Sale reports / Montana / Miles City Livestock Commission / 2026-10-06

Miles City Livestock Commission

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Miles City, Montana · Tue, Oct 6
● Final70 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1773
Feeder Cattle receipts
2,280 head
▲ 1,610 vs last sale 670▲ 325 vs year ago 1,955 · +16.6%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
202 head
▼ 37 vs last sale 239▼ 67 vs year ago 269 · −24.9%
Replacement Cattle receipts
35 head
▼ 137 vs last sale 172▼ 75 vs year ago 110 · −68.2%
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last sale (9-29-26): All feeder steers and heifer calves were all too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on all offerings. Yearling steers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Yearling heifers sold fully steady in a narrow comparison. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive on yearlings and attractive to very attractive for all calves on offer. Demand for feeders was mostly moderate for yearlings and moderate to good for calves. Yearling offerings were light, while calf offerings were mostly moderate to heavy. The first big test of calves was seen today as ranchers start to market their spring calves. Many long strings of attractive calves were seen this week off reputation ranches. Calves with two rounds of vaccinations sold with the best demand this week as buyers showed strong 10.00-12.00 premiums for calves with both spring and fall shots. Demand for light weight calves was good to very good as buyers purchased calves mostly under 450 lbs to run on winter pastures and develop into yearlings. Historically, these buyers wait till mid to late November to start buying light calves but these buyers both this year and last year started buying earlier in order to fill out orders. A large buyer pool was noticed for todays sale and market activity was mostly active as a result. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light demand for light offerings. Feeding cows sold steady to 5.00 lower. Fewer feeding cow buyers were in the stands this week and light demand continues to be seen from American packer buyers. Canadian feeding cow buyers were active this week and continue to purchase cows away from American packers. Slaughter cows sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. Slaughter bulls sold 2.00-3.00 lower. Bulls started the sale lower but improved as buyers entered the market and started loads. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average today. Cows and bulls coming off greened up regrowth were mostly full this sale as pasture and range conditions have improved in recent weeks due to late summer and early fall rain. Young age cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Demand for high quality cows suitable to rebreed was mostly good to very good.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb steers averaged $444.42/cwt on 747 head, up $59.92 from the prior sale (only 12 head in that comparison). That ranks 4 of 10 comparable sales and sits −11.34 against this barn's trailing median of $455.76.
Average price
$444.42
▲ 59.92 vs prior sale
747 head · 546 lb average
Value per head Derived
$2,426
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$187
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 1-2
$22.35/cwt at this weight
vs the market
+5.35
vs MT average
+14.06 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1547445.622,436707
Medium and Large 1-2531423.272,24940
One grade step is worth $22.35/cwt here — about $187 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 300–400 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only
This sale747 hd
444.42
—
MT average4 barns · 1,278 hd
439.07
+5.35
National average183 barns · 26,018 hd
430.36
+14.06
This barn, trailing median10 sales
455.76
−11.34
A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

10 sales
526474422371median 455.7603/1003/3109/2910/1310/27
Steers 500–600 lb: high $512.23, low $384.50, median $455.76 across 10 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

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
Bulls—Low1,807168.203,03966
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,493144.502,1573thin
CowsBoner 80-85%Average1,376137.511,89358
CowsLean 85-90%Low1,172112.581,32053

Every lot, as filed

70 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. Grouped by class and set lightest first; USDA files them in sale-ring order.
ClassWeightGrade / descriptionAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
Feeder Cattle · Steers19 lots · lightest first
Steers200–250Medium and Large 1Unweaned225655.00/cwt655.00–655.001,4741
Steers250–300Medium and Large 1Unweaned275585.00/cwt585.00–585.001,6095
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1Unweaned324587.49/cwt585.00–590.001,9034
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned325520.00/cwt520.00–520.001,6906
Steers350–400Large 1Unweaned374420.00/cwt420.00–420.001,57113
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1Unweaned388564.60/cwt552.50–600.002,19135
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1Unweaned431522.74/cwt507.50–539.002,25347
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned442453.79/cwt425.00–500.002,00625
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1Unweaned474493.45/cwt461.00–521.002,339204
Steers450–500Large 1Unweaned483375.00/cwt375.00–375.001,81111
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned513427.54/cwt415.00–432.502,19323
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1Unweaned517466.08/cwt430.00–491.002,410279
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned556417.50/cwt417.50–417.502,32117
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1Unweaned566432.28/cwt420.50–441.002,447428
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1Unweaned619408.51/cwt399.50–427.502,529153
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned624382.50/cwt382.50–382.502,38721
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed632390.50/cwt390.50–390.502,4687
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1-2742362.50/cwt362.50–362.502,69010
Steers850–900Medium and Large 1-2875332.00/cwt332.00–332.002,9053
Feeder Cattle · Heifers27 lots · lightest first
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1Unweaned347540.00/cwt540.00–540.001,87416
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 2Unweaned370402.50/cwt402.50–402.501,4894
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1Unweaned386492.84/cwt490.00–505.001,90210
Heifers400–450Large 1Unweaned411355.00/cwt355.00–355.001,45915
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1Unweaned418488.70/cwt470.00–505.002,04318
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned430436.23/cwt405.00–443.001,87627
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 2Unweaned439390.00/cwt390.00–390.001,7124
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1Unweaned469443.79/cwt411.00–458.002,081260
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned472413.79/cwt412.50–415.001,95323
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1Replacement500432.50/cwt432.50–432.502,16335
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1Unweaned519408.51/cwt395.00–411.502,12099
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned519365.00/cwt365.00–365.001,8944
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1Unweaned556380.19/cwt375.00–381.002,11438
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned577367.85/cwt367.00–370.002,12214
Heifers600–650Large 1Unweaned625314.00/cwt314.00–314.001,9633
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1Unweaned630375.00/cwt375.00–375.002,3633
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1718330.50/cwt330.50–330.502,37313
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 1829316.82/cwt313.00–320.002,62616
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 1876306.22/cwt301.00–313.002,68244
Heifers900–950Medium and Large 1944293.02/cwt292.50–293.502,76621
Heifers900–950Medium and Large 1Full948289.00/cwt289.00–289.002,7408
Heifers950–1000Medium and Large 1977290.85/cwt286.00–293.502,84255
Heifers950–1000Medium and Large 1Full986282.00/cwt282.00–282.002,7817
Heifers1000–1050Medium and Large 11,008287.81/cwt287.50–288.002,90147
Heifers1000–1050Medium and Large 1-21,012282.00/cwt282.00–282.002,8543
Heifers1050–1100Large 11,062270.00/cwt270.00–270.002,8676
Heifers1100–1150Large 11,107258.41/cwt257.50–260.002,86111
Feeder Cattle · Bulls1 lot · lightest first
Bulls1300–1350Large 11,315202.50/cwt202.50–202.502,6631
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls5 lots · lightest first
Bulls——Return to Feed1,669173.00/cwt173.00–173.002,8877
Bulls——1,725160.44/cwt143.00–168.502,76822
Bulls——Return to Feed1,865164.21/cwt164.00–165.003,0635
Bulls——1,873172.13/cwt165.00–177.003,22429
Bulls——1,987182.47/cwt179.00–185.503,6263
Slaughter Cattle · Cows12 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%Light Weight881105.95/cwt105.00–111.009336
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,16192.04/cwt75.00–97.001,0696
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,188112.35/cwt105.00–118.001,33522
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,200159.00/cwt159.00–159.001,9081
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,218121.94/cwt119.00–125.001,4852
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,257119.00/cwt113.00–127.001,49616
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,286164.00/cwt164.00–164.002,1097
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,347114.64/cwt108.00–118.001,5449
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,379144.33/cwt136.50–146.001,99030
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,423122.25/cwt119.00–125.001,7404
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,456122.15/cwt115.00–127.501,7798
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,493144.50/cwt144.50–144.502,1573
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows4 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows—Small and Medium 2923121.00/cwt121.00–121.001,1173
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,049191.15/cwt175.00–260.002,00514
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,114256.48/cwt227.50–272.502,8574
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,228218.90/cwt190.00–252.502,6882
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows1 lot · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,488137.00/cwt137.00–137.002,0394
Replacement Cattle · Open Heifers1 lot · lightest first
Open Heifers—Medium and Large 11,150225.00/cwt225.00–225.002,5881

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.