Sale reports / Montana / Miles City Livestock Commission / 2025-10-14

Miles City Livestock Commission

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · Miles City, Montana · Tue, Oct 14
● Final92 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1773
Feeder Cattle receipts
2,522 head
▲ 567 vs last sale 1,955▼ 1,185 vs year ago 3,707 · −32.0%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
552 head
▲ 283 vs last sale 269▼ 130 vs year ago 682 · −19.1%
Replacement Cattle receipts
337 head
▲ 227 vs last sale 110▲ 197 vs year ago 140 · +140.7%
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Compared to last week: Yearling steers and heifers were too lightly tested develop any market trend. Steer calves all sold 20.00-25.00 higher. Heifer calves sold steady to 10.00 higher on all calves on offer. Demand was mostly good to very good for moderate offerings. A few load lots of calves were seen this sale and demand was good to very good for these offerings. Packages of calves sold on good demand as buyers showed need for calves to fill loads. Quality this week was average to very attractive, but overall not as attractive as last weeks offering. Market activity was mostly active with many order buyers, ranchers and farmer feeders in the stands rapidly bidding on calves. Demand for heifer calves to develop into replacements was very good with several ranchers in the stands bidding on calves. Weigh up cows sold on good to very good demand. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however lower undertones were noticed. Most cows purchased for slaughter were blemished in some way. Cow quality was mostly average this week. Feeding cow demand remains very good with a large pool of feeding buyers actively bidding on offerings. Feeding cows sold mostly steady to 3.00 higher. Slaughter bulls and feeding bulls both sold 2.00-4.00 lower in a narrow comparison. Weigh up conditions were mostly average to above average this week. Demand for all replacement cows was very good. Buyers showed good demand for all ages of cows to return to the country to pregnancy test, or put in a rebreeding program. Young age replacement sold mostly 15.00-20.00 higher. Many sets of 2 coming 3 year old cows this week out sold yearling heifers of the same weight.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb steers averaged $489.09/cwt on 539 head. That ranks 10 of 11 comparable sales and sits +37.51 against this barn's trailing median of $451.58.
Average price
$489.09
539 head · 546 lb average
Value per head Derived
$2,670
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$975
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 2
$181.63/cwt at this weight
vs the market
+14.31
vs MT average
+20.05 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1546491.632,683524
Large 1575434.002,4962thin
Large 1-2547432.502,3669thin
Medium and Large 2551310.001,7084thin
One grade step is worth $181.63/cwt here — about $975 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.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only
This sale539 hd
489.09
—
MT average4 barns · 1,644 hd
474.77
+14.31
National average176 barns · 29,227 hd
469.04
+20.05
This barn, trailing median11 sales
451.58
+37.51
A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

11 sales
526474422371median 451.5803/1003/3109/2910/2011/03
Steers 500–600 lb: high $512.23, low $384.50, median $451.58 across 11 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

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
Bulls—Low1,724178.573,07825
CowsBoner 80-85%Low1,413175.042,473159
CowsLean 85-90%Low1,189167.891,996279
CowsBreaker 75-80%High1,597165.702,64622
Dairy CowsLean 85-90%Average1,005137.501,3821thin

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 Cows1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,140$3,3001thin
Bred Cows1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,370$3,2501thin
Bred Cows1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1,403$2,8504thin
Bred Cows1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)Aged (>8 yrs)1,445$2,6752thin

Every lot

92 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. Grouped by class and set lightest first; USDA files them in sale-ring order.
ClassWeightGrade / descriptionAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
Feeder Cattle · Steers24 lots · lightest first
Steers200–250Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned216700.00/cwt700.00–700.001,5125
Steers250–300Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned250700.00/cwt700.00–700.001,7502
Steers250–300Medium and Large 1Unweaned262740.00/cwt740.00–740.001,9399
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1Unweaned360604.90/cwt585.00–635.002,1789
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned388567.86/cwt557.50–577.502,20312
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned421529.71/cwt510.00–540.002,23037
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1Unweaned428578.60/cwt565.00–590.002,476123
Steers400–450Large 1Unweaned437547.00/cwt547.00–547.002,3903
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1481540.00/cwt540.00–540.002,59719
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1Unweaned481538.03/cwt520.00–572.502,588223
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned484498.69/cwt480.00–515.002,4147
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1Unweaned525508.14/cwt488.00–528.002,668296
Steers500–550Large 1-2Unweaned547432.50/cwt432.50–432.502,3669
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1550488.00/cwt488.00–488.002,68445
Steers550–600Medium and Large 2Unweaned551310.00/cwt310.00–310.001,7084
Steers550–600Large 1Unweaned575434.00/cwt434.00–434.002,4962
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1Unweaned578465.83/cwt431.00–477.502,692183
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned603415.00/cwt415.00–415.002,5024
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1Unweaned621438.10/cwt420.00–447.502,721138
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1Unweaned661408.45/cwt402.00–413.002,70018
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned661390.02/cwt384.00–392.002,5784
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1Unweaned710385.60/cwt385.00–386.002,73815
Steers900–950Medium and Large 1906356.00/cwt356.00–356.003,2258
Steers1000–1050Medium and Large 1-21,025321.00/cwt321.00–321.003,2904
Feeder Cattle · Heifers27 lots · lightest first
Heifers250–300Medium and Large 1Unweaned268545.00/cwt545.00–545.001,46120
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1Unweaned371540.05/cwt530.00–555.002,00422
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned392515.00/cwt515.00–515.002,0193
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1Unweaned427518.69/cwt482.50–530.002,21587
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1430520.00/cwt520.00–520.002,23610
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned430477.15/cwt465.00–482.502,05231
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1Unweaned472483.23/cwt455.00–496.002,281113
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned476442.49/cwt425.00–450.002,10610
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1Replacement489475.00/cwt475.00–475.002,32320
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1Unweaned511449.71/cwt427.50–461.002,298223
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 2Unweaned517350.00/cwt350.00–350.001,8106
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned528420.06/cwt414.00–422.002,21832
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1531450.00/cwt450.00–450.002,39052
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1Replacement532462.00/cwt462.00–462.002,45884
Heifers500–550Large 1Unweaned533414.00/cwt414.00–414.002,2078
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1Unweaned565406.59/cwt377.50–425.002,29790
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned573382.50/cwt382.50–382.502,1923
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1Replacement579443.01/cwt385.00–455.002,56548
Heifers650–700Medium 1687360.00/cwt360.00–360.002,47313
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1780361.86/cwt360.00–362.002,82383
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1-2785333.00/cwt333.00–333.002,6142
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 1896329.00/cwt329.00–329.002,9488
Heifers900–950Medium and Large 1905328.50/cwt328.50–328.502,9737
Heifers950–1000Medium and Large 1983321.81/cwt320.00–327.003,16316
Heifers1000–1050Medium and Large 11,043314.87/cwt312.50–316.003,28411
Heifers1050–1100Large 11,085312.50/cwt312.50–312.503,3911
Heifers1150–1200Large 11,180286.00/cwt286.00–286.003,3751
Feeder Cattle · Bulls6 lots · lightest first
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned348545.00/cwt545.00–545.001,8973
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 1Unweaned413509.00/cwt509.00–509.002,1023
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned448495.00/cwt495.00–495.002,2184
Bulls750–800Medium and Large 1790360.00/cwt360.00–360.002,8441
Bulls950–1000Medium and Large 1955300.00/cwt300.00–300.002,8651
Bulls1050–1100Large 11,080282.50/cwt282.50–282.503,0511
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls5 lots · lightest first
Bulls——Return to Feed1,605185.93/cwt184.00–187.002,9844
Bulls——1,619166.46/cwt155.00–175.002,69510
Bulls——Return to Feed1,625184.00/cwt184.00–184.002,9901
Bulls——1,880199.00/cwt199.00–199.003,7411
Bulls——1,886185.88/cwt178.00–190.003,5069
Slaughter Cattle · Cows19 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%Light Weight872121.13/cwt118.00–122.001,0565
Cows—Lean 85-90%Light Weight945131.00/cwt131.00–131.001,2381
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,005104.00/cwt104.00–104.001,0451
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,117128.35/cwt112.50–133.001,43431
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,147154.72/cwt134.00–165.001,77531
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,165170.70/cwt163.00–176.001,989102
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,263183.47/cwt180.00–186.502,317108
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Non-Traditional1,335192.50/cwt192.50–192.502,5701
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,392163.45/cwt162.00–164.002,2757
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,401138.02/cwt131.00–142.001,9349
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,406181.67/cwt178.50–187.002,55496
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,420152.00/cwt152.00–152.002,1581
Cows—Boner 80-85%Return to Feed1,425174.39/cwt167.00–178.002,48540
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,476146.15/cwt144.00–149.002,1576
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,585155.00/cwt155.00–155.002,4571
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,597164.24/cwt162.00–165.002,62316
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,600152.00/cwt152.00–152.002,4321
Cows—Breaker 75-80%Return to Feed1,603172.00/cwt172.00–172.002,7572
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,855174.00/cwt174.00–174.003,2281
Slaughter Cattle · Dairy Cows1 lot · lightest first
Dairy Cows—Lean 85-90%1,005137.50/cwt137.50–137.501,3821
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows6 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-2894254.77/cwt188.00–320.002,2787
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1952309.29/cwt222.50–377.502,944107
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,037233.79/cwt190.00–285.002,4243
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,055264.24/cwt191.00–300.002,78860
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-2Broken Mouth1,195179.50/cwt179.50–179.502,14521
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,221183.57/cwt180.00–185.002,24113
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows4 lots · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,1403,300.00/head3,300.00–3,300.003,3001
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,3703,250.00/head3,250.00–3,250.003,2501
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,4032,849.82/head2,750.00–2,950.002,8504
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1Broken Mouth1,4452,675.00/head2,675.00–2,675.002,6752

This sale against other markets

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.