Miles City Livestock Commission Auction Market Report

Miles City, Montana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, March 31, 2026

1,312 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 8-weight M&L 1 steers $375.46/cwt ≈ $3,090/hd at 823 lb · 123 head

light 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $371.03/cwt ≈ $2,747/hd at 740 lb · 118 head

light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $410.38/cwt +11.38 vs last sale · ≈ $2,594/hd at 632 lb · 89 head

Receipts

Head	This sale	Last sale	Last year
Total receipts	1,312	412	876
Feeder cattle	937	118	609
Slaughter cattle	265	212	144
Replacement cattle	110	82	123

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week (3-24-26): All feeder cattle were to lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Demand for feeder cattle was mostly good to very good. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive and significantly higher than last weeks offering. Feeders were mostly offered in moderate size packages this week, with a few load lots on offer as well. CME positions moved higher all last week and continued to push higher today with all contracts posting strong gains. A larger crowd was on hand for todays sale as quality and the volume of feeders drew a larger crowd. Several ranchers were present today bidding on both replacement heifers and steers suitable to go to grass. Market activity was active this week, with stronger demand and more buyers. Rapid bidding was seen as a result. Weigh up cows sold on good demand for light to moderate offerings. A large offering of fed cows was seen this week. Demand for fed cows was good as packers bid against each other on several sets of very attractive fed cows. Premium white cows sold fully steady on a slightly lower yielding offering noticed this week. Feeding cow buyers showed good demand for all cows which would feed. Feeding cows sold fully steady. Slaughter cows sold on good demand. Slaughter cows sold with steady undertones in a narrow comparison. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on a higher yielding offering. Feeding type bulls were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed on a lower quality offering. Young age cows were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however steady to higher undertones were noticed. Quality this week was mostly average to attractive.

→ Feeder cattle: All feeder cattle were to lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend
→ Feeder heifers: Several ranchers were present today bidding on both replacement heifers and steers suitable to go to grass
→ Feeder steers: Several ranchers were present today bidding on both replacement heifers and steers suitable to go to grass
→ Slaughter bulls: Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend
→ Slaughter cows: Slaughter cows sold with steady undertones 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 $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
526	526	6	542.00	$542.00	$2,851	—
555–572	565	14	487.50–512.50	$495.45	$2,799	—
600–643	626	55	459.00–490.00	$471.60	$2,952	—
662–675	663	63	432.50–459.00	$456.55	$3,027	+54.55
711–742	733	64	401.50–424.00	$409.41	$3,001	—
800–830	823	123	370.00–380.00	$375.46	$3,090	—
865–882	880	24	337.50–350.00	$339.04	$2,984	—

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
455	455	1	502.50	$502.50	$2,286	—
505–517	511	6	502.50–507.50	$504.97	$2,580	—
554	554	7	462.50	$462.50	$2,562	—
602–615	605	4	427.50–445.00	$440.55	$2,665	+16.63
680–692	686	6	417.50	$417.50	$2,864	+23.83
816–820	817	6	357.50–360.00	$357.92	$2,924	—

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
500–545	536	32	475.00–480.00	$477.50	$2,559	—
550–597	596	56	417.00–440.00	$417.38	$2,488	—
619–644	632	89	404.00–417.00	$410.38	$2,594	+11.38
661	661	25	387.50	$387.50	$2,561	—
728	728	14	362.50	$362.50	$2,639	—
721–749	742	104	371.00–380.00	$372.18	$2,762	—
754–776	770	45	343.00–350.00	$344.98	$2,656	—
833	833	74	363.00	$363.00	$3,024	—

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
458	458	6	502.50	$502.50	$2,301	—
504	504	4	457.50	$457.50	$2,306	—
576	576	18	432.50	$432.50	$2,491	—
681	681	4	349.00	$349.00	$2,377	—

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Slaughter Cows

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1501–1657	1571	65-75%	20	164.00–170.50	$167.08	$2,625	—
1842–1993	1881	65-75%	105	171.00–174.00	$173.65	$3,266	—
2025	2025	65-75%	1	164.00	$164.00	$3,321	—
2096	2096	65-75%	19	173.00	$173.00	$3,626	—
2205	2205	65-75%	1	141.00	$141.00	$3,109	—

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1280–1405	1343	80-85%	2	162.00	$162.00	$2,176	—
1310–1435	1373	80-85%	3	150.00–164.00	$155.19	$2,131	-19.44
1375–1485	1427	80-85%	4	145.00–155.00	$152.16	$2,171	-8.75
1400–1485	1443	80-85%	2	112.50–115.00	$113.71	$1,641	—
1260–1614	1505	80-85%	41	174.00–181.00	$176.13	$2,651	—
1420–1615	1518	80-85%	2	135.00–144.00	$139.21	$2,113	—

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1338–1480	1348	75-80%	14	182.00–186.50	$186.15	$2,509	—
1530	1530	75-80%	1	145.00	$145.00	$2,218	-16.08
1523–1540	1532	75-80%	4	172.00–175.00	$172.75	$2,647	+11.67
1635	1635	75-80%	1	165.50	$165.50	$2,706	—
1515–1870	1640	75-80%	5	149.00–161.00	$154.30	$2,531	—
1750	1750	75-80%	1	163.00	$163.00	$2,852	—

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
995–1225	1110	85-90%	2	137.00–155.00	$145.07	$1,610	—
1085–1215	1143	85-90%	3	170.00–174.00	$171.92	$1,965	—
1210	1210	85-90%	1	115.00	$115.00	$1,392	-22.02
1190–1260	1225	85-90%	2	182.50	$182.50	$2,236	+45.48
1090–1375	1237	85-90%	3	105.00	$105.00	$1,299	-32.02
1295	1295	85-90%	1	152.00	$152.00	$1,968	—

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1280–1670	1523	3	164.00–185.00	$177.05	$2,696	—
1265–1910	1528	6	164.00–192.50	$182.91	$2,795	—
1740	1740	1	199.00	$199.00	$3,463	—
1590–2050	1806	9	199.00–209.00	$202.62	$3,659	-1.38
2025–2195	2094	6	210.00–218.00	$214.84	$4,499	—

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
956–1277	1085	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	30	207.50–337.50	$279.88	$3,037
845–1197	1089	(<2 yrs)	Open	49	240.00–342.50	$279.42	$3,043

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
848–925	874	(<2 yrs)	Open	3	277.00–312.50	$289.53	$2,530
935–1317	1222	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	4	195.00–312.50	$217.49	$2,658

Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
695–760	747	(<2 yrs)	Open	5	320.00–342.50	$338.31	$2,527

Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
753	753	(<2 yrs)	Open	2	300.00	$300.00	$2,259

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
1063–1068	1066	(<2 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	12	4,050.00	$4,050.00

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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.