SteersMedium and Large 1-2550–600590306.79/cwt297.00–308.001,81018
SteersMedium and Large 1-2500–550522300.00/cwt300.00–300.001,5665
SteersMedium and Large 2850–900856227.00/cwt227.00–227.001,9437
SteersMedium and Large 1-2600–650631285.04/cwt284.00–290.001,79911
SteersMedium and Large 1-2450–500485318.26/cwt305.00–327.001,54411
SteersMedium and Large 2450–500454301.34/cwt300.00–305.001,36815
SteersMedium and Large 2550–600585277.00/cwt277.00–277.001,6204
SteersMedium and Large 1-2800–850831227.00/cwt227.00–227.001,8864
SteersMedium and Large 1-2750–800770246.00/cwt246.00–246.001,8947
SteersMedium and Large 1-2650–700691272.00/cwt272.00–272.001,8809
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2650–700668240.15/cwt239.00–244.001,6048
HeifersMedium and Large 2350–400369320.03/cwt310.00–330.001,1814
CowsBreaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,483136.51/cwt136.00–137.002,0242
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,325136.20/cwt135.00–138.001,8055
CowsLean 85-90%Return to Feed1,163124.76/cwt123.00–127.001,4512
CowsLean 85-90%1,202117.48/cwt111.00–121.001,4126
CowsBoner 80-85%1,330123.08/cwt120.00–126.001,6372
CowsLean 85-90%1,182108.58/cwt105.00–112.001,2833
CowsBoner 80-85%1,300138.95/cwt138.00–140.001,8062
CowsBoner 80-85%1,384134.46/cwt129.00–138.001,86112
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,466131.62/cwt127.00–137.001,9307
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,248119.92/cwt119.00–121.001,4972
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,283141.22/cwt138.00–143.001,8123
Bulls1,643147.17/cwt141.00–153.002,4185
Bulls1,697133.82/cwt128.00–137.002,2713
Bulls1,823161.93/cwt158.00–169.002,9526
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-21,1932,700.00/head2,700.00–2,700.002,70020
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-21,4502,350.00/head2,350.00–2,350.002,3502
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1-21,055152.70/cwt123.00–213.001,61137
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1-2861225.29/cwt195.00–240.001,94063
Bred HeifersMedium and Large 1-21,0922,400.00/head2,400.00–2,400.002,40011
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-21,3852,100.00/head2,100.00–2,100.002,10016
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2500–550535299.26/cwt293.00–301.001,60161
HeifersMedium and Large 2500–550505281.97/cwt270.00–285.001,4245

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.