Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2025-04-01
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-04-01

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers were both too lightly tested this week to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to firm undertones were noticed on all feeder offerings. Feeder quality this week was mostly plain to average, with a limited offering of attractive cattle seen. Quality this week was similar to last weeks offering. Demand was mostly good to very good for light offerings. CME positions continue to see higher movement as fundamental market support continues to inspire traders to push contracts higher. Tight supplies of market ready cattle continue to be seen. CME feeder cattle positions continue to rally on tight supplies of feeder cattle. Cattle feeders want to fill pen space as quickly as possible due to profitable closeouts on finished cattle. Ranchers were active again this week in buying cattle to go to grass. Market activity was mostly active today despite a small crowd on hand for todays sale. Weigh up cows sold on good demand for light offerings. Demand for slaughter cows was mostly good. Small regional packers were in the market again this week. Boning and breaking cows sold mostly steady to 3.00 higher in a narrow comparison. No fed cows were seen this week. Lean slaughter cows were too lightly tested this week as most thin cows were purchased to feed, however higher undertones were noticed. Feeding cows sold on very good demand as several private feeders were active in bidding on offerings. High quality feeding cows sold mostly 3.00-5.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Demand for thin fleshed feeding cows was good to very good as these offerings sold 6.00-8.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Cow quality was mostly average to attractive this week. Slaughter bulls sold on moderate to good demand this week. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 2.00-4.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Bull quality was average this week, with many lightweight feeding type bulls on offer. However most bull offerings were purchased to slaughter this week as packers showed stronger demand for slaughter bulls. Weigh up conditions were mostly average this week. Young cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on good to very good demand. Most offerings sold 5.00-10.00 higher. Quality was mostly average to attractive today. Very good demand was seen for wet bagged offerings which had recently lost calves.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $339.91/cwt on 104 head. That ranks 1 of 16 comparable sales and sits −100.52 against this barn's trailing median of $440.43.

Average price

$339.91

104 head · 548 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,863

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$95

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

$29.03/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−0.66

vs MT average

+18.53 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	545	344.94	1,878	86
Medium and Large 1-2	565	315.91	1,784	18thin

One grade step is worth $29.03/cwt here — about $95 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 sale104 hd

339.91

—

MT average2 barns · 199 hd

340.57

−0.66

National average178 barns · 12,751 hd

321.38

+18.53

This barn, trailing median16 sales

440.43

−100.52

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	1,651	156.99	2,591	18
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,605	153.49	2,464	5thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,434	150.49	2,158	35
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,193	143.00	1,706	68
Dairy Bulls	—	Low	1,305	151.00	1,971	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)	1,178	$2,800	5
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,015	$2,725	5
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,402	$2,625	3thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,523	$2,400	3thin
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,335	$2,300	1thin

Every lot, as filed

72 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
Steers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	305	530.00/cwt	530.00–530.00	1,617	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	420	437.50/cwt	437.50–437.50	1,838	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	611	322.00/cwt	322.00–322.00	1,967	51
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	850–900	850	257.50/cwt	257.50–257.50	2,189	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	350–400	360	500.00/cwt	500.00–500.00	1,800	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	791	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	2,175	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	810	269.00/cwt	269.00–269.00	2,179	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	491	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,719	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	525	350.97/cwt	344.00–355.00	1,843	55
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	700–750	711	307.98/cwt	299.00–310.50	2,190	141
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	582	332.87/cwt	330.50–346.00	1,937	30
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	500–550	500	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	1,875	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	597	347.93/cwt	347.50–348.00	2,077	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	654	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	2,093	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	542	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	1,707	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	356	395.00/cwt	395.00–395.00	1,406	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	608	307.50/cwt	307.50–307.50	1,870	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	440	398.06/cwt	397.50–402.50	1,751	9
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,015	2,725.00/head	2,725.00–2,725.00	2,725	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,065	175.27/cwt	172.50–178.00	1,867	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,178	2,800.00/head	2,800.00–2,800.00	2,800	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	790	282.50/cwt	282.50–282.50	2,232	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,205	181.86/cwt	171.00–187.50	2,191	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,402	2,625.00/head	2,625.00–2,625.00	2,625	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	430	422.47/cwt	420.00–425.00	1,817	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	647	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	2,070	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	427	365.91/cwt	365.00–370.00	1,562	17
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,523	2,400.00/head	2,400.00–2,400.00	2,400	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,335	2,300.00/head	2,300.00–2,300.00	2,300	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,422	143.27/cwt	132.00–152.00	2,037	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,380	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	1,849	1
Dairy Bulls	—	—	1,305	151.00/cwt	151.00–151.00	1,971	1
Bulls	—	—	1,726	151.75/cwt	135.00–161.00	2,619	7
Bulls	—	—	2,070	182.50/cwt	182.50–182.50	3,778	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,335	165.00/cwt	165.00–165.00	2,203	1
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	50–100	90	900.00/head	900.00–900.00	900	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,700	155.25/cwt	155.00–155.50	2,639	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,542	152.31/cwt	151.00–153.00	2,349	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,249	150.10/cwt	141.00–153.00	1,875	44
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,123	137.36/cwt	131.00–144.00	1,543	4
Bulls	—	—	1,718	165.26/cwt	160.00–171.00	2,839	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,399	157.19/cwt	154.00–157.50	2,199	13
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,087	121.00/cwt	117.00–126.00	1,315	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,505	121.00/cwt	121.00–121.00	1,821	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,415	155.96/cwt	154.00–158.00	2,207	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	903	112.45/cwt	105.00–119.00	1,015	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,123	133.55/cwt	119.00–138.00	1,500	14
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,481	148.70/cwt	140.00–152.50	2,202	12
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	710	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,775	1
Bulls	Large 1	1100–1150	1,100	227.50/cwt	227.50–227.50	2,503	1
Bulls	Large 1	1050–1100	1,060	227.00/cwt	227.00–227.00	2,406	1
Steers	Large 1	450–500	457	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	1,828	3
Steers	Large 1	600–650	618	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	2,101	4
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,409	147.45/cwt	134.50–157.00	2,078	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	485	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,698	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	587	342.50/cwt	342.50–342.50	2,010	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2	800–850	804	258.00/cwt	258.00–258.00	2,074	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	521	371.33/cwt	365.00–379.00	1,935	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	367	461.63/cwt	452.50–465.00	1,694	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	576	316.36/cwt	312.50–321.00	1,822	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	629	344.90/cwt	340.00–352.00	2,169	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	387	380.00/cwt	380.00–380.00	1,471	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	750–800	759	277.14/cwt	262.50–279.00	2,103	9
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	900–950	910	257.50/cwt	257.50–257.50	2,343	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,199	174.51/cwt	152.00–217.50	2,092	9
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	964	237.52/cwt	187.50–259.00	2,290	70
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	338	447.50/cwt	447.50–447.50	1,513	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	675	325.85/cwt	321.00–339.50	2,199	31
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	454	382.50/cwt	382.50–382.50	1,737	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	484	372.00/cwt	372.00–372.00	1,800	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	742	301.94/cwt	301.50–308.00	2,240	33
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	410	410.00/cwt	410.00–410.00	1,681	2

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 →