Name: Miles City Livestock Commission livestock auction prices — 2026-03-03
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-03-03

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week (2-24-26): Feeder steers were to lightly tested to develop any market trend. Feeder heifers 450-499 lbs heifers offered the best test this week selling generally steady. All other weights of heifers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Feeder cattle were mostly offered in small packages or as singles this week with barely enough feeders to build a single load. Quality was mostly average this week. Market activity was moderate to active despite light offerings. Weigh up cows sold on good demand for light offerings. Feeding cow buyers showed good demand for all cows which would feed. Feeding cows and slaughter cows were too lightly tested last week to develop any market comparison. A single load of fed cows was on offer this week. Packers pushed these offerings as far as their slaughter tickets allowed before passing. These cows were purchased by a private buyer to blend on fed cow loads to send to slaughter. Cow quality this week was average to attractive. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop a full market comparison, however higher undertones were noticed. Feeding type bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Young age cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive. A large offering of bred cows and heifers was on offer for todays sale. Demand was very good for light to moderate offerings. Record high prices were seen for aged broken mouth cows as this class topped $4,450/head for a set of 8-12 year old cows.

Weight class

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb heifers averaged $405.00/cwt on 4 head, down $58.11 from the prior sale. That ranks 2 of 16 comparable sales and sits −35.43 against this barn's trailing median of $440.43.

Average price

$405.00

▼ 58.11 vs prior sale

4 head · 594 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,406

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

—

single grade reported

vs the market

−43.24

vs MT average

−15.96 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1-2	594	405.00	2,406	4thin

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 sale4 hd

405.00

—

MT average3 barns · 625 hd

448.24

−43.24

National average181 barns · 13,944 hd

420.96

−15.96

This barn, trailing median16 sales

440.43

−35.43

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	1,664	181.16	3,015	17
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	Average	1,725	168.00	2,898	30
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	High	1,658	167.52	2,777	7thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,445	166.60	2,408	25
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,161	150.08	1,743	19

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	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,189	$5,292	179
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,333	$5,235	44
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1,474	$4,315	42
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,413	$4,055	126
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,088	$3,100	3thin
Bred Cows	2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,203	$2,800	3thin
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,378	$2,750	2thin
Bred Cows	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	1,518	$2,650	2thin
Bred Heifers	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	(<2 yrs)	967	$4,372	96

Every lot, as filed

44 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	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,455	180.00/cwt	180.00–180.00	2,619	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,210	123.35/cwt	122.50–125.00	1,493	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,445	144.00/cwt	144.00–144.00	2,081	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,088	3,100.00/head	3,100.00–3,100.00	3,100	3
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	550–600	550	465.00/cwt	465.00–465.00	2,558	1
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,378	2,750.00/head	2,750.00–2,750.00	2,750	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	449	525.00/cwt	525.00–525.00	2,357	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	485	495.64/cwt	490.00–500.00	2,404	35
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	—	1,725	168.00/cwt	168.00–168.00	2,898	30
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,855	158.00/cwt	158.00–158.00	2,931	1
Cows	Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed	—	1,659	166.93/cwt	162.00–171.00	2,769	5
Bred Heifers	Medium and Large 1	—	1,082	4,422.99/head	4,300.00–4,500.00	4,423	37
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth	—	1,413	4,054.89/head	3,650.00–4,450.00	4,055	126
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,192	5,332.45/head	4,750.00–5,400.00	5,332	171
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,141	266.21/cwt	259.00–272.50	3,037	12
Steers	Medium and Large 2	700–750	733	367.50/cwt	367.50–367.50	2,694	3
Stock Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,061	254.67/cwt	237.50–277.50	2,702	5
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,497	4,374.59/head	4,150.00–4,450.00	4,375	38
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	580	462.50/cwt	462.50–462.50	2,683	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	670	418.73/cwt	417.50–420.00	2,805	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,193	4,150.00/head	4,150.00–4,150.00	4,150	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,340	5,286.47/head	4,800.00–5,400.00	5,286	42
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,398	127.44/cwt	125.00–130.00	1,782	2
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,575	184.19/cwt	183.00–186.00	2,901	3
Bulls	—Light Weight	—	1,370	155.00/cwt	155.00–155.00	2,124	1
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,167	150.88/cwt	143.00–160.00	1,761	9
Bulls	—	—	1,766	194.73/cwt	190.00–200.00	3,439	7
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,398	153.58/cwt	144.00–163.00	2,147	2
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,123	134.79/cwt	132.50–137.50	1,514	2
Bulls	—	—	1,577	158.59/cwt	155.00–165.00	2,501	3
Bulls	—Return to Feed	—	1,700	177.76/cwt	175.00–180.00	3,022	3
Cows	Lean 85-90%Return to Feed	—	1,137	170.79/cwt	170.00–171.00	1,942	5
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,470	172.02/cwt	167.00–175.00	2,529	18
Cows	Boner 80-85%Return to Feed	—	1,318	181.26/cwt	180.00–182.50	2,389	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth	—	1,203	2,800.00/head	2,800.00–2,800.00	2,800	3
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,126	4,425.00/head	4,425.00–4,425.00	4,425	8
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1-2	—	1,254	3,750.00/head	3,750.00–3,750.00	3,750	4
Steers	Medium 1	550–600	595	457.50/cwt	457.50–457.50	2,722	4
Bred Heifers	Medium 1	—	895	4,340.19/head	4,150.00–4,400.00	4,340	59
Bulls	Large 1-2	700–750	723	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	2,531	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	594	405.00/cwt	405.00–405.00	2,406	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	460	485.00/cwt	485.00–485.00	2,231	1
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	665	366.00/cwt	366.00–366.00	2,434	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,518	2,650.00/head	2,650.00–2,650.00	2,650	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 →