Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2025-11-25
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-11-25

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested last sale to develop any market trend. A few remanent yearlings continue to be marketed. Demand for yearlings was mostly light for light offerings. Steer and heifer calves were too lightly tested in any particular weigh to develop an accurate market trend, however sharply lower undertones were noticed with most sales 25.00-40.00 lower on steers and 20.00-30.00 lower on heifers than last week. A combination of factors weighed on the market this week. Limit lower CME feeder contracts were seen yesterday following the announcement of a plant closing in Nebraska and limited buyer participation due to the holiday week. Many buyers stated their customers were off the market this week as a result. Demand was light to moderate for mostly light offerings. Quality this week was mostly average with a few packages of attractive quality cattle noticed. A small crowd of buyers was noticed this week. Market activity was mostly slow as a result. Weigh up cows sold on light demand for light to moderate offerings. Demand for feeding cows was significantly lighter this week as fewer buyers were in the stands to absorb offerings. Demand for high quality cows suitable to feed to premium white was light to moderate this week and significantly lower than last week. High quality feeding cows sold mostly 6.00-12.00 lower. Thin feeding cows sold mostly 12.00-15.00 lower as packers showed significantly lighter demand for thin cows this week. Cow quality was mostly average this week. All slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones noticed. 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 holidays. Slaughter bulls sold 4.00-6.00 lower in a narrow comparison. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on moderate to good demand. These offerings sold mostly 5.00 higher in a narrow comparison.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $331.98/cwt on 142 head. That ranks 1 of 16 comparable sales and sits −108.46 against this barn's trailing median of $440.43.

Average price

$331.98

142 head · 570 lb average

Value per head Derived

$1,893

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

−$94

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

$19.67/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−31.39

vs MT average

−17.39 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Large 1	511	334.00	1,707	5thin
Medium and Large 1	572	332.71	1,904	131
Medium and Large 1-2	573	314.33	1,801	6thin

One grade step is worth $19.67/cwt here — about −$94 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 sale142 hd

331.98

—

MT average3 barns · 1,053 hd

363.37

−31.39

National average34 barns · 3,821 hd

349.37

−17.39

This barn, trailing median16 sales

440.43

−108.46

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	1,724	160.99	2,775	23
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Very Low	1,533	154.51	2,369	39
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,324	151.08	2,001	188
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,172	132.47	1,552	113

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)	1,225	$2,175	18
Bred Cows	1st Stage (1-3 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,313	$1,925	2thin

Every lot, as filed

81 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 1-2	900–950	940	267.50/cwt	267.50–267.50	2,515	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	654	348.67/cwt	347.00–352.50	2,280	45
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	200–250	230	510.00/cwt	510.00–510.00	1,173	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	868	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	2,300	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	772	275.00/cwt	275.00–275.00	2,123	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	562	330.62/cwt	320.00–338.00	1,858	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	411	480.55/cwt	480.00–495.00	1,975	27
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	613	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	1,992	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	600	366.00/cwt	366.00–366.00	2,196	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	519	342.63/cwt	339.00–345.00	1,778	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	513	417.22/cwt	415.00–419.00	2,140	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	327	478.41/cwt	472.50–492.50	1,564	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	376	490.02/cwt	482.50–545.00	1,842	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	440	460.00/cwt	460.00–460.00	2,024	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	526	337.50/cwt	337.50–337.50	1,775	19
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	478	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,673	2
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	555	372.50/cwt	372.50–372.50	2,067	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	487	429.51/cwt	425.00–457.50	2,092	30
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	445	391.39/cwt	385.00–452.50	1,742	39
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	737	327.00/cwt	327.00–327.00	2,410	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	591	330.47/cwt	329.50–330.50	1,953	89
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	315	485.00/cwt	485.00–485.00	1,528	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	489	379.06/cwt	360.00–392.00	1,854	32
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	309	581.94/cwt	565.00–585.00	1,798	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	250–300	280	621.17/cwt	612.50–640.00	1,739	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	400	447.50/cwt	447.50–447.50	1,790	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	750–800	788	281.00/cwt	281.00–281.00	2,214	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,096	224.71/cwt	160.00–272.50	2,463	52
Bulls	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	692	272.50/cwt	272.50–272.50	1,886	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	581	362.50/cwt	362.50–362.50	2,106	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	680	338.93/cwt	334.00–349.00	2,305	57
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	709	291.00/cwt	291.00–291.00	2,063	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	607	315.50/cwt	315.50–315.50	1,915	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	629	368.17/cwt	367.00–372.50	2,316	14
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,317	155.44/cwt	150.00–164.00	2,047	155
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,360	108.66/cwt	102.50–115.00	1,478	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,740	136.00/cwt	136.00–136.00	2,366	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,605	146.79/cwt	143.00–151.00	2,356	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,340	124.00/cwt	124.00–124.00	1,662	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,147	131.43/cwt	112.50–145.00	1,508	48
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,035	166.00/cwt	166.00–166.00	1,718	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,112	79.93/cwt	65.00–87.50	889	9
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,669	147.08/cwt	145.00–148.00	2,455	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,360	132.28/cwt	107.00–150.00	1,799	30
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,578	156.00/cwt	156.00–156.00	2,462	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,717	156.84/cwt	142.00–161.00	2,693	5
Heifers	Large 1	500–550	511	334.00/cwt	334.00–334.00	1,707	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,221	147.35/cwt	141.00–154.00	1,799	48
Bulls	—	—	1,688	153.08/cwt	130.00–172.00	2,584	10
Bulls	—	—	1,773	173.48/cwt	170.00–176.00	3,076	8
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,499	156.88/cwt	153.00–160.00	2,352	29
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,099	100.38/cwt	100.00–102.50	1,103	7
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	888	255.58/cwt	235.00–270.00	2,270	17
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,313	1,925.00/head	1,925.00–1,925.00	1,925	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	978	212.25/cwt	170.00–250.00	2,076	5
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	760	262.50/cwt	262.50–262.50	1,995	1
Heifers	Large 1	600–650	613	311.00/cwt	311.00–311.00	1,906	6
Heifers	Large 1	650–700	683	292.50/cwt	292.50–292.50	1,998	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	475	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	2,043	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	200–250	248	552.50/cwt	552.50–552.50	1,370	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	300–350	300	555.00/cwt	555.00–555.00	1,665	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	950	285.75/cwt	270.00–292.50	2,715	63
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,225	2,175.00/head	2,175.00–2,175.00	2,175	18
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,145	167.29/cwt	162.00–171.00	1,915	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	431	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	1,595	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	727	271.00/cwt	271.00–271.00	1,970	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	600–650	628	292.80/cwt	291.00–300.00	1,839	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	568	351.00/cwt	351.00–351.00	1,994	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	350–400	388	462.50/cwt	462.50–462.50	1,795	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	435	457.50/cwt	457.50–457.50	1,990	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	300–350	348	457.50/cwt	457.50–457.50	1,592	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	250–300	275	542.50/cwt	542.50–542.50	1,492	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	600–650	613	335.33/cwt	332.50–349.00	2,056	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	573	314.33/cwt	313.00–315.00	1,801	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	539	379.79/cwt	350.00–392.00	2,047	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	460	355.00/cwt	355.00–355.00	1,633	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	571	381.63/cwt	365.00–400.00	2,179	64
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	373	449.28/cwt	442.50–477.50	1,676	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	900–950	915	267.52/cwt	265.00–268.00	2,448	26
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	656	297.50/cwt	297.50–297.50	1,952	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	474	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	1,659	11

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 →