Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2025-11-18
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-11-18

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested develop any market trend. Steer calves under 450 lbs were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to higher undertones were noticed. Steers 450 lbs and heavier sold mostly steady to 10.00 lower. Heifer calves under 550 lbs sold mostly steady to 5.00 lower, 550-599 lbs heifers sold 10.00-15.00 lower, heifers over 600 lbs were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Quality this week was mostly plain to average. Demand was mostly moderate for light to moderate offerings. Long strings of attractive calves sold near steady with last week, however packages of calves this week saw some resistance from buyers. Many packages of calves were seen this week. Only 11 groups of calves offered head counts over 35 head this week for steers and heifers combined. Many sets of calves were cutbacks off summer video sales. A few packages of weaned calves were seen this week, these offerings were met with light to moderate demand as buyers continue to prefer to buy fresh appearing calves right off the cow. Additionally not enough weaned calves of any particular weight were seen to build a load, which also hampered demand. A small crowd of buyers was noticed this week with very few ranchers in the stands bidding on calves. Market activity was mostly moderate. Weigh up cows sold on moderate demand for moderate to heavy offerings. Feeding cows continue to be driving force in the cow market. Demand for high quality cows suitable to feed to premium white continues to be strong, driven mostly by packer demand. Feeding cows sold generally steady. Quality this week was not as attractive as last week. Thin fleshed feeding cows sold generally steady on a lower quality offering. Slaughter cows sold mostly 3.00-5.00 lower on breaking cows, boning and lean cows sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. Very few slaughter cows were seen this week as most cows continue to be purchased to feed. Packers continue to buy slightly blemished cows to feed and hold for the upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday breaks. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on moderate to good demand. These offerings sold generally steady in a narrow comparison.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $441.90/cwt on 397 head. That ranks 2 of 13 comparable sales and sits −44.33 against this barn's trailing median of $486.23.

Average price

$441.90

397 head · 533 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,355

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$412

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

$52.57/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+10.46

vs MT average

+31.82 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	534	442.57	2,362	379
Medium and Large 1-2	521	430.04	2,243	17thin
Medium and Large 2	500	390.00	1,950	1thin

One grade step is worth $52.57/cwt here — about $412 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

13 sales

Steers 500–600 lb: high $512.23, low $440.01, median $486.23 across 13 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 sale397 hd

441.90

—

MT average5 barns · 1,252 hd

431.44

+10.46

National average185 barns · 23,076 hd

410.08

+31.82

This barn, trailing median13 sales

486.23

−44.33

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	1,790	173.05	3,097	30
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Low	1,519	166.65	2,531	70
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,323	163.23	2,160	128
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	1,162	144.56	1,680	166

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	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,185	$2,527	17

Every lot, as filed

87 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 1Unweaned	550–600	569	418.07/cwt	408.50–440.00	2,379	71
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	684	369.13/cwt	355.00–374.50	2,525	67
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	750–800	759	342.50/cwt	342.50–342.50	2,600	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	570	417.50/cwt	417.50–417.50	2,380	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	507	401.18/cwt	377.50–409.00	2,034	142
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	420	538.41/cwt	510.00–548.00	2,261	86
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	353	550.00/cwt	550.00–550.00	1,942	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	435	485.95/cwt	468.00–505.00	2,114	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	339	627.82/cwt	610.00–645.00	2,128	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	614	347.00/cwt	347.00–347.00	2,131	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	525	448.52/cwt	435.00–477.50	2,355	305
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	483	378.88/cwt	370.00–386.00	1,830	27
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	479	425.00/cwt	425.00–425.00	2,036	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	471	454.85/cwt	450.00–470.00	2,142	24
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	515	438.38/cwt	430.00–447.50	2,258	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	570	367.50/cwt	367.50–367.50	2,095	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	300–350	324	586.95/cwt	575.00–600.00	1,902	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	378	549.30/cwt	510.00–570.00	2,076	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	885	294.35/cwt	290.00–305.00	2,605	7
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	400–450	419	470.00/cwt	470.00–470.00	1,969	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	650–700	675	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	2,025	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	576	358.38/cwt	347.00–370.00	2,064	167
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	609	398.00/cwt	398.00–398.00	2,424	25
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	429	451.46/cwt	447.50–455.00	1,937	54
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	692	312.50/cwt	312.50–312.50	2,163	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	482	411.14/cwt	400.00–440.00	1,982	43
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	615	397.31/cwt	380.00–406.00	2,443	318
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	590	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	1,977	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	407	550.00/cwt	550.00–550.00	2,239	19
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	400–450	409	522.50/cwt	522.50–522.50	2,137	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	450–500	482	440.00/cwt	440.00–440.00	2,121	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	395	478.75/cwt	475.00–482.50	1,891	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	481	467.74/cwt	467.00–470.00	2,250	32
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	382	465.00/cwt	465.00–465.00	1,776	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	361	608.79/cwt	580.00–620.00	2,198	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	341	495.94/cwt	495.00–500.00	1,691	10
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	512	411.00/cwt	411.00–411.00	2,104	5
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,563	152.83/cwt	148.00–158.00	2,389	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,545	169.50/cwt	169.50–169.50	2,619	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,572	146.23/cwt	142.00–147.00	2,299	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,220	134.00/cwt	134.00–134.00	1,635	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,509	169.77/cwt	167.00–173.00	2,562	58
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,535	173.50/cwt	173.50–173.50	2,663	1
Bulls	—	—	2,013	175.44/cwt	175.00–176.00	3,532	2
Bulls	—	—	1,872	177.30/cwt	172.00–183.00	3,319	11
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,619	170.52/cwt	161.00–174.00	2,761	5
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,643	177.97/cwt	174.00–179.00	2,924	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,201	171.12/cwt	171.00–172.00	2,055	8
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,155	106.92/cwt	92.50–115.00	1,235	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	927	111.65/cwt	107.50–115.00	1,035	3
Bulls	—	—	1,792	160.66/cwt	146.00–172.00	2,879	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,136	79.96/cwt	71.00–85.00	908	12
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,371	135.51/cwt	120.00–149.00	1,858	12
Bulls	—	—	2,005	184.00/cwt	184.00–184.00	3,689	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,302	109.82/cwt	105.00–120.00	1,430	3
Steers	Large 1	600–650	632	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	2,086	3
Heifers	Large 1	450–500	488	382.50/cwt	382.50–382.50	1,867	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,191	164.32/cwt	160.00–169.00	1,957	51
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,318	167.52/cwt	163.00–173.50	2,208	112
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,153	144.59/cwt	120.00–159.00	1,667	82
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,430	175.00/cwt	175.00–175.00	2,503	1
Heifers	Medium 1Unweaned	300–350	337	415.00/cwt	415.00–415.00	1,399	3
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	300–350	345	590.00/cwt	590.00–590.00	2,036	1
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	800–850	827	314.00/cwt	314.00–314.00	2,597	7
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	700–750	725	337.50/cwt	337.50–337.50	2,447	2
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	650–700	660	302.50/cwt	302.50–302.50	1,997	1
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	650–700	670	352.00/cwt	352.00–352.00	2,358	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,185	2,527.43/head	2,475.00–2,700.00	2,527	17
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,132	224.57/cwt	175.00–282.50	2,542	35
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	969	278.99/cwt	222.00–314.00	2,703	147
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	923	240.00/cwt	240.00–240.00	2,215	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,036	201.06/cwt	177.50–252.50	2,083	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	—	986	254.00/cwt	254.00–254.00	2,504	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	521	377.00/cwt	377.00–377.00	1,964	28
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	600–650	644	361.28/cwt	356.50–366.00	2,327	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	435	430.69/cwt	410.00–437.50	1,874	46
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	446	475.31/cwt	450.00–515.00	2,120	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	650–700	655	352.50/cwt	352.50–352.50	2,309	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	390	460.00/cwt	460.00–460.00	1,794	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	472	385.76/cwt	375.00–387.50	1,821	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	300–350	337	453.26/cwt	425.00–485.00	1,527	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	832	307.50/cwt	307.50–307.50	2,558	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	400–450	413	403.00/cwt	403.00–403.00	1,664	12
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	500–550	500	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	1,950	1
Steers	Medium and Large 2Unweaned	450–500	490	421.00/cwt	421.00–421.00	2,063	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	937	267.00/cwt	267.00–267.00	2,502	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	700–750	714	347.94/cwt	345.00–352.50	2,484	5

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 →