Sale reports / Montana / Miles City Livestock Commission / 2024-06-04

Miles City Livestock Commission

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Miles City, Montana · Tue, Jun 4
● Final50 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1773
Feeder Cattle receipts
55 head
84 vs last sale 139 18 vs year ago 73 · 24.7%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
849 head
382 vs last sale 467 95 vs year ago 754 · +12.6%
Replacement Cattle receipts
398 head
229 vs last sale 169 132 vs year ago 266 · +49.6%
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers were too lightly tested either this week or last week to develop any market trend. Demand was mostly good for very light offerings. Feeder cattle quality was mostly plain to average, and mostly offered in small packages or as singles. Market activity was mostly active this week despite light offerings. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good to very good demand for moderate to heavy offerings. Some seasonal culling led to heavy cow and bull supplies as ranchers opted to sell open cows while market conditions remain in their favor. Demand for slaughter cows was good however, however packers opted to send most offerings to feed and only sent very poor or blemished cows to immediate harvest. Cow quality today was attractive to very attractive with many sets of high quality cows off reputation ranches. Slaughter cows sold mostly steady to firm. Packers and private buyers both showed very good demand for cows as tight supplies and high demand continue to be seen. Packers opted to put a small portion of the thin cow offering on feed to hold for the upcoming 4th of July holiday. High quality feeding cows sold mostly 1.00-2.00 higher. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed. Weigh up conditions were mostly above average today with most cows emptied out from being out grazing. Yielding conditions continue to show seasonal improvement. Historically, cows sold in June offer buyers the highest yields of the year. Young cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold generally steady. Quality was average to attractive. Demand was good to very good again this week.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb heifers averaged $303.30/cwt on 5 head. That ranks 1 of 16 comparable sales and sits 137.13 against this barn's trailing median of $440.43.
Average price
$303.30
5 head · 551 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,671
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$60
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 1-2
$13.50/cwt at this weight
vs the market
+20.63
vs MT average
+30.27 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1550306.001,6834thin
Medium and Large 1-2555292.501,6231thin
One grade step is worth $13.50/cwt here — about $60 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 sale5 hd
303.30
MT average2 barns · 197 hd
282.67
+20.63
National average170 barns · 13,742 hd
273.03
+30.27
This barn, trailing median16 sales
440.43
−137.13
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
BullsAverage1,703154.112,62439
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,558139.552,17337
CowsBoner 80-85%Low1,380139.241,922458
CowsLean 85-90%Low1,173131.311,541162

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 PairsOpenAged (>8 yrs)1,423$2,54933

Every lot, as filed

50 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
Stock CowsLarge 1951180.09/cwt162.00–185.001,7138
Stock CowsMedium 1733209.72/cwt202.50–217.501,5372
BullsLight Weight1,172149.00/cwt149.00–149.001,7463
BullsLight Weight1,215137.37/cwt122.50–146.001,6693
BullsReturn to Feed1,410149.00/cwt149.00–149.002,1011
BullsReturn to Feed1,395152.58/cwt152.00–154.002,1283
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,178139.69/cwt134.00–156.001,64622
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1-2965142.00/cwt142.00–142.001,3701
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1-2961189.00/cwt189.00–189.001,81610
Cow-Calf PairsMedium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,4242,583.79/head2,575.00–2,600.002,58429
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,079170.41/cwt140.00–209.001,839140
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,010188.41/cwt145.00–217.501,903103
Cow-Calf PairsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed1,4162,300.00/head2,300.00–2,300.002,3004
BullsMedium and Large 1-21,250152.00/cwt152.00–152.001,9002
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2550–600555292.50/cwt292.50–292.501,6231
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2650–700655259.00/cwt259.00–259.001,6961
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2700–750745242.00/cwt242.00–242.001,8031
HeifersMedium and Large 1750–800753245.00/cwt245.00–245.001,8456
HeifersMedium and Large 1Fleshy900–950919209.00/cwt209.00–209.001,9217
HeifersMedium and Large 1Fleshy750–800789228.00/cwt228.00–228.001,7994
SteersMedium and Large 1750–800763263.61/cwt262.50–264.002,0114
HeifersMedium and Large 1450–500473325.00/cwt325.00–325.001,5372
HeifersMedium and Large 1550–600550306.00/cwt306.00–306.001,6834
BullsMedium and Large 1850–900885207.00/cwt207.00–207.001,8321
BullsMedium and Large 1750–800773239.00/cwt239.00–239.001,8473
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,611137.87/cwt136.00–140.502,2218
Bulls1,706135.74/cwt135.00–136.002,3164
Bulls2,118164.46/cwt162.00–167.003,4836
Bulls1,736153.61/cwt147.00–158.002,66714
BullsHeavy Weight2,600168.00/cwt168.00–168.004,3681
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,340122.40/cwt118.00–127.001,6402
CowsLean 85-90%Return to Feed1,195126.00/cwt126.00–126.001,5061
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,367137.89/cwt129.50–139.501,885172
CowsBreaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,440138.00/cwt138.00–138.001,9878
CowsBreaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,410145.00/cwt145.00–145.002,0451
CowsBreaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,475128.65/cwt126.00–132.001,8982
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,745132.00/cwt132.00–132.002,3031
CowsBoner 80-85%1,371137.78/cwt132.50–139.501,88955
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,595142.47/cwt142.00–144.002,27217
CowsLean 85-90%1,148136.97/cwt134.00–140.001,5726
CowsLean 85-90%1,161130.05/cwt123.00–133.001,51031
CowsLean 85-90%1,151114.67/cwt103.00–118.001,32010
CowsBoner 80-85%1,403141.29/cwt139.00–144.501,98262
CowsLean 85-90%Light Weight913108.34/cwt102.00–116.009897
CowsLean 85-90%Light Weight955121.00/cwt121.00–121.001,1561
CowsLean 85-90%Return to Feed1,196136.58/cwt135.00–140.001,63362
CowsLean 85-90%Return to Feed1,205131.79/cwt126.50–133.501,58844
CowsBoner 80-85%1,384120.54/cwt118.00–122.001,6684
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,389141.05/cwt139.00–144.001,959163
BullsNatural1,803174.00/cwt174.00–174.003,1374

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.