Miles City Livestock Commission Auction Market Report

Miles City, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, October 3, 2023

1,435 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $269.50/cwt +0.50 vs last sale · ≈ $1,781/hd at 661 lb · 128 head

light 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $261.23/cwt +6.91 vs last sale · ≈ $1,907/hd at 730 lb · 89 head

light 7-weight M&L 1 steers $274.86/cwt +6.86 vs last sale · ≈ $1,977/hd at 719 lb · 85 head

Receipts

Head	This sale	Last sale	Last year
Total receipts	1,435	997	1,412
Feeder cattle	978	809	1,112
Slaughter cattle	375	101	231
Replacement cattle	82	87	69

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to week: Feeder steers were all too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on yearlings under 800 lbs and lower undertones were noticed on yearlings over 800 lbs. Yearling heifers under 850 lbs sold mostly 3.00-5.00 higher. Heifers over 850 lbs were not well compared, however lower undertones were noticed. Demand for both sexes of lightweight yearlings (under 850 lbs) was good to very good as buyers look to market most of these offerings against the April live cattle contract. Most of these consignments were in light flesh as many were coming off grass and out of country disseminated by grasshoppers. Consignments of spring born calves have been slow to come to market. Some late season rains have helped green up pastures and allowed ranchers to keep cows and calves out on grass. Calves sold on mostly moderate demand for light offerings. Not enough steer or heifer calves were seen this week to develop an accurate market trend, steady undertones were noticed. CME positions traded off sharply again today. Feeder cattle contracts closed 4.725 lower on the October to close at 248.60 while the November closed at 250.60, 5.35 lower. Market activity was mostly active today. Weigh up cows sold on mostly moderate demand for light offerings. Demand for slaughter cows was lighter this week as all packers showed lighter demand for cows. Slaughter cows sold 3.00-4.00 lower on all classes in a narrow comparison. Feeding cows sold 3.00-4.00 lower in a narrow comparison. Slaughter bulls sold 4.00-5.00 lower. Weigh up conditions were mixed this week. Young age cows were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, steady undertones were noticed. Good demand was seen for all offerings.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
376 unweaned	376	4	350.00	$350.00	$1,316	—
450–472 unweaned	468	9	311.00–322.50	$313.21	$1,466	—
509–517 unweaned	516	23	301.00–313.00	$303.06	$1,564	—
556 unweaned	556	10	293.00	$293.00	$1,629	—
552–569 thin fleshed	563	8	287.00–290.00	$288.10	$1,622	—
650–684	681	11	282.50	$282.50	$1,924	—
700 thin fleshed	700	11	286.00	$286.00	$2,002	—
717–744	722	74	271.50–275.00	$273.20	$1,973	+5.20
840	840	75	245.50	$245.50	$2,062	-9.54

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
460–465 unweaned	463	2	287.50–302.00	$294.79	$1,365	—
580 unweaned	580	1	283.00	$283.00	$1,641	—
703	703	2	268.00	$268.00	$1,884	+16.00
849	849	5	243.00	$243.00	$2,063	—
910–940	930	3	232.50–236.00	$234.86	$2,184	—

Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
517	517	7	254.00	$254.00	$1,313	—

Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
604	604	4	275.00	$275.00	$1,661	—

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
336 unweaned	336	39	318.00	$318.00	$1,068	-16.00
350 unweaned	350	8	307.00	$307.00	$1,074	—
455–477 unweaned	476	20	282.50–283.00	$282.98	$1,347	—
501 unweaned	501	22	268.00	$268.00	$1,343	—
588 unweaned	588	3	250.00	$250.00	$1,470	—
654–663	661	128	267.50–270.50	$269.50	$1,781	+0.50
711–743	730	89	258.00–264.75	$261.23	$1,907	+16.26
750 thin fleshed	750	8	265.50	$265.50	$1,991	—
752	752	25	249.00	$249.00	$1,872	+12.00
805–835	811	31	235.00–245.50	$243.15	$1,972	+6.99
852–865	852	46	231.00–237.00	$236.87	$2,018	+6.23
908–932	920	62	223.50–232.00	$226.00	$2,079	-3.21

Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
576	576	9	275.50	$275.50	$1,587	—
556–581 thin fleshed	578	34	282.50–284.00	$283.18	$1,637	—
616–644	640	37	266.00–269.50	$266.60	$1,706	—
672	672	10	251.00	$251.00	$1,687	—

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
270 unweaned	270	7	317.50	$317.50	$857	—
314 unweaned	314	9	295.00	$295.00	$926	-10.00
780	780	4	246.00	$246.00	$1,919	+7.78

Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
372 unweaned	372	5	252.50	$252.50	$939	—
791	791	7	236.00	$236.00	$1,867	—

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1092	1092	3	211.00	$211.00	$2,304	—

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
555 unweaned	555	3	290.00	$290.00	$1,610	—

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
878–900	884	85-90%	4	61.00–62.00	$61.25	$541	-6.34
780–913	889	85-90%	10	75.00–87.00	$80.94	$720	+13.35
1070	1070	85-90%	1	78.00	$78.00	$835	-6.00
1017–1340	1092	85-90%	132	78.00–95.00	$87.86	$959	+3.86
1051–1315	1134	85-90%	39	91.00–100.00	$96.38	$1,093	-10.76
1125–1215	1186	85-90%	4	109.50–111.00	$110.39	$1,309	+7.80
1010–1268	1211	85-90%	37	98.00–109.00	$102.86	$1,246	-6.64
1150–1275	1237	85-90%	9	98.00–105.50	$98.86	$1,223	-10.64

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1280–1515	1361	80-85%	15	102.00–110.50	$104.84	$1,427	-6.03
1330–1520	1372	80-85%	35	104.00–110.50	$105.81	$1,452	-5.06
1345–1583	1447	80-85%	10	89.00–95.00	$93.28	$1,350	-8.91
1455	1455	80-85%	1	112.00	$112.00	$1,630	—

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1499–1515	1501	75-80%	7	108.00–109.00	$108.86	$1,634	—
1510	1510	75-80%	2	110.00	$110.00	$1,661	—
1485–1655	1570	75-80%	2	103.00	$103.00	$1,617	—

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1355–1490	1418	4	103.50–105.00	$104.12	$1,476	—
1225–1805	1555	3	113.00–114.00	$113.26	$1,761	—
1555–1905	1809	9	92.50–108.00	$101.63	$1,838	—
1635–1940	1813	4	108.00–113.00	$110.52	$2,004	—

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
896–1055	935	(<2 yrs)	Open	42	147.00–172.00	$158.39	$1,481
850–1213	986	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	32	109.00–153.00	$134.88	$1,330

Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
623	623	(<2 yrs)	Open	2	110.00	$110.00	$685

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
875	875	(<2 yrs)	Open	1	120.00	$120.00	$1,050

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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.