Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2025-02-04
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-02-04

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder cattle were all too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to weak undertones were noticed. Quality this week was mostly plain to average and overall not as attractive as last weeks offering. Most feeders were offered in small packages or as singles this week. A snow storm and poor road conditions kept receipts light this week. Demand for feeder cattle was mostly good. CME feeder cattle positions have seen sharply lower movement as traders respond to news that the U.S. will allow live Mexican feeder cattle imports to resume after being closed since November 22nd 2024. Market activity was mostly moderate to active today. Weigh up cows sold on good demand for very light offerings. Demand for slaughter cows continues to improve. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Demand from private feeding cow buyers was very good this week as they pushed packers to give more for all classes of cows this week. Feeding cows sold 6.00-12.00 higher on all cow suitable to feed. Cow quality was mostly average this week. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Weigh up conditions were mostly average to above average this week for cows and bulls. Young cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold mostly 10.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Quality was mostly average today. Several large packages of young age cows were seen this week. Demand from rebreed buyers was very good this week.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $318.08/cwt on 80 head. That ranks 1 of 16 comparable sales and sits −122.35 against this barn's trailing median of $440.43.

Average price

$318.08

80 head · 565 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,796

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$121

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Large 1

$19.84/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−3.15

vs MT average

+19.22 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	520	331.34	1,723	23
Medium and Large 1-2	539	318.50	1,715	10thin
Large 1	592	311.50	1,844	47

One grade step is worth $19.84/cwt here — about −$121 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.

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 sale80 hd

318.08

—

MT average3 barns · 439 hd

321.23

−3.15

National average192 barns · 21,303 hd

298.86

+19.22

This barn, trailing median16 sales

440.43

−122.35

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	—	Average	1,845	151.05	2,787	2thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,668	142.05	2,370	9thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,386	141.46	1,960	38
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,172	138.18	1,619	107

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)	1,264	$2,775	6
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,513	$2,350	2thin
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,326	$2,316	7
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,223	$2,200	18

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.

Class	Grade / description	Weight	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,085	120.75/cwt	120.00–122.00	1,310	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,419	139.95/cwt	130.00–144.00	1,986	16
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,178	137.38/cwt	129.00–143.00	1,618	52
Bulls	—	—	1,845	151.05/cwt	150.00–152.00	2,787	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	586	339.00/cwt	339.00–339.00	1,987	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	479	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	1,772	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	440	403.00/cwt	403.00–403.00	1,773	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	335	417.64/cwt	417.00–422.00	1,399	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	385	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	1,386	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	413	404.00/cwt	404.00–404.00	1,669	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	651	281.00/cwt	281.00–281.00	1,829	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	595	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	1,904	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,018	162.08/cwt	142.00–190.00	1,650	8
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	450–500	491	334.00/cwt	334.00–334.00	1,640	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,264	2,775.00/head	2,775.00–2,775.00	2,775	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	703	248.00/cwt	248.00–248.00	1,743	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	695	283.00/cwt	283.00–283.00	1,967	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,223	2,200.00/head	2,200.00–2,200.00	2,200	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	513	332.42/cwt	328.50–335.00	1,705	21
Stock Cows	Large 1	—	845	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	1,563	1
Heifers	Large 1	550–600	592	311.50/cwt	311.50–311.50	1,844	47
Steers	Large 1	700–750	733	283.00/cwt	283.00–283.00	2,074	18
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,651	143.06/cwt	135.00–145.00	2,362	8
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,326	2,316.41/head	2,310.00–2,325.00	2,316	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	553	309.00/cwt	309.00–309.00	1,709	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	639	282.00/cwt	282.00–282.00	1,802	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,133	167.88/cwt	145.00–180.00	1,902	31
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	380	394.00/cwt	394.00–394.00	1,497	15
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	900	220.08/cwt	145.50–233.00	1,981	119
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,513	2,350.00/head	2,350.00–2,350.00	2,350	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,475	119.00/cwt	119.00–119.00	1,755	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,345	136.00/cwt	136.00–136.00	1,829	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	375	428.50/cwt	428.50–428.50	1,607	18
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	329	500.00/cwt	500.00–500.00	1,645	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	430	405.50/cwt	405.50–405.50	1,744	20
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	785	262.50/cwt	262.50–262.50	2,061	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	533	340.30/cwt	332.00–346.00	1,814	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	535	320.87/cwt	320.00–322.00	1,717	8
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,805	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	2,419	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,158	123.38/cwt	122.00–125.00	1,429	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,216	112.53/cwt	109.00–115.00	1,368	8
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,483	126.50/cwt	125.00–128.00	1,876	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,163	146.00/cwt	146.00–146.00	1,698	42
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,343	146.01/cwt	144.00–150.00	1,961	18

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 →