Miles City Livestock Commission Auction Market Report

Miles City, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, March 17, 2026

1,490 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $366.05/cwt ≈ $2,785/hd at 761 lb · 234 head

light 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $368.85/cwt ≈ $2,660/hd at 721 lb · 154 head

heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $437.97/cwt +27.97 vs last sale · ≈ $2,917/hd at 666 lb · 117 head

Receipts

Head	This sale	Last sale	Last year
Total receipts	1,490	678	2,273
Feeder cattle	1,348	152	1,829
Slaughter cattle	74	75	190
Replacement cattle	68	451	254

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week (3-10-26): All feeder cattle were to lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on all steers and steady to higher undertones were noticed on feeder heifer under 650 lbs. Heifers over 650 lbs were too lightly tested to develop any market trend. Feeder cattle were offered in mostly moderate size packages this week with a few load lots of replacement quality heifers seen. Quality was mostly average to very attractive this week. Demand was mostly good this sale and stronger than the last couple weeks. CME positions have moved sharply higher over the last couple days and buyers responded positively as they showed stronger demand for feeder cattle. Replacement heifer demand was mostly good, however a smaller crowd was on hand for todays sale and some ranchers are slightly concerned about drought conditions. Eastern Montana received limited snowfall with the latest winter storm this past weekend and with record warmth forecasted for this week, drought concerns weigh on local ranchers minds. Replacement heifers sold with lower undertones compared to the last few feeder specials. Market activity was moderate to active this week. Weigh up cows sold on moderate to good demand for light offerings. Feeding cow buyers showed good demand for all cows which would feed. Feeding cows sold steady to firm in a very narrow comparison. Cow quality this week was mostly average. Slaughter cows sold on good demand, however very few cows were purchased for immediate harvest as private feeders kept cow prices over slaughter cow orders Slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Slaughter bulls sold generally steady in a narrow comparison. Feeding type bulls were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed. Young age cows were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed. Quality this week was mostly average.

▲ Feeder cattle: CME positions have moved sharply higher over the last couple days and buyers responded positively as they showed stronger demand for feeder cattle
▲ Feeder heifers: however higher undertones were noticed on all steers and steady to higher undertones were noticed on feeder heifer under 650 lbs
→ Slaughter bulls: Slaughter bulls sold generally steady in a narrow comparison
→ Slaughter cows: however very few cows were purchased for immediate harvest as private feeders kept cow prices over slaughter cow orders Slaughter cows were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend

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
473	473	6	535.00	$535.00	$2,531	—
548	548	11	486.00	$486.00	$2,663	—
550	550	5	460.00	$460.00	$2,530	—
561	561	22	497.00	$497.00	$2,788	—
600–648	634	99	439.00–458.00	$446.73	$2,832	+21.23
656–695	666	117	416.00–446.00	$437.97	$2,917	+27.97
717–725	717	41	390.00–418.00	$417.31	$2,992	—
755	755	7	380.00	$380.00	$2,869	+7.50
806–840	836	31	355.50–367.00	$356.93	$2,984	—

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
337 unweaned	337	3	500.00	$500.00	$1,685	—
385 unweaned	385	6	515.00–530.00	$520.00	$2,002	—
450–475	462	3	510.00–520.00	$516.68	$2,387	—
505–538	531	5	483.00–510.00	$488.13	$2,592	+1.00
559 thin fleshed	559	29	490.00	$490.00	$2,739	—
557–592	577	18	442.50–470.00	$457.67	$2,641	+12.73
622–645	639	33	415.00–435.50	$429.80	$2,746	—
650–680	667	25	385.00–415.00	$410.21	$2,736	+18.21
700	700	1	386.00	$386.00	$2,702	—

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
471	471	11	475.00	$475.00	$2,237	—
557	557	10	335.00	$335.00	$1,866	-87.50

Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
375	375	5	435.00	$435.00	$1,631	—

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
458–483	478	14	472.00–522.50	$482.38	$2,306	—
525–547	533	94	466.00–477.50	$475.49	$2,534	-4.51
608–633	621	76	409.00–420.00	$414.42	$2,574	—
653–697	680	60	372.00–389.00	$380.18	$2,585	+6.68
706–741	718	114	351.00–381.00	$373.17	$2,679	—
700–742	730	40	349.00–359.00	$356.54	$2,603	—
758–760	760	218	366.00–370.00	$366.93	$2,789	—
771–778	772	16	350.00–355.00	$354.06	$2,733	—
820	820	29	352.00	$352.00	$2,886	—
842	842	3	319.00	$319.00	$2,686	—
865	865	2	320.00	$320.00	$2,768	—

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
454	454	35	447.50	$447.50	$2,032	—
578	578	2	401.00	$401.00	$2,318	-21.00
634	634	4	387.00	$387.00	$2,454	—
717	717	9	345.00	$345.00	$2,474	+3.76
772	772	6	322.50	$322.50	$2,490	—

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	Δ last sale
804–845	825	20	2,800.00–2,825.00	$2,812.81	—
934	934	10	2,825.00	$2,825.00	—

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
506	506	12	320.00	$320.00	$1,619	—
564	564	14	382.00	$382.00	$2,154	+7.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
383	383	3	525.00	$525.00	$2,011	—
519	519	7	480.00	$480.00	$2,491	—
627	627	3	395.00	$395.00	$2,477	—
988	988	3	310.00	$310.00	$3,063	—

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
590	590	7	355.00	$355.00	$2,094	—

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1145	1145	1	245.00	$245.00	$2,805	—
1165	1165	1	250.00	$250.00	$2,912	—

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	Δ last sale
95	95	1	1,100.00	$1,100.00	—

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1565–1600	1583	75-80%	2	160.00–163.00	$161.48	$2,556	—
1625	1625	75-80%	1	169.00	$169.00	$2,746	-6.12
1340–1845	1648	75-80%	16	172.00–180.00	$178.61	$2,943	+3.49
1770–1835	1803	75-80%	2	164.00–165.00	$164.49	$2,966	—

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
890	890	85-90%	1	132.50	$132.50	$1,179	—
950	950	85-90%	1	100.00	$100.00	$950	—
995	995	85-90%	1	155.00	$155.00	$1,542	—
1023–1135	1051	85-90%	4	116.00–133.00	$120.59	$1,267	—
1105–1205	1155	85-90%	2	143.00–145.00	$143.96	$1,663	—
1250	1250	85-90%	1	172.00	$172.00	$2,150	—
1275	1275	85-90%	1	180.00	$180.00	$2,295	—
1345	1345	85-90%	1	95.00	$95.00	$1,278	—

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1270	1270	80-85%	1	145.00	$145.00	$1,842	—
1355	1355	80-85%	2	181.00	$181.00	$2,453	+26.85
1320–1660	1468	80-85%	6	167.00–178.00	$172.70	$2,535	—
1660	1660	80-85%	1	155.00	$155.00	$2,573	—

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1500	1500	1	150.00	$150.00	$2,250	-27.45
1585–1595	1590	3	164.00–185.00	$177.98	$2,830	—
1725	1725	1	185.00	$185.00	$3,191	—
1805	1805	1	192.00	$192.00	$3,466	—
1795–2395	2003	6	193.00–197.00	$195.25	$3,911	—

YG2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1575–2120	1848	2	190.00–195.00	$192.87	$3,564	—

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
955–1065	994	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	4	290.00–304.00	$299.53	$2,977
1040–1235	1137	(<2 yrs)	Open	15	220.00–305.00	$269.12	$3,060
1238	1238	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	2	192.00	$192.00	$2,377

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
870–1270	1048	(<2 yrs)	Open	3	190.00–285.00	$245.04	$2,568
965–1275	1100	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	8	207.50–250.00	$227.34	$2,501

Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
800	800	(<2 yrs)	Open	2	282.50	$282.50	$2,260

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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.