Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2026-06-16
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-06-16

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week (6-9-26): Feeder cattle were all scarcely tested today. Offerings were to light to make any market trend. Demand for feeder cattle was mostly light to moderate for very light offerings. Most feeders were offered in very small packages or as singles. Most buyers sat on the sidelines as there were not enough feeders for buyers to build loads. Quality this week was mostly plain to average. CME feeder cattle positions moved sharply higher again today with 6.00-7.00 gains seen on contracts from August through April 2027. Market activity was slow to moderate with a small crowd on hand. Weigh up cows sold on good demand for moderate offerings. Feeding cows sold on mostly moderate to good demand. Feeding cows sold steady to 1.00 higher on all classes. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive. Weigh up conditions were average today with most cows pushing some fill. Weigh conditions were overall not as good as last week. Demand for slaughter cows was stronger this week as new slaughter cow buyers were in the market which helped improve demand for cows too blemished to feed. Too few slaughter cows were seen to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on all offerings. Packers showed moderate to good demand for cows to hold for the 4th of July holiday as they purchased some offerings for that purpose. Many of these offerings were slightly lame or blemished in some way. Slaughter bulls sold fully steady. Feeding bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed. Bull quality this week was average to very attractive. Young age cows sold 5.00-8.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive. These offerings were met with good to very good demand as additional buyers were in the market this week. Recent rains have helped improve demand for all replacement cows: including open young cows suitable to rebreed, bred cows and pairs. These offerings all sold with higher undertones in a narrow comparison.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $431.50/cwt on 5 head, up $6.20 from the prior sale. That ranks 5 of 16 comparable sales and sits −8.93 against this barn's trailing median of $440.43.

Average price

$431.50

▲ 6.20 vs prior sale

5 head · 523 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,257

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$144

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

$27.50/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+18.00

vs MT average

+20.00 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	523	442.50	2,314	3thin
Medium and Large 1-2	523	415.00	2,170	2thin

One grade step is worth $27.50/cwt here — about $144 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

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

431.50

—

MT average3 barns · 70 hd

413.50

+18.00

National average169 barns · 9,451 hd

411.50

+20.00

This barn, trailing median16 sales

440.43

−8.93

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	—	High	1,849	211.48	3,910	33
Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,438	183.26	2,636	241
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,662	179.43	2,983	61
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,175	167.20	1,964	34
Dairy Cows	Boner 80-85%	High	1,380	170.00	2,346	1thin
Dairy Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,950	161.00	3,140	1thin

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 Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,400	$3,750	1thin
Bred Cows	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,147	$3,200	9
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,274	$5,100	7
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,511	$4,650	7
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,405	$4,537	7
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,528	$4,457	8

Every lot, as filed

47 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
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,703	176.35/cwt	175.50–177.00	3,003	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,651	180.30/cwt	176.00–184.50	2,977	49
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,530	186.50/cwt	186.50–186.50	2,853	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,755	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	3,071	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,148	152.05/cwt	149.00–161.00	1,746	7
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,165	135.35/cwt	132.00–137.00	1,577	3
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,415	4,350.00/head	4,350.00–4,350.00	4,350	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,192	238.20/cwt	197.50–311.00	2,839	62
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,247	195.41/cwt	185.00–203.00	2,437	13
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,085	280.70/cwt	208.50–327.50	3,046	20
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,274	5,100.00/head	5,100.00–5,100.00	5,100	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	617	384.74/cwt	382.00–397.50	2,374	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	523	415.00/cwt	415.00–415.00	2,170	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	638	436.00/cwt	436.00–436.00	2,782	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	805	322.50/cwt	322.50–322.50	2,596	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	753	312.50/cwt	312.50–312.50	2,353	6
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,511	4,650.00/head	4,650.00–4,650.00	4,650	7
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,566	4,493.00/head	4,200.00–4,550.00	4,493	6
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,405	4,536.88/head	4,450.00–4,550.00	4,537	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	702	395.00/cwt	395.00–395.00	2,773	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	557	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	2,395	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	673	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	2,524	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	523	442.50/cwt	442.50–442.50	2,314	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,381	188.46/cwt	186.00–195.00	2,603	66
Bulls	—	—	1,952	225.19/cwt	222.00–232.00	4,396	7
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,400	3,750.00/head	3,750.00–3,750.00	3,750	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,147	3,200.00/head	3,200.00–3,200.00	3,200	9
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,155	198.64/cwt	189.00–210.00	2,294	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	980	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	2,597	1
Bulls	—	—	1,675	190.21/cwt	175.00–200.00	3,186	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,275	153.00/cwt	153.00–153.00	1,951	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,420	192.26/cwt	185.00–200.00	2,730	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,348	180.19/cwt	174.00–187.50	2,429	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,259	142.05/cwt	137.50–145.00	1,788	4
Dairy Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,380	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	2,346	1
Bulls	—	—	1,987	213.79/cwt	204.00–220.50	4,248	16
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,241	186.93/cwt	186.00–188.00	2,320	13
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,118	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	1,901	2
Dairy Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,950	161.00/cwt	161.00–161.00	3,140	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,138	112.92/cwt	102.50–122.50	1,285	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,504	209.09/cwt	204.00–215.00	3,145	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,453	169.53/cwt	154.00–176.50	2,463	21
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,716	171.76/cwt	169.50–174.50	2,947	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	965	130.00/cwt	130.00–130.00	1,255	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,133	181.39/cwt	177.00–184.00	2,055	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,690	184.50/cwt	184.50–184.50	3,118	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,469	184.25/cwt	177.00–186.50	2,707	147

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 →