Cattle Market Pulse

Miles City Livestock Commission Auction Market Report

Miles City, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, March 29, 2022

1,346 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Miles City Livestock Commission Auction report →

heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $185.15/cwt +3.09 vs last sale · ≈ $896/hd at 484 lb · 62 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $164.58/cwt -6.42 vs last sale · ≈ $963/hd at 585 lb · 40 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $159.72/cwt -3.44 vs last sale · ≈ $1,059/hd at 663 lb · 39 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,346 1,253 1,433
Feeder cattle 357 773 1,183
Slaughter cattle 424 231 130
Replacement cattle 565 249 120

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers were too lightly tested to establish any market trend. Heifers 450-499 lbs offered the best test this week and these offerings sold steady to 3.00 higher. All other weights of heifers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Quality this week was mixed from plain to attractive, and lower overall compared to last week, which limited demand. Feeders sold on mostly moderate demand for light to moderate offerings. The best demand continues to be for cattle suitable to run on grass. Market activity this week was slow to moderate. Weigh up cows sold on good to very good demand. Feeding buyers were the driving force behind the market this week. Demand for feeding cows was good from both packers and order-buyers. Feeding cows sold mostly steady to 2.00 higher, with the biggest price gain coming from thin, lean cows or poorer quality cows. Slaughter cows sold steady to firm as feeding buyers pushed all offerings higher. Slaughter bulls sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. Weigh up conditions were mixed this week, but overall weigh conditions were poorer this week compared to last. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold on mostly good demand this week. These offerings sold mostly 5.00 higher. Several set of thin coming 2 year old heifers were seen this week and these offerings sold on good demand as most sold to feeding buyers.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
528 528 21 189.00 $189.00 $998 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
378–384 382 6 200.00 $200.00 $764 —
504–509 506 10 181.00–189.00 $184.19 $932 -5.81
600 600 2 166.00 $166.00 $996 —
685 685 3 151.00 $151.00 $1,034 -9.00
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
560 560 3 188.00 $188.00 $1,053 -12.56

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
398 398 8 191.00 $191.00 $760 —
445 445 16 184.00 $184.00 $819 +0.90
461–493 484 62 182.00–186.00 $185.15 $896 +3.09
545 545 3 176.00 $176.00 $959 +2.85
555–587 585 40 164.50–167.00 $164.58 $963 -6.42
602–625 611 5 159.00–160.00 $159.41 $974 -10.77
659–686 663 39 149.00–162.00 $159.72 $1,059 -3.44
793 793 12 142.50 $142.50 $1,130 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
511 511 4 166.00 $166.00 $848 —
570 570 1 158.00 $158.00 $901 -6.49
713–730 726 8 142.00–147.00 $145.77 $1,058 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
770 770 8 143.00 $143.00 $1,101 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1110 1110 3 101.00 $101.00 $1,121 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
75 75 1 485.00 $485.00 +60.00

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
875 875 85-90% 1 63.00 $63.00 $551 —
903–995 946 85-90% 9 68.00–74.00 $70.37 $666 +12.64
1049–1105 1053 85-90% 13 63.00–65.00 $64.84 $683 -2.42
1005–1160 1058 85-90% 16 66.00–78.00 $72.96 $772 +5.70
1005–1220 1129 85-90% 29 67.00–78.00 $74.80 $844 —
1020–1290 1155 85-90% 37 78.00–83.50 $79.74 $921 +1.39
1100–1238 1165 85-90% 72 78.00–84.00 $80.05 $933 +1.70
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1397–1610 1406 75-80% 23 78.50–81.50 $78.65 $1,106 —
1433–1488 1461 75-80% 4 83.50–85.50 $84.52 $1,235 —
1433–1567 1550 75-80% 81 78.50–81.50 $80.02 $1,240 —
1508–1820 1612 75-80% 3 83.00–85.00 $84.25 $1,358 —
1740 1740 75-80% 2 87.00 $87.00 $1,514 —
2007 2007 75-80% 3 77.50 $77.50 $1,555 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1335 1335 80-85% 1 75.00 $75.00 $1,001 -1.34
1226–1685 1340 80-85% 38 77.00–83.50 $81.40 $1,091 +5.06
1325–1450 1367 80-85% 6 85.25–87.50 $86.05 $1,176 +3.72
1370–1413 1399 80-85% 3 85.00 $85.00 $1,189 +13.95
1305–1475 1410 80-85% 5 78.00–84.00 $80.96 $1,142 -4.27
1305–1595 1410 80-85% 10 71.00–77.00 $75.41 $1,063 -9.82

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000–1255 1128 2 82.00 $82.00 $925 —
1230 1230 1 98.00 $98.00 $1,205 —
1372 1372 3 86.00 $86.00 $1,180 —
1450 1450 1 92.00 $92.00 $1,334 —
1340–1770 1506 7 81.00–92.00 $87.00 $1,310 —
1185–1825 1585 4 100.00–106.00 $102.85 $1,630 —
1750–1925 1852 3 113.00–114.00 $113.65 $2,105 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
539–1175 826 (<2 yrs)Open 124 108.00–148.00 $123.64 $1,021
825–1250 1024 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 82 80.00–112.50 $98.17 $1,005
1355 1355 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 82.50 $82.50 $1,118
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
675–1125 791 (<2 yrs)Open 9 81.00–125.00 $107.09 $847
875–970 923 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 75.00–75.50 $75.24 $694

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1020 thin fleshed 1020 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 31 1,075.00 $1,075.00
1110 1110 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 20 910.00 $910.00
1048–1169 1141 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 17 1,350.00–1,375.00 $1,369.59
1270 thin fleshed 1270 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 31 935.00 $935.00
1235–1333 1297 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 43 1,325.00–1,485.00 $1,442.91
1315–1354 1332 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 52 1,185.00–1,275.00 $1,237.51
1420 1420 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,100.00 $1,100.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
963–993 978 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 39 1,175.00–1,275.00 $1,227.05
1079 1079 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 7 1,175.00 $1,175.00
1110 1110 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 1,125.00 $1,125.00
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
903–945 931 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 9 77.00 $77.00 $717
1115 1115 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 15 80.00 $80.00 $892
Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1114 thin fleshed 1114 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 14 910.00 $910.00

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Reading this report

What does "Medium and Large 1" mean?

USDA feeder grades describe frame size and muscle thickness, not quality of the individual animal. "Medium and Large" is the frame score; the number is muscle (1 = heaviest muscled). "Medium and Large 1–2" pens mix both muscle scores — common across the Southeast.

What is $/cwt?

Dollars per hundredweight — per 100 lb of animal. A 500-lb calf at $450/cwt brings 5 × $450 = $2,250. Lighter cattle usually bring more per cwt but less per head.

Why are some prices per head?

Bred cows, cow-calf pairs, and some replacement classes sell by the head, not by weight. We show those exactly as USDA reports them — a $/head figure is never converted into $/cwt on this site.

Where do these numbers come from?

From the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service's Livestock Market News — federal reporters at the sale. We publish each report in full and link the official USDA document at the top of the page.