Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2025-03-04
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-03-04

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder steers under 600 lbs sold steady to 10.00 higher, steers over 600 lbs were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to higher undertones were noticed. All weights of feeder heifers sold 5.00-10.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Feeder quality this week was mostly average to attractive, and overall quality was more attractive this week compared to last weeks sale. Heifer quality was mostly attractive this week as several ranches sold replacement quality heifers. Feeding and replacement buyers showed very good demand for heifers as several sets of heifers were still in light enough flesh to develop into yearlings this summer. Demand for feeder cattle was mostly good for light offerings. CME feeder cattle positions traded sharply lower and higher all in the same session as traders reacted to tariffs which went into affect today. Today, feeder cattle ended the day near steady with most contracts from April on showing slightly higher closes despite being down over 6.00 on the April contract early in the day. Market activity was mostly moderate to active today. Weigh up cows sold on moderate to good demand for light offerings. Demand for slaughter cows was mostly moderate, however very few cows were purchased for immediate harvest as packers mostly purchased cows to feed. Most cows which sold to immediate harvest were blemished in some way. Packers and private feeding buyers both showed moderate to good demand for all cows suitable to feed. Feeding cows sold mostly 2.00-4.00 lower for boning fleshed cows, breaking cows which had been warmed up on feed, and returned to feed, sold mostly 5.00-8.00 lower. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested either this week or last to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Fed cows sold on light to moderate demand today. The last offering of premium white fed cows sold a few weeks ago thus no full trend can be developed, however lower undertones were noticed. Cow quality was mostly average to attractive this week. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Weigh up conditions were mostly below average this week as most cows were pushing fill as a cold front and snow showers overnight had most cows tanked up on hay. Young cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold mostly 5.00-10.00 higher. Quality was mostly average to attractive today. Many sets of light weight offerings were purchased to feed, while heavier offerings which had recently lost calves sold to rebreed or use as recips. A moderate offering of bred cows sold today these offerings were met with very good demand as several sets of cows were off lost lease dispersions. A large crowd of buyers was on hand again this week for todays bred cow sale.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $336.05/cwt on 283 head. That ranks 1 of 16 comparable sales and sits −104.38 against this barn's trailing median of $440.43.

Average price

$336.05

283 head · 538 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,807

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$113

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

$22.05/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+9.23

vs MT average

+31.03 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	538	337.38	1,814	266
Medium and Large 1-2	540	315.33	1,701	17thin

One grade step is worth $22.05/cwt here — about $113 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 400–500 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 sale283 hd

336.05

—

MT average4 barns · 592 hd

326.82

+9.23

National average185 barns · 16,988 hd

305.02

+31.03

This barn, trailing median16 sales

440.43

−104.38

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	—	Low	1,704	146.45	2,495	15
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,389	137.57	1,910	109
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	Low	1,690	137.06	2,316	115
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,544	130.88	2,020	25
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,119	126.25	1,413	49

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)	1,194	$3,451	77
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,406	$3,237	164
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,103	$3,100	10
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,446	$3,072	133
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,257	$2,900	10
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,441	$2,800	4thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,392	$2,571	177
Bred Heifers	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	1,066	$3,270	152

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.

Class	Grade / description	Weight	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	700–750	731	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	1,974	11
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,077	3,292.17/head	3,175.00–3,350.00	3,292	143
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,257	2,900.00/head	2,900.00–2,900.00	2,900	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	522	342.73/cwt	332.00–347.50	1,789	171
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	566	327.74/cwt	325.00–334.00	1,855	95
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	485	355.49/cwt	348.00–357.50	1,724	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	616	307.43/cwt	292.00–313.00	1,894	89
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,102	153.93/cwt	140.00–155.00	1,696	14
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,103	3,100.00/head	3,100.00–3,100.00	3,100	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	771	281.50/cwt	281.50–281.50	2,170	85
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	478	393.28/cwt	392.00–402.00	1,880	30
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	650–700	669	321.00/cwt	321.00–321.00	2,147	95
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,001	212.80/cwt	180.00–240.00	2,130	53
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,158	2,950.00/head	2,950.00–2,950.00	2,950	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	913	198.63/cwt	192.50–205.00	1,813	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,406	3,236.64/head	2,800.00–3,375.00	3,237	164
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,392	2,570.94/head	2,300.00–2,700.00	2,571	177
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,441	2,800.00/head	2,800.00–2,800.00	2,800	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,446	3,071.73/head	2,650.00–3,150.00	3,072	133
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	665	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	1,895	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	490	371.00/cwt	361.00–381.00	1,818	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,124	180.21/cwt	143.00–219.00	2,026	35
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fancy	—	1,015	226.00/cwt	226.00–226.00	2,294	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	439	342.99/cwt	342.50–344.00	1,506	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	588	318.59/cwt	315.00–342.50	1,873	39
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,012	161.18/cwt	150.00–175.00	1,631	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	714	284.10/cwt	275.00–288.00	2,028	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	575	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	1,639	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	481	330.42/cwt	325.00–340.00	1,589	28
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,365	126.84/cwt	114.00–134.50	1,731	16
Bulls	—	—	1,865	140.17/cwt	130.00–147.50	2,614	7
Bulls	—	—	1,855	161.54/cwt	155.00–166.00	2,997	3
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,385	145.50/cwt	145.00–146.00	2,015	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,383	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	2,005	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,400	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	2,100	1
Cows	Premium White 65-75%Heavy Weight	—	2,225	120.00/cwt	120.00–120.00	2,670	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,104	113.86/cwt	110.00–121.00	1,257	4
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,172	115.49/cwt	102.50–127.50	1,354	7
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,468	133.81/cwt	133.00–139.00	1,964	16
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,162	138.30/cwt	131.00–145.00	1,607	30
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	910	81.00/cwt	81.00–81.00	737	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,000	102.00/cwt	102.00–102.00	1,020	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,382	139.88/cwt	135.50–145.00	1,933	82
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	—	1,685	137.21/cwt	135.00–139.75	2,312	114
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	908	98.43/cwt	85.00–105.00	894	6
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,700	115.00/cwt	115.00–115.00	1,955	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,675	127.00/cwt	127.00–127.00	2,127	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	532	321.83/cwt	320.00–322.50	1,712	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	369	385.74/cwt	380.00–390.00	1,423	5
Heifers	Medium 1	450–500	495	321.00/cwt	321.00–321.00	1,589	19
Bred Heifers	Medium 1	—	897	2,925.00/head	2,925.00–2,925.00	2,925	9
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,471	136.94/cwt	135.00–141.00	2,014	10
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,485	126.00/cwt	126.00–126.00	1,871	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	570	367.98/cwt	352.00–377.50	2,097	207
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	629	325.35/cwt	321.00–337.00	2,046	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	750	267.50/cwt	267.50–267.50	2,006	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	435	405.67/cwt	402.50–410.00	1,765	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	640	309.50/cwt	309.50–309.50	1,981	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	520	364.00/cwt	364.00–364.00	1,893	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	515	386.46/cwt	379.00–398.00	1,990	23
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	667	315.47/cwt	314.00–319.00	2,104	20
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	750–800	773	258.69/cwt	252.50–265.00	2,000	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	1050–1100	1,095	205.00/cwt	205.00–205.00	2,245	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	850–900	895	235.00/cwt	235.00–235.00	2,103	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	700–750	740	278.00/cwt	278.00–278.00	2,057	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	663	289.38/cwt	288.50–290.00	1,919	29
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	431	356.64/cwt	349.00–377.50	1,537	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	427	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	1,793	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	349	462.50/cwt	462.50–462.50	1,614	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,196	3,485.95/head	3,100.00–3,750.00	3,486	72

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 →