Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2026-02-17
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-02-17

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week (2-10-26): All feeder cattle were to lightly tested to develop an accurate marker trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Packages this week were very small and fewer buyers were in the stands. Just over 250 head of feeders were offered this week. Demand was moderate on light offerings. Demand for light weight cattle suitable to develop into yearlings continues to offer the strongest demand. Quality this week was mostly average. CME positions moved higher into the close with most contracts showing strong 4.00 and higher movement on the current through August contracts. Market activity was mostly moderate this week. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good demand for light offerings. Feeding demand continues to drive the cow market as buyers all showed very good demand for high quality cows to feed. Feeding cows sold 4.00-7.00 higher. Buyers showed very good demand for thin cows with quick compensatory gain. Cow quality this week was average to attractive and overall more attractive than last weeks offering. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, as most cows were purchased to feed this sale; even cows with slight blemishes sold to feeding buyers this week. Slaughter cows sold with steady undertones in a narrow comparison. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to firm undertones were noticed. Feeding type bulls sold with steady undertones in a very narrow comparison. Young age cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed. Quality this week was mostly average.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $435.53/cwt on 88 head, down $23.07 from the prior sale. That ranks 5 of 16 comparable sales and sits −4.90 against this barn's trailing median of $440.43.

Average price

$435.53

▼ 23.07 vs prior sale

88 head · 566 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,465

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

—

single grade reported

vs the market

−7.30

vs MT average

+6.36 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	566	435.53	2,465	88

Only one grade was reported at this weight, so there is no spread to compute.

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 sale88 hd

435.53

—

MT average3 barns · 452 hd

442.82

−7.30

National average184 barns · 15,729 hd

429.17

+6.36

This barn, trailing median16 sales

440.43

−4.90

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	1,746	177.56	3,100	12
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,549	176.55	2,735	76
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,403	171.97	2,412	23
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,113	165.89	1,846	88

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)	1,662	$3,725	9
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,450	$3,225	11

Every lot, as filed

50 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 1-2	350–400	394	547.35/cwt	537.50–550.00	2,157	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	578	447.44/cwt	445.00–451.00	2,586	19
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	439	550.67/cwt	532.50–572.50	2,417	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	478	511.81/cwt	507.50–515.00	2,446	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	631	379.26/cwt	375.00–385.00	2,393	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	476	487.00/cwt	487.00–487.00	2,318	14
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	509	467.00/cwt	467.00–467.00	2,377	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	618	447.00/cwt	447.00–447.00	2,762	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	636	390.74/cwt	390.00–398.00	2,485	32
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	467	482.50/cwt	482.50–482.50	2,253	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	300–350	320	627.50/cwt	627.50–627.50	2,008	4
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	700–750	746	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	2,425	5
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,040	210.00/cwt	210.00–210.00	2,184	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	893	285.00/cwt	285.00–285.00	2,545	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,187	220.64/cwt	192.50–225.00	2,619	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	577	457.82/cwt	455.00–460.00	2,642	7
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	368	650.00/cwt	650.00–650.00	2,392	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	575	430.56/cwt	403.50–455.00	2,476	76
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	600–650	600	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	2,310	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,544	177.12/cwt	176.50–181.50	2,735	71
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,127	157.41/cwt	147.50–164.00	1,774	6
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,295	178.00/cwt	178.00–178.00	2,305	8
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,404	172.48/cwt	165.00–177.50	2,422	9
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,325	163.00/cwt	163.00–163.00	2,160	1
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,335	125.00/cwt	125.00–125.00	1,669	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,172	129.10/cwt	125.00–132.50	1,513	6
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,485	148.00/cwt	148.00–148.00	2,198	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,088	175.38/cwt	169.50–178.00	1,908	61
Cows	Lean 85-90%Light Weight	—	948	114.94/cwt	112.50–120.00	1,090	3
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,624	168.43/cwt	165.00–175.00	2,735	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,130	89.56/cwt	85.00–95.00	1,012	2
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,310	142.50/cwt	142.50–142.50	1,867	1
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,723	174.14/cwt	172.00–177.00	3,000	4
Bulls	—	—	1,588	159.98/cwt	145.00–175.00	2,540	2
Bulls	—	—	1,904	185.51/cwt	184.00–187.00	3,532	4
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,633	186.08/cwt	184.00–188.00	3,039	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,140	116.53/cwt	115.00–118.00	1,328	2
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,040	207.17/cwt	183.00–242.50	2,155	2
Heifers	Medium 1	250–300	298	537.50/cwt	537.50–537.50	1,602	6
Steers	Medium 1	300–350	306	650.00/cwt	650.00–650.00	1,989	5
Steers	Medium 1	750–800	777	337.50/cwt	337.50–337.50	2,622	9
Bulls	Medium 1	450–500	479	475.19/cwt	467.50–487.50	2,276	15
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,417	182.46/cwt	179.00–185.00	2,585	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	441	487.50/cwt	487.50–487.50	2,150	5
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	975	298.53/cwt	292.50–304.00	2,911	20
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,450	3,225.00/head	3,225.00–3,225.00	3,225	11
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,662	3,725.00/head	3,725.00–3,725.00	3,725	9
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,415	185.00/cwt	185.00–185.00	2,618	1
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 2	—	935	220.00/cwt	220.00–220.00	2,057	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	645	415.00/cwt	415.00–415.00	2,677	2

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 →