Cattle Market Pulse

Sterling Livestock Commission Market Report

Sterling, Colorado · USDA-reported Auction Livestock · usually sells Wednesdays

Sale of Wednesday, October 21, 2026

1,718 head sold ·Official USDA report · Price history in the app

light 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $453.19/cwt +23.42 vs last sale · ≈ $2,429/hd at 536 lb · 146 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $380.49/cwt +7.02 vs last sale · ≈ $2,146/hd at 564 lb · 109 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $376.11/cwt -11.04 vs last sale · ≈ $2,558/hd at 680 lb · 88 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,718 1,267 1,684
Feeder cattle 1,718 1,267 1,684

Market comments — USDA reporter

Trade activity and demand was good. Feeder steers and heifers traded mostly 2.00 to 10.00 higher with a few high quality steers and heifers sharply higher. Most calves were preconditioned and coming off the cow. Next available report will be Wednesday, October 28, 2026.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355–385 370 4 585.00–590.00 $587.40 $2,173 —
405 405 3 555.00 $555.00 $2,248 —
471 unweaned 471 5 497.50 $497.50 $2,343 —
452–480 477 81 497.50–504.50 $503.68 $2,403 +13.68
508–545 unweaned 536 146 445.00–456.50 $453.19 $2,429 +23.42
581 unweaned 581 22 423.00 $423.00 $2,458 +10.93
601–618 unweaned 609 72 400.00–405.50 $403.71 $2,459 +11.97
650–695 unweaned 680 88 370.00–383.00 $376.11 $2,558 -11.04
710–748 unweaned 734 27 344.00–349.00 $345.84 $2,538 +9.84
758 unweaned 758 4 340.00 $340.00 $2,577 —
813 813 6 321.00 $321.00 $2,610 —
932 932 7 291.00 $291.00 $2,712 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
379 379 13 605.00 $605.00 $2,293 +25.00
415–416 416 37 561.00–576.00 $565.45 $2,352 —
509–515 unweaned 511 58 480.00–485.00 $482.34 $2,465 +9.34
554 unweaned 554 26 434.00–440.00 $436.31 $2,417 +20.31
612 unweaned 612 43 420.00 $420.00 $2,570 +7.00
854 unweaned 854 27 328.00 $328.00 $2,801 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
449 449 5 477.50 $477.50 $2,144 —
456–484 466 11 475.00 $475.00 $2,214 —
521–528 unweaned 524 14 438.00–442.50 $439.94 $2,305 —
555–599 unweaned 580 48 405.00–409.00 $407.00 $2,361 +3.00
633 unweaned 633 14 387.00 $387.00 $2,450 +18.07
676–693 unweaned 691 43 355.00–368.00 $366.75 $2,534 -5.96
732–740 unweaned 738 14 324.00–332.50 $328.31 $2,423 —
763–778 unweaned 773 9 322.50–325.00 $323.32 $2,499 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
381 381 17 435.00 $435.00 $1,657 —
482 482 8 425.00 $425.00 $2,048 —
584 584 7 370.00 $370.00 $2,161 —
698 unweaned 698 6 315.00 $315.00 $2,199 —
797 unweaned 797 10 304.00 $304.00 $2,423 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
462–496 481 7 452.50–457.50 $454.56 $2,186 —
534 unweaned 534 6 422.50 $422.50 $2,256 —
624 624 6 373.00 $373.00 $2,328 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
392 392 3 415.00 $415.00 $1,627 —
472 472 11 410.00 $410.00 $1,935 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
268 268 12 2,100.00 $2,100.00 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385–395 386 31 470.00 $470.00 $1,814 +37.50
421–423 422 13 432.50–435.00 $433.66 $1,830 +4.40
483 483 20 409.00 $409.00 $1,975 -1.00
504 unweaned 504 74 407.00 $407.00 $2,051 —
551–587 unweaned 564 109 371.00–387.00 $380.49 $2,146 +7.02
628–635 unweaned 633 9 332.50–333.00 $332.83 $2,107 -15.80
653–691 unweaned 677 42 326.00–335.00 $330.65 $2,239 +7.36
864 864 6 320.00 $320.00 $2,765 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310 310 11 502.50 $502.50 $1,558 +7.50
355 355 4 495.00 $495.00 $1,757 —
434 434 59 448.00 $448.00 $1,944 +10.50
512 unweaned 512 19 427.00 $427.00 $2,186 +20.20
621 unweaned 621 23 366.00 $366.00 $2,273 +6.45
663 unweaned 663 32 351.00 $351.00 $2,327 -0.98
771 unweaned 771 25 319.00 $319.00 $2,459 —
1090 1090 8 290.00 $290.00 $3,161 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
458–492 481 9 392.50–402.50 $395.68 $1,903 +15.68
487 unweaned 487 9 388.00 $388.00 $1,890 —
519 519 6 369.00 $369.00 $1,915 —
536–548 unweaned 540 34 360.00–372.50 $367.22 $1,983 -5.46
557 557 6 355.00 $355.00 $1,977 —
558–592 unweaned 580 25 347.00–357.50 $350.59 $2,033 -9.41
652 652 12 332.50 $332.50 $2,168 —
668 unweaned 668 3 315.00 $315.00 $2,104 —
841 unweaned 841 9 289.00 $289.00 $2,430 —
995 995 4 247.00 $247.00 $2,458 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
515 unweaned 515 7 355.00 $355.00 $1,828 —
616 unweaned 616 7 312.50 $312.50 $1,925 —
798 unweaned 798 3 287.50 $287.50 $2,294 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
286 286 12 1,550.00 $1,550.00 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
495 495 6 330.00 $330.00 $1,634 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
658 unweaned 658 3 285.00 $285.00 $1,875 —

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Price trend

high 480.76 low 371.00 Oct 2025 Oct 2026

600–649 lb Medium and Large 1 steers — head-weighted average $/cwt by sale date, last 12 months.

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.

← Previous sale (Oct 14, 2026)

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