Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2025-04-22
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-04-22

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last reported sale(4/8/25): Feeder steers and heifers were both too lightly tested either this week or last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on all feeder offerings. Feeder quality this week was mostly average to attractive. Demand was mostly good to very good for light to moderate offerings. CME positions moved sharply higher today providing buyers some market support. Cattle were mostly in light flesh with some premiums seen for very thin fleshed cattle. Demand for cattle suitable to run on grass was very good with several ranchers and order buyers actively bidding on this class of cattle. Demand for heavier weight cattle was not as strong as it was for cattle suitable to run on grass but was still moderate to good. Market activity was mostly active today with a large 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 buying cows for immediate harvest. Slaughter cows sold mostly 3.00-5.00 higher in a narrow comparison on all classes. Feeding cows sold on mostly good demand this week. Feeding cows sold 5.00-8.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Slaughter bulls sold on good demand this week. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 3.00-7.00 higher a narrow comparison. Bull quality was average to attractive this week. Weigh up conditions were mostly average to above average this week. Several consignments of cows have been out on grass and were very empty as a result. Young cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on good to very good demand. Most offerings sold steady to 5.00 higher on like quality offerings. 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 $355.37/cwt on 60 head. That ranks 2 of 16 comparable sales and sits −85.07 against this barn's trailing median of $440.43.

Average price

$355.37

60 head · 561 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,993

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$113

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

$6.72/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+12.86

vs MT average

+25.42 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	563	355.93	2,003	55
Medium and Large 1-2	541	349.21	1,889	5thin

One grade step is worth $6.72/cwt here — about $113 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 600–700 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 sale60 hd

355.37

—

MT average2 barns · 651 hd

342.51

+12.86

National average175 barns · 11,256 hd

329.95

+25.42

This barn, trailing median16 sales

440.43

−85.07

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	1,741	172.73	3,007	27
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	Average	1,560	159.09	2,482	9thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,543	154.68	2,387	12
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,456	153.51	2,234	21
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,157	149.47	1,729	35
Dairy Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,340	149.00	1,997	1thin
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,320	147.00	1,940	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)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,458	$2,325	2thin

Every lot, as filed

59 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
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	679	305.91/cwt	297.00–310.50	2,077	64
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	487	379.70/cwt	365.00–390.00	1,849	168
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	480	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	2,016	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	431	411.12/cwt	380.00–417.50	1,772	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	323	480.00/cwt	480.00–480.00	1,550	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	664	314.50/cwt	314.50–314.50	2,088	14
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	450	412.50/cwt	412.50–412.50	1,856	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	250–300	288	495.00/cwt	495.00–495.00	1,426	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,126	193.23/cwt	168.00–226.00	2,176	41
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,034	225.08/cwt	200.00–257.50	2,327	60
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	718	294.96/cwt	288.00–297.50	2,118	76
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	550–600	559	364.93/cwt	364.00–367.00	2,040	32
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	947	219.02/cwt	181.00–238.00	2,074	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	761	272.21/cwt	268.00–275.00	2,072	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	474	428.12/cwt	428.00–431.00	2,029	98
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	418	431.64/cwt	430.00–435.00	1,804	28
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	600	333.00/cwt	333.00–333.00	1,998	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	661	292.41/cwt	285.00–295.00	1,933	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	343	515.00/cwt	515.00–515.00	1,766	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	764	287.00/cwt	287.00–287.00	2,193	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	537	373.75/cwt	372.50–375.00	2,007	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,116	166.34/cwt	157.00–185.00	1,856	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,441	152.53/cwt	145.00–158.00	2,198	4
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,574	162.49/cwt	159.00–165.00	2,558	4
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,435	171.46/cwt	168.00–180.00	2,460	6
Bulls	—	—	1,668	166.08/cwt	165.00–167.00	2,770	3
Bulls	—	—	2,173	184.65/cwt	184.00–185.00	4,012	3
Bulls	—	—	1,870	175.70/cwt	166.00–182.00	3,286	11
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	50–100	95	775.00/head	775.00–775.00	775	2
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	—	1,560	159.09/cwt	159.00–160.00	2,482	9
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,320	147.00/cwt	147.00–147.00	1,940	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,174	135.35/cwt	125.00–141.00	1,589	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,176	164.44/cwt	161.00–169.00	1,934	9
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,547	165.74/cwt	164.00–168.00	2,564	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,420	153.90/cwt	150.00–158.00	2,185	11
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,120	148.28/cwt	146.00–151.00	1,661	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,433	132.23/cwt	131.00–133.50	1,895	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,543	154.68/cwt	151.50–155.00	2,387	12
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	900	127.50/cwt	127.50–127.50	1,148	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,156	154.18/cwt	146.00–159.00	1,782	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,166	138.59/cwt	128.00–145.00	1,616	8
Bulls	Large 1	1050–1100	1,067	230.72/cwt	230.00–231.00	2,462	7
Bulls	Large 1	1150–1200	1,170	215.00/cwt	215.00–215.00	2,516	2
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	600–650	620	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	1,922	2
Bulls	Large 1-2	1100–1150	1,140	187.50/cwt	187.50–187.50	2,138	1
Dairy Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,340	149.00/cwt	149.00–149.00	1,997	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,675	159.00/cwt	159.00–159.00	2,663	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	541	349.21/cwt	345.00–352.00	1,889	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	601	276.00/cwt	276.00–276.00	1,659	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,458	2,325.00/head	2,325.00–2,325.00	2,325	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	644	294.44/cwt	287.50–299.00	1,896	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	591	333.00/cwt	333.00–333.00	1,968	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	373	479.00/cwt	479.00–479.00	1,787	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	505	364.02/cwt	362.00–370.00	1,838	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	376	453.99/cwt	445.00–470.00	1,707	24
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	850–900	896	258.00/cwt	258.00–258.00	2,312	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	900–950	935	249.00/cwt	249.00–249.00	2,328	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	621	328.00/cwt	328.00–328.00	2,037	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	581	339.06/cwt	325.00–352.50	1,970	19

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 →