Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2025-12-16
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2025-12-16

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 yearling cattle was mostly moderate to good. Demand continues to improve as CME positions continue to inch higher. 550-599 lbs feeder steers offered the best test this week, selling mostly 25.00-35.00 higher. All other weights of steers were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however sharply higher undertones were noticed. Feeder heifers were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher to sharply higher undertones were noticed. Quality this week was mixed from plain to attractive with a wide range of quality and breeds represented. Group sizes were small to moderate this week, with many singles noticed. Demand for attractive offerings was mostly very good, while plain to average quality offerings sold on mostly moderate to good demand. CME positions traded higher today with all contracts January through September 2026 up over 2.00 higher. Offerings were light. Market activity was mostly moderate to active this week with a significantly larger buyer pool noticed for the last sale of the year. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good demand for light to moderate offerings. Feeding cow demand improved slightly this week as additional buyers were present buying feeding cows this week. Feeding cows sold mostly 3.00-5.00 higher with the largest price increases seen on lower yielding offerings. Slaughter cows sold 3.00-4.00 higher on breaking and boning cows, lean cows sold steady to 3.00 higher. Demand for slaughter cows was mostly moderate. Cow quality this week was mostly average to attractive. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Lighter demand from feeding bull buyers was seen this week. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on light to moderate demand. Too few young cows were seen this week to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Quality was mostly plain to average again this week.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $440.01/cwt on 171 head. That ranks 1 of 13 comparable sales and sits −46.23 against this barn's trailing median of $486.23.

Average price

$440.01

171 head · 557 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,452

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$1,336

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium 2-3

$211.20/cwt at this weight

vs the market

−0.01

vs MT average

−4.09 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	566	461.20	2,608	130
Large 1	564	445.00	2,510	4thin
Medium and Large 1-2	540	438.77	2,369	20
Medium and Large 2-3	518	330.00	1,709	6thin
Medium 2-3	509	250.00	1,273	11thin

One grade step is worth $211.20/cwt here — about $1,336 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

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 sale171 hd

440.01

—

MT average4 barns · 585 hd

440.02

−0.01

National average163 barns · 16,063 hd

444.10

−4.09

This barn, trailing median13 sales

486.23

−46.23

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	1,712	160.10	2,740	13
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,585	158.50	2,512	20
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Low	1,362	156.63	2,133	48
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Very Low	1,131	135.60	1,534	57
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,285	111.00	1,426	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 Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,513	$2,600	2thin
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,398	$2,500	8

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
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,119	88.03/cwt	72.50–100.00	985	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,270	132.50/cwt	132.50–132.50	1,683	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1Full	550–600	597	414.00/cwt	414.00–414.00	2,472	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,170	111.91/cwt	102.50–127.50	1,309	12
Steers	Large 1-2	800–850	806	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	2,015	4
Steers	Large 1	550–600	564	445.00/cwt	445.00–445.00	2,510	4
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,570	158.48/cwt	152.00–161.00	2,488	14
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,780	148.84/cwt	146.00–152.00	2,649	2
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,539	163.38/cwt	158.00–165.00	2,514	4
Heifers	Large 1	500–550	536	352.50/cwt	352.50–352.50	1,889	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	828	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	2,567	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	451	484.00/cwt	484.00–484.00	2,183	29
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	574	457.51/cwt	435.00–467.50	2,626	105
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	413	502.50/cwt	502.50–502.50	2,075	16
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	521	485.24/cwt	483.00–500.00	2,528	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	479	534.57/cwt	507.50–542.50	2,561	45
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	568	352.50/cwt	352.50–352.50	2,002	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	608	351.00/cwt	351.00–351.00	2,134	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	656	403.00/cwt	403.00–403.00	2,644	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	562	355.33/cwt	355.00–357.50	1,997	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	335	620.00/cwt	620.00–620.00	2,077	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	387	567.54/cwt	562.50–570.00	2,196	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	417	552.48/cwt	540.00–555.00	2,304	10
Bulls	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	597	362.50/cwt	362.50–362.50	2,164	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	630	322.00/cwt	322.00–322.00	2,029	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	474	380.37/cwt	363.00–385.00	1,803	12
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	333	452.18/cwt	447.50–460.00	1,506	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	420	445.15/cwt	440.00–453.00	1,870	34
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	584	414.62/cwt	407.50–430.00	2,421	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	448	487.50/cwt	487.50–487.50	2,184	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	558	341.00/cwt	341.00–341.00	1,903	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	678	349.80/cwt	345.00–353.00	2,372	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	386	447.42/cwt	430.00–455.00	1,727	24
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	476	477.90/cwt	475.00–487.50	2,275	22
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	300–350	325	600.00/cwt	600.00–600.00	1,950	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	450–500	495	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	2,228	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	605	402.50/cwt	402.50–402.50	2,435	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	379	550.49/cwt	550.00–552.50	2,086	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	521	449.12/cwt	440.00–455.00	2,340	14
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,165	168.18/cwt	167.00–171.00	1,959	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	950	85.00/cwt	85.00–85.00	808	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	1,075	105.00/cwt	105.00–105.00	1,129	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	970	143.00/cwt	143.00–143.00	1,387	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	935	117.50/cwt	117.50–117.50	1,099	1
Dairy Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,285	111.00/cwt	111.00–111.00	1,426	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,140	158.41/cwt	147.00–166.00	1,806	15
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,093	138.54/cwt	115.00–152.50	1,514	10
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,395	147.13/cwt	134.00–155.00	2,052	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,342	168.09/cwt	168.00–169.50	2,256	16
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,373	164.81/cwt	157.00–168.00	2,263	18
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,298	118.23/cwt	115.00–122.00	1,535	4
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,320	90.00/cwt	90.00–90.00	1,188	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,453	134.63/cwt	132.00–138.00	1,956	2
Bulls	—	—	1,325	153.00/cwt	153.00–153.00	2,027	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,830	167.00/cwt	167.00–167.00	3,056	1
Bulls	—	—	1,704	158.32/cwt	152.00–168.00	2,698	9
Bulls	—	—	1,880	168.24/cwt	167.00–169.50	3,163	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	946	268.60/cwt	220.00–292.50	2,541	17
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,398	2,500.00/head	2,500.00–2,500.00	2,500	8
Steers	Medium 2-3	500–550	509	250.00/cwt	250.00–250.00	1,273	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 2-3	400–450	417	312.50/cwt	312.50–312.50	1,303	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2-3	500–550	518	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	1,709	6
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,021	216.26/cwt	180.00–245.00	2,208	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	954	242.08/cwt	230.00–271.00	2,309	4
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,513	2,600.00/head	2,600.00–2,600.00	2,600	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,116	199.74/cwt	180.00–227.50	2,229	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	450–500	472	376.55/cwt	370.00–385.00	1,777	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	400–450	449	407.50/cwt	407.50–407.50	1,830	5
Steers	Medium and Large 2	800–850	825	305.00/cwt	305.00–305.00	2,516	3
Steers	Medium and Large 2	750–800	797	323.50/cwt	323.50–323.50	2,578	31
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	370	370.00/cwt	370.00–370.00	1,369	4
Steers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	704	312.50/cwt	312.50–312.50	2,200	7

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 →