Cattle Market Sterling Livestock Commission Market Report
Sterling, Colorado · USDA-reported Auction Livestock
Sale of Wednesday, November 4, 20201,456 head sold ·Official USDA report
This is an archived report. See the latest Sterling Livestock Commission report →
Receipts
| Head | This sale | Last sale | Last year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total receipts | 1,456 | 2,074 | 2,184 |
| Feeder cattle | 1,446 | 2,051 | 2,081 |
| Replacement cattle | 10 | 23 | 103 |
Market comments — USDA reporter
New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓
Feeder Steers
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 400–404 | 401 | 19 | 180.00–191.00 | $188.67 | $757 | +14.78 |
| 450–486 | 483 | 92 | 166.00–177.00 | $174.57 | $843 | +3.06 |
| 510–542 | 534 | 115 | 154.50–165.50 | $158.44 | $846 | +0.70 |
| 551–597 | 584 | 261 | 146.00–157.00 | $150.82 | $881 | +4.92 |
| 608–643 | 620 | 36 | 144.50–146.00 | $145.44 | $902 | +4.54 |
| 647 | 647 | 63 | 148.50 | $148.50 | $961 | — |
| 660 | 660 | 8 | 147.00 | $147.00 | $970 | -6.91 |
| 663–690 | 667 | 47 | 140.50–144.00 | $141.62 | $945 | +6.18 |
| 723 | 723 | 36 | 143.50 | $143.50 | $1,038 | -9.66 |
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 355–385 | 359 | 12 | 170.00–180.00 | $179.09 | $643 | +3.09 |
| 420–435 | 428 | 6 | 165.00–171.00 | $168.05 | $719 | — |
| 452–496 | 486 | 69 | 156.00–163.50 | $160.33 | $779 | +0.53 |
| 547 | 547 | 8 | 142.00–144.00 | $142.75 | $781 | -6.65 |
| 550–596 | 591 | 25 | 139.00–145.00 | $144.08 | $852 | +3.28 |
| 608 | 608 | 6 | 145.50 | $145.50 | $885 | — |
| 652–675 | 653 | 23 | 135.00–135.50 | $135.48 | $885 | — |
| 662–691 | 675 | 26 | 141.25–143.50 | $142.31 | $961 | +3.05 |
| 735 | 735 | 10 | 130.50 | $130.50 | $959 | — |
| 760 | 760 | 5 | 136.00 | $136.00 | $1,034 | — |
Feeder Heifers
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 438 | 438 | 5 | 147.00 | $147.00 | $644 | +7.60 |
| 470–493 | 485 | 50 | 142.00–150.25 | $144.97 | $703 | +6.97 |
| 519–548 | 530 | 48 | 137.50–139.00 | $138.04 | $732 | +2.80 |
| 552–596 | 573 | 112 | 129.00–139.25 | $137.16 | $786 | +7.89 |
| 605–642 | 631 | 32 | 132.00–139.00 | $134.75 | $850 | — |
| 700–730 | 715 | 18 | 129.50–131.50 | $130.52 | $933 | — |
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 310–321 | 319 | 5 | 155.00 | $155.00 | $494 | — |
| 377–399 | 384 | 18 | 146.00–154.00 | $147.35 | $566 | +4.32 |
| 403–439 | 428 | 13 | 137.00–143.00 | $141.36 | $605 | — |
| 458–466 | 464 | 37 | 135.00–136.00 | $135.27 | $628 | +4.28 |
| 531–549 | 545 | 61 | 129.00–134.50 | $131.84 | $719 | +3.18 |
| 551–598 | 592 | 30 | 124.00–126.00 | $125.21 | $741 | +0.77 |
| 622 | 622 | 8 | 122.00 | $122.00 | $759 | +0.50 |
| 717 | 717 | 9 | 116.00 | $116.00 | $832 | — |
Bred Cows
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Age | Stage | Head | Price range | Avg $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1308–1620 | 1412 | Middle Aged (5-8 yrs) | 1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) | 3 | 800.00–985.00 | $870.75 |
Cow-Calf Pairs
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Age | Stage | Head | Price range | Avg $ | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1298–1720 | 1439 | Middle Aged (5-8 yrs) | Open | 3 | 1,300.00–1,325.00 | $1,309.96 | — |
| 1545 | 1545 | Aged (>8 yrs) | Open | 2 | 850.00 | $850.00 | — |
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.
Compared to last week: Feeder steers under 650 pounds traded steady to 14.00 higher, mostly 3.00 to 5.00 higher. Feeder steers over 650 pounds traded unevenly steady on a thin test. Feeder heifers under 600 pounds traded 2.50 to 8.00 higher, while heifers over 600 pounds did not have comparisons to accurately trend. Replacement cattle were too thinly tested for a trend this week. Slaughter cattle were not reported due to reporter availability. Trade activity and demand were moderate to good. The next available report will be Wednesday, November 11, 2020.