Cattle Market Pulse

Sterling Livestock Commission Market Report

Sterling, Colorado · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, December 15, 2021

1,026 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Sterling Livestock Commission report →

heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $179.51/cwt +1.57 vs last sale · ≈ $853/hd at 475 lb · 27 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers $204.71/cwt -8.28 vs last sale · ≈ $946/hd at 462 lb · 22 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $163.00/cwt -10.05 vs last sale · ≈ $893/hd at 548 lb · 16 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,026 2,372 1,148
Feeder cattle 140 2,099 240
Slaughter cattle 280 273 285
Replacement cattle 606 — 623

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last sale: Trade activity and demand was moderate to good. Feeder cattle were too thinly tested to accurately trend. Replacement cattle had no comparisons from last week. Slaughter cows traded unevenly steady to 3.00 lower. Today's run was a cow special, with the majority of the cattle being bred four to six months. Demand for bred cows was good to very good. The next available report will be Wednesday, December 22, 2021.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
393 393 5 205.00 $205.00 $806 —
459–468 462 22 202.50–206.00 $204.71 $946 -4.51
512–538 527 7 189.00–203.00 $194.83 $1,027 -0.40
557 557 3 185.00 $185.00 $1,030 -9.17

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360 360 9 200.00 $200.00 $720 —
441 441 7 193.00 $193.00 $851 +8.62
470–483 475 27 171.00–185.50 $179.51 $853 +1.57
548 548 16 163.00 $163.00 $893 -8.69
582 582 8 158.00 $158.00 $920 -3.37
644 644 5 148.00 $148.00 $953 -17.15
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
572 572 6 141.00 $141.00 $807 -9.97

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1010–1435 1247 80-85% 57 40.00–50.00 $44.59 $556 -10.66
1150–1540 1251 80-85% 21 50.00–60.00 $55.35 $692 —
1108–1553 1317 80-85% 67 51.50–68.00 $59.64 $785 +11.38
1338–1488 1403 80-85% 13 70.50–71.00 $70.76 $993 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
860–1005 908 85-90% 3 62.00 $62.00 $563 —
845–1174 1073 85-90% 9 50.50–56.00 $53.58 $575 —
1018–1170 1103 85-90% 34 41.00–48.00 $42.99 $474 -9.55
1157 1157 85-90% 6 34.50 $34.50 $399 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1514–1832 1649 75-80% 50 54.00–71.00 $63.24 $1,043 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
996 996 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 8 1,575.00 $1,575.00
989–1260 1045 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 110 1,500.00–1,775.00 $1,608.88
1041–1197 fancy 1119 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 10 1,850.00–1,900.00 $1,873.26
1021–1375 1125 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 37 1,475.00–1,750.00 $1,675.11
1029–1253 fancy 1127 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 34 1,850.00–2,500.00 $2,314.07
1157 1157 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 10 1,450.00 $1,450.00
1142–1311 fancy 1247 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 42 1,875.00–2,550.00 $2,115.15
1298 1298 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 8 1,425.00 $1,425.00
1110–1366 1317 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 11 1,125.00–1,225.00 $1,175.97
1319–1483 1371 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 25 885.00–985.00 $925.20
1202–1522 1387 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 52 1,325.00–1,550.00 $1,428.21
1460 1460 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,460.00 $1,460.00
1484–1735 1612 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 11 1,300.00–1,525.00 $1,486.25
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1024–1098 1058 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 14 1,375.00–1,425.00 $1,394.52
1322 1322 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 15 1,225.00 $1,225.00
1192–1458 1355 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 43 700.00–825.00 $751.55
1253–1399 1357 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 7 785.00–810.00 $803.41
1500 1500 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 4 1,000.00 $1,000.00
1628 1628 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 925.00 $925.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1291 1291 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 7 1,025.00 $1,025.00
1311–1325 1316 Aged (>8 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 8 610.00–685.00 $638.31
1347 1347 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 7 675.00 $675.00
Medium 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1025 1025 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 3 1,275.00 $1,275.00
Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1833 1833 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,025.00 $1,025.00
Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1300 1300 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 1 1,300.00 $1,300.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1074 1074 (<2 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 19 1,775.00 $1,775.00

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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.