Miles City Livestock Commission Auction Market Report

Miles City, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, October 10, 2023

2,242 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 4-weight M&L 1 steers $364.23/cwt ≈ $1,530/hd at 420 lb · 133 head

light 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $314.46/cwt ≈ $1,305/hd at 415 lb · 101 head

heavy 3-weight M&L 1 steers $386.89/cwt +36.89 vs last sale · ≈ $1,455/hd at 376 lb · 100 head

Receipts

Head	This sale	Last sale	Last year
Total receipts	2,242	1,435	2,841
Feeder cattle	1,584	978	2,111
Slaughter cattle	427	375	557
Replacement cattle	231	82	173

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to week: Yearling steers were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Steer calves were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Yearling heifers under 750 lbs were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed, yearling heifers over 750 lbs sold mostly 5.00 lower in a narrow comparison. Quality was mostly plain to average for yearlings and mostly average to very attractive for calves. Demand for yearlings was mostly light to moderate, while demand for spring born calves was good to very good. Most calves were in mostly light flesh as grasshoppers were in direct competition for feed this summer. Several ranchers were present bidding on light weight calves suitable to develop into yearlings. Demand for lightweight offerings was very good. CME positions traded mixed today with the nearby through January trading higher and March on out trading lower. The October closed at 248.60, 0.65 lower than last Tuesdays close. The November closed at 250.35, 0.25 lower than last Tuesday. Market activity was mostly active today. Weigh up cows sold on mostly light to moderate demand and offerings. Demand for slaughter cows was lighter again this week as all packers showed lighter demand for cows. Slaughter cows sold steady to 2.00 lower on boning cows lean cows sold 3.00-7.00 lower. Breaking cows were not well tested. Feeding cows sold steady on high quality cows suitable to feed to premium white. Thin feeding or turn out cows sold 5.00-10.00 lower. Cow quality was mostly plain to average this week with many sets of very thin low dressing cows seen. Several independent buyers and ranchers were active in purchasing thin cows this week as packers showed light demand for lean cows. Slaughter bulls sold steady to 2.00 lower on a poorer quality offering. Feeding bulls sold 2.00-4.00 lower as quality was not as attractive this week. Weigh up conditions were mixed this week. Young age cows sold sharply higher this week as several sets of attractive tested open young cows were seen. Demand was good to very good 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
288 unweaned	288	5	395.00	$395.00	$1,138	—
330 unweaned	330	15	377.50	$377.50	$1,246	—
363–388 unweaned	376	100	375.00–398.00	$386.89	$1,455	+36.89
410–440 unweaned	420	133	327.50–378.50	$364.23	$1,530	—
450–486 unweaned	467	51	297.00–333.00	$312.86	$1,461	-0.35
505–544 unweaned	533	69	292.50–305.00	$297.13	$1,584	-5.93
585 unweaned	585	35	287.50	$287.50	$1,682	-5.50
682	682	19	278.00	$278.00	$1,896	-4.50

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
424 unweaned	424	7	323.00	$323.00	$1,370	—
475 unweaned	475	15	257.50	$257.50	$1,223	—
503 unweaned	503	24	297.50	$297.50	$1,496	—
572 unweaned	572	28	268.00	$268.00	$1,533	—

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
274 unweaned	274	5	352.50	$352.50	$966	—
301–335 unweaned	314	27	352.50–362.50	$356.90	$1,121	—
380–395 unweaned	390	19	255.00–347.50	$332.20	$1,296	—
415 unweaned	415	5	325.00	$325.00	$1,349	—
474 unweaned	474	4	287.50	$287.50	$1,363	-7.29
505–522 unweaned	517	7	280.00	$280.00	$1,448	—
924	924	5	218.50	$218.50	$2,019	-16.36

Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
549	549	7	282.00	$282.00	$1,548	—

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
256–288 unweaned	270	13	340.00–355.00	$348.90	$942	—
309–334 unweaned	325	32	335.00–352.50	$344.62	$1,120	+26.62
351–392 unweaned	373	69	317.00–345.00	$328.48	$1,225	+21.48
402–435 unweaned	415	101	290.00–327.50	$314.46	$1,305	—
505–506 unweaned	506	58	271.00–284.00	$280.42	$1,419	+12.42
559 unweaned	559	29	255.00	$255.00	$1,425	+5.00
626	626	62	276.75	$276.75	$1,732	—
702–745	712	49	257.50–267.00	$263.36	$1,875	+2.13
759–793	783	20	242.00–243.00	$242.48	$1,899	-6.52
808–815	811	14	233.00–238.00	$236.08	$1,915	-7.07
860–866	864	37	229.00–230.00	$229.63	$1,984	-7.24
940	940	2	218.00	$218.00	$2,049	-8.00
1036	1036	7	202.00	$202.00	$2,093	—

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
241 unweaned	241	8	320.00	$320.00	$771	—
287–299 unweaned	289	44	297.50–320.00	$310.87	$898	-6.63
363–383 unweaned	371	44	302.50–320.00	$308.73	$1,145	—
463 unweaned	463	9	260.00	$260.00	$1,204	—
620	620	3	266.00	$266.00	$1,649	—
670	670	2	255.00	$255.00	$1,708	—
744	744	4	253.00	$253.00	$1,882	—
811	811	11	224.50	$224.50	$1,821	—

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
394 unweaned	394	9	292.50	$292.50	$1,152	—
414 unweaned	414	9	247.50	$247.50	$1,025	—
498 unweaned	498	9	255.00	$255.00	$1,270	—
539 unweaned	539	18	237.00	$237.00	$1,277	—

Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
572	572	13	264.00	$264.00	$1,510	-11.50
665	665	8	254.00	$254.00	$1,689	+3.00

Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
549	549	7	253.00	$253.00	$1,389	—

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
295 unweaned	295	11	287.50	$287.50	$848	—

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
543 unweaned	543	3	265.00	$265.00	$1,439	—

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
860–965	904	85-90%	5	62.50–74.00	$69.73	$630	—
815–995	931	85-90%	4	76.00–83.00	$80.75	$752	—
1000–1320	1119	85-90%	34	78.00–89.00	$83.59	$935	-12.79
945–1303	1126	85-90%	115	79.50–94.00	$85.73	$965	-10.65
1080–1175	1128	85-90%	2	109.50–111.00	$110.28	$1,244	+13.90
1130	1130	85-90%	1	96.00	$96.00	$1,085	-0.38
1005–1285	1144	85-90%	28	71.00–77.00	$74.80	$856	-21.58
980–1275	1172	85-90%	47	96.00–107.50	$101.38	$1,188	-9.01

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1304–1413	1341	80-85%	15	86.00–98.00	$94.81	$1,271	—
1223–1503	1352	80-85%	46	100.00–110.00	$106.67	$1,442	+1.83
1313–1410	1353	80-85%	9	84.00–97.00	$91.38	$1,236	-13.46
1375–1455	1436	80-85%	8	100.00–110.00	$105.47	$1,515	+12.19
1430–1575	1511	80-85%	4	110.00–111.50	$110.61	$1,671	—

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1260–1885	1490	20	92.00–107.00	$99.65	$1,485	—
1295–1945	1538	8	99.00–106.00	$102.94	$1,583	—
1525–1610	1578	4	106.00–109.00	$107.75	$1,700	-5.51
1490–1970	1765	4	109.00–114.00	$110.79	$1,955	—

↑ Back to top

Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
757–1180	839	(<2 yrs)	Open	78	140.00–206.00	$191.05	$1,603
785–1185	961	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	98	107.00–175.00	$146.23	$1,405
956–1172	1099	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	26	106.50–112.00	$109.39	$1,202

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
797–950	835	(<2 yrs)	Open	4	142.00–160.00	$154.88	$1,293
1245	1245	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	1	104.50	$104.50	$1,301

↑ Back to top

Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
1330	1330	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	5	1,535.00	$1,535.00

↑ Back to top

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.