Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2025-09-23
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-09-23

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers were too lightly tested develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Yearling heifers all sold unevenly steady from 5.00 lower to 5.00 higher in a narrow comparison. Offerings were smaller this week making it difficult for some buyers to start loads. Many small packages of yearling heifers were seen this week. A single load lot of steers was seen this week, and it was met with very good demand. Quality was mostly average to attractive, however quality overall was not as attractive as last weeks sale. CME positions continue to rebound with additional triple digit gains seen today following yesterdays limit higher movement. Market activity was mostly active with rapid bidding seen. Weigh up cows sold on good to very good demand. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Cow quality was mostly average this week. Feeding cow demand remains very good with a large pool of feeding buyers actively bidding on offerings. Feeding cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on all offerings. Slaughter bulls and feeding bulls both sold generally steady. Demand for feeding bulls was very good as packers opted to send most of the bulls to feed to regain some of the yield lost during breeding season. Demand for all replacement cows was very good. Buyers showed good demand for all ages of cows to return to the country to pregnancy test, or put in a rebreeding program. Several sets of cows sold exposed and buyers showed strong premiums for these offerings.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $390.00/cwt on 8 head. That ranks 2 of 16 comparable sales and sits −50.43 against this barn's trailing median of $440.43.

Average price

$390.00

8 head · 550 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,145

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

—

single grade reported

vs the market

+8.20

vs MT average

+24.15 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	550	390.00	2,145	8thin

Only one grade was reported at this weight, so there is no spread to compute.

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 sale8 hd

390.00

—

MT average2 barns · 40 hd

381.80

+8.20

National average172 barns · 11,458 hd

365.85

+24.15

This barn, trailing median16 sales

440.43

−50.43

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.

Class	Grade	Dressing	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Bulls	—	Average	1,710	186.55	3,189	42
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,425	169.77	2,418	12
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,150	157.73	1,814	52

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	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,153	$3,150	2thin
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,045	$2,850	1thin

Every lot, as filed

48 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	—	—	1,703	192.54/cwt	192.00–193.00	3,279	2
Bulls	—	—	1,810	176.70/cwt	170.00–184.00	3,198	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,045	149.00/cwt	149.00–149.00	1,557	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,072	123.32/cwt	120.00–133.00	1,322	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	618	405.00/cwt	405.00–405.00	2,503	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	775	352.52/cwt	350.00–357.50	2,732	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	770	365.00/cwt	365.00–365.00	2,811	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	924	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	2,957	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	866	339.48/cwt	331.00–350.00	2,940	31
Steers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	923	354.48/cwt	354.00–354.50	3,272	83
Steers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	965	341.00/cwt	341.00–341.00	3,291	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	739	406.77/cwt	405.00–409.00	3,006	36
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	855	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	3,078	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	931	323.55/cwt	321.00–327.00	3,012	25
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,008	313.08/cwt	307.00–314.00	3,156	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	971	316.46/cwt	311.00–319.00	3,073	92
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	662	414.42/cwt	410.00–415.00	2,743	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	771	358.00/cwt	358.00–358.00	2,760	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	844	352.82/cwt	350.00–353.00	2,978	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	721	359.00/cwt	359.00–359.00	2,588	9
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	984	227.00/cwt	190.00–232.50	2,234	17
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,022	261.84/cwt	222.50–290.00	2,676	14
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,276	177.49/cwt	176.50–178.00	2,265	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,175	171.72/cwt	161.00–175.00	2,018	23
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,075	145.64/cwt	130.00–159.00	1,566	9
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,459	171.66/cwt	165.00–175.00	2,505	11
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,622	182.94/cwt	177.00–187.00	2,967	9
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,714	190.27/cwt	187.00–195.00	3,261	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	850–900	894	327.50/cwt	327.50–327.50	2,928	18
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	789	377.46/cwt	375.00–390.00	2,978	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	719	357.50/cwt	357.50–357.50	2,570	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	897	325.23/cwt	322.50–328.00	2,917	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	858	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	3,003	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	1050–1100	1,060	235.75/cwt	227.50–240.00	2,499	3
Steers	Medium 1	500–550	534	443.00/cwt	443.00–443.00	2,366	8
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,165	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	2,155	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	991	195.08/cwt	182.00–230.00	1,933	6
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,153	3,150.00/head	3,150.00–3,150.00	3,150	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,045	2,850.00/head	2,850.00–2,850.00	2,850	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,295	164.00/cwt	164.00–164.00	2,124	1
Heifers	Large 1	900–950	903	324.00/cwt	324.00–324.00	2,926	2
Bulls	Large 1-2	1200–1250	1,245	225.00/cwt	225.00–225.00	2,801	1
Stock Cows	Medium 2	—	828	207.50/cwt	207.50–207.50	1,718	2
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	790	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	2,133	1
Steers	Medium 1	600–650	647	419.10/cwt	415.00–420.00	2,712	22
Heifers	Medium 1	550–600	550	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	2,145	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	900	111.00/cwt	111.00–111.00	999	1
Heifers	Large 1	1050–1100	1,081	295.04/cwt	288.00–310.00	3,189	15

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 →