Sale reports / Montana / Miles City Livestock Commission / 2025-08-26

Miles City Livestock Commission

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Miles City, Montana · Tue, Aug 26
● Final47 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1773
Feeder Cattle receipts
272 head
346 vs last sale 618 303 vs year ago 575 · 52.7%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
190 head
18 vs last sale 172 30 vs year ago 160 · +18.8%
Replacement Cattle receipts
1 head
189 vs last sale 190 86 vs year ago 87 · 98.9%
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Feeder steers and heifers were too lightly tested today to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to firm undertones were notice on all offerings. Quality this week was mostly average and not as attractive as last week. Most yearlings were offered in a small groups with no load lots seen this week. Demand for all yearlings was mostly good despite a lower quality offering. Offerings were light. Market activity was mostly active with a good crowd in the seats and several buyers actively bidding over the internet. Weigh up cows sold on good demand for light to moderate offerings. Demand for feeding cows was very good. While prices were lower on paper for lean cows, quality this week on many sets were significantly lower. Several large packages of low dressing, thin fleshed, blemished cows were purchased to feed this week. High quality, non blemished, feeding cows sold 3.00-5.00 higher in a narrow comparison. All cows were pushing light to moderate amounts of fill today. Very few cows were purchased for slaughter this week as very good feeding demand kept cow prices above slaughter cow tickets and packers passed and allowed private feeders to purchase most of these cows. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed. Slaughter bulls sold mostly steady to 2.00 higher. Packer buyers purchased a large portion of the bull offering for feed this week. Feeding bulls sold steady to 2.00 higher. Young cows suitable to feed or rebreed were too lightly tested to develop any market trend.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb heifers averaged $375.00/cwt on 19 head. That ranks 2 of 16 comparable sales and sits 65.43 against this barn's trailing median of $440.43.
Average price
$375.00
19 head · 554 lb average
Value per head Derived
$2,078
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$445
per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Medium 2
$116.00/cwt at this weight
vs the market
+5.21
vs MT average
+5.19 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1-2529401.002,12110thin
Medium 1577395.002,2795thin
Medium 2588285.001,6764thin
One grade step is worth $116.00/cwt here — about $445 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
482434386338median 440.4312/1601/2702/2404/0705/12
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 sale19 hd
375.00
MT average2 barns · 24 hd
369.79
+5.21
National average160 barns · 10,603 hd
369.81
+5.19
This barn, trailing median16 sales
440.43
−65.43
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 · $/cwt
Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.
ClassGradeDressingAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
BullsAverage1,770192.333,40460
CowsBreaker 75-80%High1,895167.003,1651thin
CowsBoner 80-85%Average1,406165.392,32653
CowsLean 85-90%Low1,154142.411,64466
Dairy BullsLow1,490174.002,5931thin

Every lot, as filed

47 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.
ClassGrade / descriptionWeightAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
CowsLean 85-90%Return to Feed1,124138.73/cwt135.50–147.001,55942
CowsBoner 80-85%1,368154.69/cwt151.00–161.002,1164
CowsBoner 80-85%1,410151.00/cwt151.00–151.002,1291
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,895167.00/cwt167.00–167.003,1651
CowsLean 85-90%1,254143.04/cwt122.00–146.001,79412
SteersMedium and Large 1900–950906346.50/cwt346.50–346.503,1399
HeifersMedium and Large 1600–650615377.50/cwt377.50–377.502,3226
SteersMedium and Large 1-21000–10501,029309.52/cwt307.00–312.003,1854
SteersMedium and Large 1-2850–900864352.77/cwt344.00–355.003,0485
SteersMedium and Large 1600–650646405.00/cwt405.00–405.002,6166
CowsLean 85-90%Return to Feed1,297170.00/cwt170.00–170.002,2058
SteersMedium and Large 1-2800–850833344.00/cwt344.00–344.002,8664
SteersMedium and Large 1-2Unweaned450–500493408.00/cwt408.00–408.002,0114
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2Unweaned450–500494350.00/cwt350.00–350.001,7294
HeifersMedium and Large 1750–800779355.32/cwt352.50–358.502,76843
HeifersMedium and Large 1800–850838344.00/cwt344.00–344.002,8839
SteersMedium and Large 1750–800765370.00/cwt370.00–370.002,8312
HeifersMedium and Large 1900–950918333.45/cwt329.00–336.003,06135
HeifersMedium and Large 1700–750730357.00/cwt357.00–357.002,6062
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2850–900885321.00/cwt321.00–321.002,8413
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2500–550529401.00/cwt401.00–401.002,12110
SteersMedium and Large 1-2950–1000972320.42/cwt320.00–321.003,1147
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2800–850825343.43/cwt343.00–344.002,8338
HeifersMedium 2550–600588285.00/cwt285.00–285.001,6764
SteersMedium 1-2650–700692375.00/cwt375.00–375.002,5953
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1-2840220.00/cwt220.00–220.001,8481
HeifersMedium and Large 1Full1000–10501,017302.00/cwt302.00–302.003,0713
HeifersMedium and Large 1Full950–1000972312.26/cwt308.00–315.003,0355
HeifersMedium and Large 1850–900887337.25/cwt336.50–338.002,99127
BullsNatural1,982196.65/cwt193.00–200.003,8986
BullsNatural1,850204.00/cwt204.00–204.003,7741
HeifersLarge 1Full1100–11501,109274.00/cwt274.00–274.003,0394
BullsLarge 11100–11501,140282.50/cwt282.50–282.503,2213
HeifersMedium 1550–600577395.00/cwt395.00–395.002,2795
SteersMedium 1-2550–600563399.00/cwt399.00–399.002,2464
BullsReturn to Feed1,741192.65/cwt188.00–199.003,35425
BullsReturn to Feed2,065201.00/cwt201.00–201.004,1511
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,423170.53/cwt161.00–171.002,42734
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,376157.00/cwt157.00–157.002,16014
Bulls1,790182.99/cwt170.00–189.003,2767
BullsLight Weight1,345162.00/cwt162.00–162.002,1791
Dairy Bulls1,490174.00/cwt174.00–174.002,5931
BullsReturn to Feed1,639187.41/cwt184.00–191.003,0727
CowsLean 85-90%Light Weight909127.63/cwt122.50–130.001,1603
CowsLean 85-90%Light Weight815113.00/cwt113.00–113.009211
Bulls1,788197.04/cwt191.00–203.003,52310
Bulls1,815206.80/cwt204.00–210.003,7532

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.