Cattle Market Pulse

Sterling Livestock Commission Market Report

Sterling, Colorado · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, May 10, 2023

952 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $190.56/cwt -10.65 vs last sale · ≈ $1,498/hd at 786 lb · 76 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 steers $225.37/cwt +5.43 vs last sale · ≈ $1,629/hd at 723 lb · 52 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $241.80/cwt +14.07 vs last sale · ≈ $1,258/hd at 520 lb · 39 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 952 1,993 944
Feeder cattle 849 1,533 855
Slaughter cattle 281
Replacement cattle 103 179 89

Compared to last sale: No trend is available as the last sale for this market was four weeks ago. Trade activity and demand were good. Today's run consisted of mostly weaned calves and yearling cattle with at least two rounds of vaccinations. Slaughter cattle were not reported due to reporter availability. 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
366 366 4 272.50 $272.50 $997
515–527 520 27 252.50–264.00 $261.27 $1,359 -2.38
597 597 7 251.00 $251.00 $1,498 +2.78
620–639 637 10 239.00–243.00 $239.39 $1,525 -2.87
688–693 691 5 235.00–237.50 $236.00 $1,631 -7.27
701–727 723 52 225.00–227.50 $225.37 $1,629 +5.43
760–769 763 13 210.50–212.00 $210.97 $1,610 +4.48
805–826 823 7 199.00–200.00 $199.86 $1,645 +2.22
865–885 883 31 194.00–196.00 $194.19 $1,715 +15.73
913 913 26 185.25 $185.25 $1,691
961 961 32 187.00 $187.00 $1,797 +17.00
1149 1149 15 164.50 $164.50 $1,890
1395 1395 6 145.00 $145.00 $2,023
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
446 446 9 258.00 $258.00 $1,151 +12.16
472 472 15 258.00 $258.00 $1,218 +6.61
508–535 524 5 246.00–249.00 $247.84 $1,299 -8.34
580 580 3 240.00 $240.00 $1,392 +2.54
755–760 758 2 179.00–182.00 $180.50 $1,368

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 275 2 245.00 $245.00 $674
444 value added 444 16 251.00 $251.00 $1,114
447 447 18 233.00 $233.00 $1,042 -0.33
515–540 518 20 222.00–237.00 $235.43 $1,220 +7.70
523 value added 523 19 248.50 $248.50 $1,300
564–594 580 38 216.00–229.00 $220.86 $1,281 +2.57
630 630 5 212.00 $212.00 $1,336 -5.82
661 661 18 206.00 $206.00 $1,362 -8.01
754–796 786 76 189.00–195.50 $190.56 $1,498 -10.65
801 801 7 189.00 $189.00 $1,514
885 885 13 184.50 $184.50 $1,633
953 953 9 172.00 $172.00 $1,639
1122 1122 13 158.50 $158.50 $1,778
1218 1218 16 156.50 $156.50 $1,906
1273 1273 15 153.50 $153.50 $1,954
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370 370 3 222.00 $222.00 $821 -7.88
414 unweaned 414 6 190.00 $190.00 $787
425–445 432 6 220.00–222.50 $220.86 $954 -5.39
510–545 517 10 202.00–212.50 $209.30 $1,082 +2.73
571–598 581 7 194.00–200.00 $198.24 $1,152 +1.29
601–635 612 6 195.00–202.00 $199.58 $1,221 -2.92
670 670 1 198.00 $198.00 $1,327 -0.62
709 709 13 189.00–196.50 $194.19 $1,377 +0.19
777 777 33 181.50 $181.50 $1,410
800 800 2 170.00 $170.00 $1,360
935 935 26 166.00 $166.00 $1,552
953 953 1 162.00 $162.00 $1,544
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
318 318 5 475.00 $475.00

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1137–1275 1229 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 9 1,650.00–1,850.00 $1,788.32
1327 1327 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 3 1,550.00 $1,550.00
1345–1419 1410 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 8 1,375.00–1,425.00 $1,380.96
1444 1444 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 9 1,510.00 $1,510.00
1608 1608 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 4 1,410.00 $1,410.00

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Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1175–1550 1281 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 11 2,325.00–2,600.00 $2,479.88
1202–1680 1281 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 19 1,800.00–2,150.00 $1,944.71
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1168–1615 1211 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 15 1,450.00–2,000.00 $1,638.88 -131.96
1195–1372 1251 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 11 1,000.00–1,400.00 $1,199.51 -501.66

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Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
802 802 5 137.00 $137.00 $1,099
898 898 2 140.00 $140.00 $1,257
1008–1036 1034 13 140.00–141.00 $140.08 $1,448
1055 1055 2 140.50 $140.50 $1,482
1147 1147 2 146.50 $146.50 $1,680
1168–1173 1169 11 140.50–141.50 $141.32 $1,652
1213 1213 2 140.00 $140.00 $1,698

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Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
980–1233 1053 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 7 1,725.00–1,850.00 $1,810.68

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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.