Cattle Market Pulse

Miles City Livestock Commission Auction Market Report

Miles City, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, November 15, 2022

3,113 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $213.91/cwt +5.95 vs last sale · ≈ $1,121/hd at 524 lb · 419 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $197.88/cwt -7.39 vs last sale · ≈ $1,134/hd at 573 lb · 329 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $194.12/cwt -4.25 vs last sale · ≈ $1,028/hd at 530 lb · 230 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 3,113 2,325 3,217
Feeder cattle 2,719 1,297 2,222
Slaughter cattle 317 762 701
Replacement cattle 77 266 294

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Steer calves sold generally steady on all weights, with the exception of 500-549 lbs steers which sold mostly 5.00-10.00 higher. Heifer calves all sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. Quality today was mostly average to very attractive and higher overall compared to last week. Demand for cattle to develop into yearlings remains very good with additional buyers noticed this week actively bidding on lightweight calves. Some buyers were willing to buy heavier weight calves this week to develop into yearlings. Buyers took steers up to 550 lbs and heifer up to 535 lbs for this purpose. Demand for heifers to develop into replacements remains very good as a good crowd of ranchers was on hand again this week bidding on high quality heifer offerings. Market activity today was mostly active. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand and offerings. Cow quality was not as attractive this week as last and packers showed lighter demand for limited offerings. Weigh up conditions were also mostly below average this week as most cows were pushing moderate to heavy amounts of fill. The best demand was for short term feeding cows to hold for the upcoming holiday or to turn out on corn stalks in the corn-belt. Short-term feeding cows sold mostly steady to 1.00 lower. High quality feeding cows suitable to feed to premium white sold mostly 2.00-3.00 lower on a much lower quality offering. Slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend as most cows sold as feeding cows this week. Steady to lower undertones were noticed on all slaughter cow offerings. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested this week as most offerings sold to feeding buyers, no trend is available. Young age cows suitable to feed or rebreed sold steady in a narrow comparison.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
314–335 unweaned 316 17 285.00–296.00 $291.22 $920 -1.13
354 354 12 289.00 $289.00 $1,023 —
356–394 unweaned 386 64 255.00–284.00 $260.38 $1,005 -11.39
423–438 unweaned 431 69 235.00–244.75 $243.07 $1,048 -3.33
403–449 434 18 240.00–249.00 $242.45 $1,052 —
450–496 unweaned 471 210 217.00–233.00 $226.14 $1,065 +3.28
503–545 514 45 202.00–215.00 $211.02 $1,085 -0.48
500–547 unweaned 525 374 204.00–223.25 $214.26 $1,125 +8.47
555–588 unweaned 573 329 192.00–203.50 $197.88 $1,134 -7.42
600–643 unweaned 615 119 186.00–195.25 $194.50 $1,196 +2.26
650–678 unweaned 666 24 171.00–180.00 $177.91 $1,185 +7.49
729–730 unweaned 729 35 161.00–168.00 $163.60 $1,193 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
317 317 7 255.00 $255.00 $808 —
370–389 unweaned 382 11 240.00–261.00 $253.61 $969 +4.69
407–448 unweaned 430 24 219.00–234.00 $225.25 $969 -6.09
499 unweaned 499 11 212.00 $212.00 $1,058 —
509–539 unweaned 528 11 185.00–192.50 $189.87 $1,003 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
441 unweaned 441 21 237.50 $237.50 $1,047 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
598 unweaned 598 3 186.00 $186.00 $1,112 -7.50
641 unweaned 641 4 174.50 $174.50 $1,119 +6.11
744 unweaned 744 5 160.00 $160.00 $1,190 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 unweaned 325 4 220.00 $220.00 $715 +5.11
375–383 unweaned 379 37 215.00–225.00 $216.97 $822 —
360–399 388 22 217.00–220.00 $219.24 $851 —
400–431 unweaned 420 57 204.00–219.00 $212.17 $891 +4.31
434 434 13 209.00 $209.00 $907 +10.00
454–492 unweaned 476 180 188.00–208.00 $196.15 $934 +4.62
483 483 3 191.50 $191.50 $925 —
500–540 unweaned 527 171 183.50–195.50 $193.12 $1,018 +1.67
538 538 59 197.00 $197.00 $1,060 -4.45
564–590 unweaned 577 30 166.50–179.00 $171.27 $988 -4.06
578–585 583 134 197.50–211.25 $206.77 $1,205 +22.77
629 unweaned 629 7 164.00 $164.00 $1,032 -5.00
657–673 unweaned 664 47 153.00–161.50 $158.55 $1,053 —
773 773 7 162.00 $162.00 $1,252 -2.00
862 862 12 168.00 $168.00 $1,448 —
908 908 3 153.00 $153.00 $1,389 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
389 unweaned 389 17 202.00 $202.00 $786 —
434 unweaned 434 65 199.00 $199.00 $864 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
317 unweaned 317 3 220.00 $220.00 $697 +17.65
351–399 unweaned 367 29 200.00–213.50 $209.51 $769 +14.94
429 unweaned 429 25 187.00 $187.00 $802 +1.94
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
507 unweaned 507 17 173.50 $173.50 $880 —
578 unweaned 578 4 151.00 $151.00 $873 -13.00
607 unweaned 607 3 155.00 $155.00 $941 —
688 unweaned 688 3 152.00 $152.00 $1,046 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
423 unweaned 423 4 208.00 $208.00 $880 —
470 unweaned 470 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,010 —
510–512 unweaned 512 18 183.00–205.50 $185.25 $948 —
651 unweaned 651 16 152.00 $152.00 $990 —
719 unweaned 719 7 149.50 $149.50 $1,075 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
820 820 85-90% 1 43.00 $43.00 $353 —
955–990 970 85-90% 3 46.00–53.00 $49.69 $482 -12.31
1030–1195 1110 85-90% 3 39.00–44.00 $42.45 $471 —
1140 1140 85-90% 1 64.00 $64.00 $730 +6.02
1005–1305 1179 85-90% 44 52.00–62.00 $59.54 $702 +3.94
1091–1293 1210 85-90% 21 62.50–69.00 $65.09 $788 -0.25
1035–1315 1240 85-90% 19 50.50–59.00 $57.71 $716 -7.63
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1315–1550 1403 80-85% 52 56.50–68.00 $62.32 $874 +3.07
1335–1570 1415 80-85% 3 51.00–59.50 $55.57 $786 -3.68
1286–1580 1421 80-85% 25 67.00–72.25 $70.07 $996 +10.82
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1785 1785 75-80% 1 70.50 $70.50 $1,258 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1263–1920 1555 6 89.00–97.50 $94.15 $1,464 —
1390–2030 1648 6 74.00–84.50 $80.77 $1,331 —
1815 1815 1 86.00 $86.00 $1,561 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
790–1325 902 (<2 yrs)Open 18 80.00–113.00 $105.59 $952
905–1307 1101 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 26 65.00–104.00 $76.11 $838
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1010 1010 (<2 yrs)Open 1 81.00 $81.00 $818

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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.