Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2026-01-27
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-01-27

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week (1-20-26): Feeder cattle were all too lightly tested either this week or last week to develop a full market trend, however steady to firm undertones were noticed on both sexes. Demand for all feeders was good to very good on light to moderate offerings. Demand for light weight cattle suitable to develop into yearlings was mostly very good this week. Quality this week was overall more attractive than last weeks sale. Most cattle were offered in smaller groups this week with no full load lots on offer. Quality this sale was mostly average to attractive. Market activity was mostly active this week with a slightly large buyer pool noticed compared to last week. Weigh up cows sold on moderate to good demand for light to moderate offerings. Feeding demand continues to remain strong. Feeding cows sold steady to 5.00 higher with additional feeding buyers noticed this week. The largest price increases on feeding cows was from lower yielding and slightly blemished cows as some feeding buyers were willing to take blemished cows to feed this week. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on all offerings. Packers and feeding buyers bid aggressively on slightly blemished cows this week as packers showed need for cows for immediate harvest due to a Midwest snow storm and lighter available offerings. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to higher undertones were noticed. Young age cows sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. Quality was mostly average this week.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $502.30/cwt on 98 head, up $12.62 from the prior sale. That ranks 12 of 13 comparable sales and sits +16.06 against this barn's trailing median of $486.23.

Average price

$502.30

▲ 12.62 vs prior sale

98 head · 535 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,687

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$238

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

$70.01/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+10.04

vs MT average

+18.20 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	532	508.01	2,704	90
Medium and Large 1-2	563	438.00	2,466	8thin

One grade step is worth $70.01/cwt here — about $238 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 300–400 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 sale98 hd

502.30

—

MT average3 barns · 532 hd

492.25

+10.04

National average63 barns · 7,974 hd

484.10

+18.20

This barn, trailing median13 sales

486.23

+16.06

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	1,771	167.55	2,967	13
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,525	160.49	2,448	6thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,368	159.62	2,184	15
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Average	994	124.74	1,240	18

Every lot, as filed

62 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	650–700	678	390.50/cwt	390.50–390.50	2,648	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	562	420.82/cwt	412.50–425.00	2,365	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	343	570.00/cwt	570.00–570.00	1,955	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	563	438.00/cwt	438.00–438.00	2,466	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	750–800	750	352.50/cwt	352.50–352.50	2,644	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	530	514.00/cwt	514.00–514.00	2,724	71
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	658	424.11/cwt	415.00–425.00	2,791	103
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	561	462.16/cwt	460.00–471.00	2,593	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	700–750	741	372.00/cwt	372.00–372.00	2,757	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	380	484.77/cwt	482.50–485.00	1,842	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	461	503.80/cwt	480.00–530.00	2,323	46
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	422	552.50/cwt	552.50–552.50	2,332	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	524	455.00/cwt	455.00–455.00	2,384	28
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	410	590.00/cwt	590.00–590.00	2,419	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	340	571.00/cwt	571.00–571.00	1,941	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	538	425.00/cwt	425.00–425.00	2,287	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	418	555.00/cwt	555.00–555.00	2,320	22
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	550–600	564	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	2,256	6
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	750–800	770	327.50/cwt	327.50–327.50	2,522	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Full	400–450	433	460.00/cwt	460.00–460.00	1,992	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	456	583.80/cwt	578.00–588.00	2,662	55
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	438	605.00/cwt	605.00–605.00	2,650	28
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	629	435.05/cwt	432.00–438.50	2,736	23
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	519	511.72/cwt	510.00–517.50	2,656	9
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	500–550	523	495.00/cwt	495.00–495.00	2,589	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,073	156.86/cwt	155.00–159.00	1,683	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	960	85.00/cwt	85.00–85.00	816	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	895	118.65/cwt	105.00–121.00	1,062	7
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,750	161.28/cwt	157.50–165.00	2,822	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,035	85.00/cwt	85.00–85.00	880	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,374	168.56/cwt	160.00–172.00	2,316	5
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,888	174.48/cwt	174.00–175.00	3,294	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,005	139.64/cwt	137.50–142.50	1,403	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,105	167.50/cwt	167.50–167.50	1,851	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,550	169.00/cwt	169.00–169.00	2,620	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,415	147.50/cwt	147.50–147.50	2,087	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,430	161.00/cwt	161.00–161.00	2,302	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,005	132.50/cwt	132.50–132.50	1,332	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,308	147.30/cwt	125.00–159.00	1,927	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,295	105.00/cwt	105.00–105.00	1,360	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,905	182.52/cwt	182.00–183.00	3,477	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,183	106.06/cwt	105.00–107.00	1,255	2
Bulls	—	—	1,701	151.84/cwt	134.00–170.00	2,583	5
Heifers	Large 1	700–750	714	342.00/cwt	342.00–342.00	2,442	11
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,235	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	1,853	1
Bulls	—	—	1,898	185.00/cwt	184.00–186.00	3,511	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,110	142.50/cwt	142.50–142.50	1,582	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,403	165.95/cwt	165.50–166.50	2,328	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,444	173.26/cwt	173.00–174.00	2,502	4
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,180	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	2,183	1
Steers	Medium 1-2	300–350	325	510.00/cwt	510.00–510.00	1,658	3
Bulls	Medium 1-2	350–400	398	510.00/cwt	510.00–510.00	2,030	8
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	890	265.00/cwt	265.00–265.00	2,359	1
Stock Cows	Medium 1	—	760	292.50/cwt	292.50–292.50	2,223	1
Stock Cows	Medium 1-2	—	1,000	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	1,850	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	569	426.00/cwt	426.00–426.00	2,424	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	357	642.50/cwt	642.50–642.50	2,294	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fleshy	800–850	813	322.00/cwt	322.00–322.00	2,618	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,043	244.64/cwt	200.00–290.00	2,552	9
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	853	297.06/cwt	284.00–314.00	2,534	15
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,296	185.42/cwt	175.00–190.00	2,403	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	612	441.00/cwt	441.00–441.00	2,699	23

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 →