Sterling Livestock Commission Market Report

Sterling, Colorado · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, October 4, 2023

1,516 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1-2 steers $264.40/cwt ≈ $1,629/hd at 616 lb · 123 head

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $283.41/cwt ≈ $1,649/hd at 582 lb · 86 head

light 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $295.23/cwt ≈ $1,512/hd at 512 lb · 84 head

Receipts

Head	This sale	Last sale	Last year
Total receipts	1,516	639	1,042
Feeder cattle	1,516	639	1,042

Market comments — USDA reporter

No comparable trends available on feeder steers and heifers as this market was last covered in early September. This week trade activity and demand were moderate. Today's supply comprised of yearling steers and heifers coming off grass and calves coming straight off the cow. Next available report will be as receipts warrant coverage. Supply included: 100% Feeder Cattle ( 63% Steers, 29% Heifers, 7% Dairy Heifers, 1% Bulls)

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
444 unweaned	444	6	307.50	$307.50	$1,365	—
469–490 unweaned	487	24	309.00–312.50	$309.56	$1,508	—
500–547 unweaned	512	84	271.00–306.00	$295.23	$1,512	—
554–580 unweaned	573	78	258.00–288.00	$281.02	$1,610	—
601–635 unweaned	616	123	235.00–280.00	$264.40	$1,629	—
656–694 unweaned	675	42	231.00–256.00	$243.74	$1,645	—
881	881	7	236.00	$236.00	$2,079	—
974	974	22	239.00	$239.00	$2,328	—

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
374 unweaned	374	16	367.50	$367.50	$1,374	—
409 unweaned	409	13	362.50	$362.50	$1,483	—
461 unweaned	461	21	325.00	$325.00	$1,498	—
521–548 unweaned	535	23	272.50–301.00	$285.77	$1,529	—
561–598 unweaned	582	86	271.00–290.50	$283.41	$1,649	—
618–630 unweaned	622	27	260.00–276.00	$273.12	$1,699	—
651–676 unweaned	658	50	241.00–265.00	$260.16	$1,712	—
731 unweaned	731	10	246.00	$246.00	$1,798	—
845	845	30	243.00	$243.00	$2,053	-10.60
915–944	918	60	242.00–244.00	$242.24	$2,224	—
1103	1103	5	198.00	$198.00	$2,184	—

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
300–343 unweaned	325	7	315.00	$315.00	$1,024	—
394	394	4	312.00	$312.00	$1,229	—
438 unweaned	438	7	310.00	$310.00	$1,358	—
440	440	7	299.00	$299.00	$1,316	—
540 unweaned	540	12	266.00	$266.00	$1,436	—
613–630	624	11	266.00–268.00	$267.29	$1,668	+20.29
843	843	18	232.00	$232.00	$1,956	—
902–949	922	37	182.50–230.00	$203.63	$1,877	—

Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
619 unweaned	619	8	242.00	$242.00	$1,498	—
718 unweaned	718	10	225.00	$225.00	$1,616	—

Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
785	785	3	212.50	$212.50	$1,668	—
970	970	4	200.00	$200.00	$1,940	—

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
319–338 unweaned	332	13	320.00–335.00	$330.57	$1,097	—
371–397 unweaned	392	22	296.00–311.00	$308.42	$1,209	—
419–436 unweaned	431	31	310.00–318.00	$312.26	$1,346	—
477 unweaned	477	9	280.00	$280.00	$1,336	—
506–526 unweaned	511	32	262.50–267.00	$264.89	$1,354	—
578–582 unweaned	581	32	265.00	$265.00	$1,540	—
609–635 unweaned	618	35	242.50–266.00	$256.06	$1,582	—
970	970	11	218.00	$218.00	$2,115	-8.00
1059	1059	4	218.50	$218.50	$2,314	—

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
355 unweaned	355	4	292.00	$292.00	$1,037	—
478 unweaned	478	18	291.00	$291.00	$1,391	—
501–545 unweaned	520	76	252.50–278.00	$263.84	$1,372	—
553–570 unweaned	557	31	260.50–263.00	$260.89	$1,453	—
629–641 unweaned	633	15	235.00–237.50	$235.84	$1,493	—
791	791	6	218.00	$218.00	$1,724	—
1015	1015	2	217.50	$217.50	$2,208	—

Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
571 unweaned	571	10	255.00	$255.00	$1,456	—
608 unweaned	608	12	256.00	$256.00	$1,556	—

Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
489 unweaned	489	5	246.00	$246.00	$1,203	—
534 unweaned	534	4	247.00	$247.00	$1,319	—
613 unweaned	613	4	220.00	$220.00	$1,349	—
846	846	6	198.00	$198.00	$1,675	—

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
464 unweaned	464	4	270.00	$270.00	$1,253	—
482	482	3	272.50	$272.50	$1,313	—

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1025	1025	12	179.50	$179.50	$1,840	—
1229	1229	8	161.00	$161.00	$1,979	—

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Dairy Heifers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1022	1022	6	155.00	$155.00	$1,584	—
1075	1075	4	154.00	$154.00	$1,656	—
1107	1107	6	156.00	$156.00	$1,727	—
1151	1151	6	154.00	$154.00	$1,773	—
1204–1218	1210	7	157.00–170.00	$164.39	$1,989	—
1269	1269	5	156.50	$156.50	$1,986	-3.50
1308	1308	4	158.00	$158.00	$2,067	—
1370	1370	4	168.00	$168.00	$2,302	—

Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
799	799	6	189.00	$189.00	$1,510	—
1071	1071	7	169.00	$169.00	$1,810	—

Large 4 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	Δ last sale
384	384	12	270.00	$270.00	—

Small 4 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
767	767	6	73.00	$73.00	$560	—
817	817	5	85.00	$85.00	$694	—

Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
744	744	6	214.50	$214.50	$1,596	—
910	910	3	162.00	$162.00	$1,474	—

Large 3-4 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1018	1018	4	150.00	$150.00	$1,527	—

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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.