Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2025-09-30
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-09-30

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers were too lightly tested develop any market trend. Yearling heifers sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. Calves were too lightly tested last week to develop any market comparison. Demand was mostly good to very good for light to moderate offerings. Many small packages of yearling heifers were seen this week. Quality was mostly average to attractive with most offerings coming off grass. CME positions traded with triple digit gains today which helped provide some market support. Market activity was mostly active. 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 plain to average this week and not as attractive as last weeks offering. Feeding cow demand remains very good with a large pool of feeding buyers actively bidding on offerings. Feeding cows sold generally steady on a lower quality lower yielding offering. 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.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $426.39/cwt on 131 head. That ranks 5 of 16 comparable sales and sits −14.04 against this barn's trailing median of $440.43.

Average price

$426.39

131 head · 527 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,249

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$196

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium 1

$3.95/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+20.02

vs MT average

+57.48 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	527	426.45	2,246	129
Medium 1	578	422.50	2,442	2thin

One grade step is worth $3.95/cwt here — about −$196 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 sale131 hd

426.39

—

MT average3 barns · 259 hd

406.38

+20.02

National average182 barns · 13,299 hd

368.91

+57.48

This barn, trailing median16 sales

440.43

−14.04

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	1,762	189.10	3,331	60
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	Low	1,781	172.00	3,063	8thin
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,477	170.20	2,513	8thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,403	159.77	2,241	18
Cows	Lean 85-90%	High	1,150	157.08	1,806	116
Dairy Bulls	—	Low	1,445	170.00	2,457	1thin
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	975	134.00	1,307	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 Heifers	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	(<2 yrs)	757	$2,934	36

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
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	473	441.00/cwt	441.00–441.00	2,086	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	721	347.99/cwt	342.50–361.00	2,509	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	820	336.00/cwt	336.00–336.00	2,755	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	793	348.00/cwt	348.00–348.00	2,760	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	950–1000	979	332.19/cwt	331.00–334.00	3,252	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	420	550.00/cwt	550.00–550.00	2,310	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	891	348.74/cwt	347.50–350.00	3,107	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	893	322.87/cwt	320.00–325.00	2,883	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	399	512.50/cwt	512.50–512.50	2,045	28
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	567	386.00/cwt	386.00–386.00	2,189	27
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	423	487.22/cwt	442.50–497.50	2,061	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	316	657.50/cwt	657.50–657.50	2,078	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	250–300	250	660.00/cwt	660.00–660.00	1,650	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	537	392.32/cwt	385.00–396.00	2,107	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,048	315.00/cwt	315.00–315.00	3,301	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Replacement	500–550	514	441.50/cwt	430.00–444.00	2,269	93
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	866	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	3,118	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	481	495.32/cwt	485.00–497.00	2,382	89
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	537	446.40/cwt	446.00–446.50	2,397	84
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	917	324.31/cwt	319.00–327.00	2,974	62
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	875	331.74/cwt	329.50–341.00	2,903	28
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	582	404.00/cwt	404.00–404.00	2,351	33
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	606	390.52/cwt	390.00–394.00	2,367	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	693	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	2,703	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	785	382.50/cwt	382.50–382.50	3,003	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	823	377.00/cwt	377.00–377.00	3,103	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	820	349.05/cwt	340.50–352.00	2,862	52
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	771	357.94/cwt	350.00–362.00	2,760	61
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	963	323.00/cwt	323.00–323.00	3,110	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	710	366.00/cwt	366.00–366.00	2,599	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,080	177.00/cwt	177.00–177.00	1,912	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,446	169.27/cwt	168.00–170.00	2,448	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	775	145.00/cwt	145.00–145.00	1,124	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	958	119.90/cwt	113.00–125.00	1,149	3
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	975	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	1,307	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,214	127.02/cwt	113.00–138.00	1,542	9
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	—	1,781	172.00/cwt	172.00–172.00	3,063	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,104	157.96/cwt	139.00–161.00	1,744	59
Bulls	—	—	1,830	179.36/cwt	172.00–185.00	3,282	4
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,703	180.42/cwt	172.00–184.00	3,073	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,225	166.12/cwt	166.00–171.00	2,035	40
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,265	152.00/cwt	152.00–152.00	1,923	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,448	170.08/cwt	166.00–174.00	2,463	9
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,328	135.00/cwt	135.00–135.00	1,793	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,711	190.80/cwt	186.00–197.00	3,265	36
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,192	144.01/cwt	143.00–145.00	1,717	3
Dairy Bulls	—	—	1,445	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	2,457	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,568	173.00/cwt	173.00–173.00	2,713	2
Bulls	Large 1	1250–1300	1,290	242.50/cwt	242.50–242.50	3,128	1
Bulls	Large 1	1150–1200	1,190	270.00/cwt	270.00–270.00	3,213	1
Bulls	Large 1	1100–1150	1,125	274.93/cwt	270.00–280.00	3,093	2
Bulls	—	—	1,897	191.24/cwt	187.00–196.00	3,628	14
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,382	149.03/cwt	140.00–165.00	2,060	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,385	178.00/cwt	178.00–178.00	2,465	1
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	450–500	489	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	1,687	4
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	400–450	405	432.50/cwt	432.50–432.50	1,752	4
Steers	Large 1	1050–1100	1,068	319.00/cwt	319.00–319.00	3,407	2
Bulls	Large 1Unweaned	300–350	339	575.00/cwt	575.00–575.00	1,949	5
Bulls	Large 1Unweaned	350–400	394	490.00/cwt	490.00–490.00	1,931	4
Heifers	Large 1	1050–1100	1,073	310.95/cwt	305.00–314.00	3,336	3
Heifers	Medium 1-2	650–700	650	345.00/cwt	345.00–345.00	2,243	3
Heifers	Medium 1	600–650	609	401.00/cwt	401.00–401.00	2,442	5
Heifers	Medium 1	550–600	578	422.50/cwt	422.50–422.50	2,442	2
Bred Heifers	Medium 1	—	735	2,900.00/head	2,900.00–2,900.00	2,900	16
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	550–600	572	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	2,202	5
Bulls	Large 1Unweaned	450–500	479	430.02/cwt	390.00–445.00	2,060	15
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	—	784	2,850.00/head	2,850.00–2,850.00	2,850	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,033	220.81/cwt	187.50–240.00	2,281	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	955	262.50/cwt	262.50–262.50	2,507	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,016	290.55/cwt	225.00–301.00	2,952	50
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,130	245.07/cwt	225.00–270.00	2,769	3
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	772	2,990.08/head	2,975.00–3,050.00	2,990	16

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 →