Cattle Market Pulse

Sterling Livestock Commission Market Report

Sterling, Colorado · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, March 1, 2023

724 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $214.87/cwt +10.86 vs last sale · ≈ $1,414/hd at 658 lb · 93 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 steers $185.23/cwt ≈ $1,495/hd at 807 lb · 56 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $237.47/cwt +17.47 vs last sale · ≈ $1,276/hd at 537 lb · 49 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 724 588 1,348
Feeder cattle 643 544 1,341
Slaughter cattle 37
Replacement cattle 81 7 7

Compared to last week, trade activity moderate on good demand. Feeder steers and heifers too thinly traded to trend. Prices firm on long weaned steers and heifers with 2-3 rounds of shots. Few bred cows sold good on moderate demand. The next available report will be as receipts warrant coverage.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
411–438 416 12 237.50–239.00 $237.76 $989
441 value added 441 18 248.00 $248.00 $1,094
469 value added 469 8 245.00 $245.00 $1,149
481 481 9 235.00 $235.00 $1,130
532 value added 532 33 240.00 $240.00 $1,277
547–548 548 16 230.00–234.00 $232.25 $1,273 +12.25
556–583 567 24 215.00–228.00 $221.51 $1,256 +4.51
604 value added 604 11 233.50 $233.50 $1,410
603–625 610 3 200.00–205.00 $203.29 $1,240 -6.21
652–656 value added 654 68 217.50–220.25 $219.19 $1,434
655–688 670 25 199.00–206.50 $203.11 $1,361 -0.90
730–733 732 19 191.50–196.00 $194.11 $1,421
765–776 773 25 183.00–184.00 $183.72 $1,420
803–817 807 56 184.50–185.50 $185.23 $1,495
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
307 307 5 235.00 $235.00 $721
435 435 3 215.00 $215.00 $935 +7.46
489 489 5 211.00 $211.00 $1,032
580 580 1 192.00 $192.00 $1,114 -6.50
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
544 544 7 192.00 $192.00 $1,044 ±0.00

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
362–394 372 13 221.00–222.00 $221.33 $823
465–490 480 30 210.00–217.00 $213.89 $1,027 -4.75
501 value added 501 18 218.00 $218.00 $1,092
513–541 536 11 200.00–214.00 $202.44 $1,085
593 593 32 195.50 $195.50 $1,159 -2.92
615–621 620 10 181.00–185.50 $185.05 $1,147 +0.62
639 value added 639 27 194.00 $194.00 $1,240
681–698 688 13 181.50–186.00 $183.26 $1,261 -1.74
702–729 711 22 176.50–177.50 $177.17 $1,260 +13.67
755–775 760 8 165.00–177.50 $174.60 $1,327
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
313–329 324 9 212.50 $212.50 $688
398 398 20 215.00 $215.00 $856 +6.00
473 473 4 202.00 $202.00 $955
545 545 1 191.00 $191.00 $1,041 +1.68
598 598 3 181.00 $181.00 $1,082 +7.00
635–646 642 7 176.00–178.00 $177.29 $1,138 +15.29
727 727 5 166.00 $166.00 $1,207
775 775 1 162.00 $162.00 $1,256
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415 415 1 196.00 $196.00 $813
598 598 5 172.00 $172.00 $1,029
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
256 256 4 525.00 $525.00

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Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1132 1132 Young (2-4 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 3 1,360.00 $1,360.00
1203–1250 1212 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 31 1,275.00–1,285.00 $1,283.00
1261 1261 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 21 1,085.00 $1,085.00
1263 1263 Aged (>8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 5 1,085.00 $1,085.00
1269 1269 Aged (>8 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 13 1,085.00 $1,085.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1393 1393 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,400.00 $1,400.00
1600 1600 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,550.00 $1,550.00
1665 1665 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,550.00 $1,550.00

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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.