Sale reports / Montana / Miles City Livestock Commission / 2026-03-10

Miles City Livestock Commission

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Miles City, Montana · Tue, Mar 10
● Final52 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1773
Feeder Cattle receipts
152 head
70 vs last sale 82 196 vs year ago 348 · 56.3%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
75 head
24 vs last sale 99 207 vs year ago 282 · 73.4%
Replacement Cattle receipts
451 head
90 vs last sale 541 373 vs year ago 78 · +478.2%
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week (3-03-26): All feeder cattle were to lightly tested to develop any market trend. Feeder cattle were mostly offered in small packages or as singles this week. Quality was mostly average this week. Buyers struggled to build loads which hindered demand. 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 sold with steady undertones in a very narrow comparison. Cow quality this week was average to attractive. Slaughter cows sold on good demand, however very few cows were purchased for immediate harvest as private feeders kept cow prices over slaughter cow orders. Slaughter bulls sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. Feeding type bulls were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Young age cows were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Several sets of open young cows bring $3,050-3,200 per head this week. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb steers averaged $459.94/cwt on 21 head, up $9.71 from the prior sale. That ranks 3 of 13 comparable sales and sits 26.29 against this barn's trailing median of $486.23.
Average price
$459.94
9.71 vs prior sale
21 head · 554 lb average
Value per head Derived
$2,549
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$58
per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Medium and Large 2
$39.32/cwt at this weight
vs the market
23.41
vs MT average
12.26 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1-2552461.822,55120
Medium and Large 2590422.502,4931thin
One grade step is worth $39.32/cwt here — about $58 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
526493459426median 486.2312/1601/2002/1003/1706/23
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 sale21 hd
459.94
MT average2 barns · 200 hd
483.35
−23.41
National average178 barns · 10,669 hd
472.20
−12.26
This barn, trailing median13 sales
486.23
−26.29
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 · $/cwt
Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.
ClassGradeDressingAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
BullsLow1,763189.663,34350
CowsBreaker 75-80%Low1,670169.822,8368thin
CowsBoner 80-85%High1,351164.412,22112
CowsLean 85-90%Low1,097135.061,4813thin

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 $/cwt figures above.
ClassStageAgeAvg wt$/headHead
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,334$4,998110
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,160$4,81876
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,261$4,35015
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,453$4,05017
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,436$3,9004thin
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Aged (>8 yrs)1,264$3,19450
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,408$3,1007
Bred Heifers3rd Stage (7-9 mo)(<2 yrs)988$4,25054
Bred Heifers2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo)(<2 yrs)964$4,00021
Cow-Calf PairsOpenAged (>8 yrs)1,350$4,1006

Every lot, as filed

52 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.
ClassGrade / descriptionWeightAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
Cow-Calf PairsMedium and Large 1Thin Fleshed1,3504,100.00/head4,100.00–4,100.004,1006
SteersMedium and Large 1650–700653410.00/cwt410.00–410.002,6772
HeifersMedium and Large 1500–550500480.00/cwt480.00–480.002,4001
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth1,2363,000.00/head3,000.00–3,000.003,0005
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1-2Thin Fleshed1,1252,750.00/head2,750.00–2,750.002,75014
SteersMedium and Large 1750–800756372.50/cwt372.50–372.502,81626
BullsMedium and Large 1-2650–700690352.50/cwt352.50–352.502,4321
BullsMedium and Large 1-2750–800753340.00/cwt340.00–340.002,5602
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2700–750721341.24/cwt340.00–345.002,4604
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,098277.06/cwt262.50–300.003,0423
Bred HeifersMedium and Large 19644,000.00/head4,000.00–4,000.004,00021
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2550–600555422.00/cwt422.00–422.002,3427
SteersMedium and Large 1-2550–600576444.94/cwt430.00–450.002,56312
HeifersMedium and Large 1650–700660373.50/cwt373.50–373.502,46511
SteersMedium and Large 1-2650–700668392.00/cwt392.00–392.002,6192
HeifersMedium and Large 1550–600573418.00/cwt418.00–418.002,3953
SteersMedium and Large 1600–650641425.50/cwt425.50–425.502,72726
SteersMedium and Large 1-2400–450403565.00/cwt565.00–565.002,2774
HeifersMedium and Large 2550–600555375.00/cwt375.00–375.002,0811
SteersMedium and Large 2550–600590422.50/cwt422.50–422.502,4931
BullsMedium and Large 1-2550–600569426.50/cwt420.00–440.002,4276
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2500–550545440.00/cwt440.00–440.002,3982
SteersMedium and Large 1-2500–550517487.13/cwt482.50–490.002,5188
Bred CowsMedium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,3323,425.00/head3,425.00–3,425.003,42531
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,3344,998.18/head4,925.00–5,050.004,998110
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,4363,900.00/head3,900.00–3,900.003,9004
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1-21,078205.43/cwt185.00–222.502,2157
Stock CowsMedium and Large 1-2977277.62/cwt250.00–289.002,7124
HeifersMedium and Large 1-2400–450410487.50/cwt487.50–487.501,99911
CowsBreaker 75-80%1,750157.00/cwt157.00–157.002,7481
CowsBreaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,613175.12/cwt174.50–178.002,8255
Bulls1,606183.93/cwt175.00–188.002,95411
Bred CowsMedium 19574,600.00/head4,600.00–4,600.004,6006
HeifersMedium 1400–450433462.50/cwt462.50–462.502,0032
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,2614,350.00/head4,350.00–4,350.004,35015
Bulls1,843193.50/cwt187.00–197.503,56621
BullsReturn to Feed1,501177.45/cwt171.00–185.002,6645
CowsBreaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,773162.96/cwt162.00–164.002,8892
BullsReturn to Feed1,787193.95/cwt192.00–197.003,46610
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,240183.67/cwt181.00–185.002,2783
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,355154.15/cwt142.00–166.502,0893
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,1774,836.20/head4,675.00–5,000.004,83670
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,4083,100.00/head3,100.00–3,100.003,1007
Bred CowsMedium and Large 11,4534,050.00/head4,050.00–4,050.004,05017
Stock CowsMedium and Large 11,064293.36/cwt225.00–310.003,12126
Bred HeifersMedium and Large 19884,250.00/head4,250.00–4,250.004,25054
CowsBoner 80-85%Return to Feed1,436172.99/cwt167.00–178.002,4844
Bulls2,128189.87/cwt185.00–194.504,0403
CowsBoner 80-85%1,305126.00/cwt126.00–126.001,6441
CowsBoner 80-85%1,380141.50/cwt141.50–141.501,9531
CowsLean 85-90%Return to Feed1,030155.00/cwt155.00–155.001,5971
CowsLean 85-90%1,130125.09/cwt115.00–134.001,4142

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.