Cattle Market Pulse

Sterling Livestock Commission Market Report

Sterling, Colorado · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, October 11, 2023

1,780 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 9-weight M&L 1 heifers $224.39/cwt ≈ $2,109/hd at 940 lb · 200 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $268.02/cwt -5.10 vs last sale · ≈ $1,650/hd at 616 lb · 167 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $280.62/cwt -2.79 vs last sale · ≈ $1,622/hd at 578 lb · 95 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,780 1,516 1,474
Feeder cattle 1,780 1,516 1,474

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
313 unweaned 313 5 362.50 $362.50 $1,135
391 unweaned 391 5 368.00 $368.00 $1,439 +0.50
409–439 unweaned 422 26 352.50–354.00 $353.34 $1,491 -9.16
450 unweaned 450 5 360.00 $360.00 $1,620 +35.00
504–544 unweaned 528 65 263.00–290.00 $277.47 $1,465 -8.30
561–599 unweaned 578 95 260.00–290.00 $280.62 $1,622 -2.79
605–648 unweaned 615 163 252.50–280.00 $268.40 $1,651 -4.72
640 640 4 252.50 $252.50 $1,616
651–690 unweaned 681 49 250.00–261.00 $255.24 $1,738 -4.92
701–740 unweaned 719 88 241.00–256.00 $252.63 $1,816 +6.63
759–794 unweaned 768 31 245.00–252.50 $250.50 $1,924
784 784 40 266.50 $266.50 $2,089
901–927 907 70 222.50–248.00 $245.74 $2,229 +3.50
1027 1027 18 229.00 $229.00 $2,352
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
463 463 3 300.00 $300.00 $1,389
481–498 unweaned 486 19 304.00–317.50 $313.19 $1,522 +3.63
538–548 unweaned 545 21 252.50–269.00 $257.96 $1,406 -37.27
583–593 unweaned 589 7 258.00–259.00 $258.58 $1,523 -22.44
659 659 11 239.00 $239.00 $1,575
752–791 775 32 240.00–243.50 $242.12 $1,876
778 unweaned 778 11 231.00 $231.00 $1,797
810 810 9 246.00 $246.00 $1,993
1013 1013 3 172.50 $172.50 $1,747
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
398 unweaned 398 3 210.00 $210.00 $836
480 unweaned 480 3 270.00 $270.00 $1,296
652 unweaned 652 12 245.00 $245.00 $1,597
762 762 9 236.00 $236.00 $1,798
845 845 21 236.00 $236.00 $1,994

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
333 unweaned 333 8 310.00 $310.00 $1,032 -20.57
371 unweaned 371 10 310.00 $310.00 $1,150 +1.58
415–416 unweaned 415 16 301.00–310.00 $303.82 $1,261 -8.44
456–479 unweaned 465 59 272.50–301.00 $284.67 $1,324 +4.67
510–547 unweaned 523 48 264.00–284.00 $276.57 $1,446 +11.68
565–587 unweaned 575 80 254.00–271.00 $259.21 $1,490 -5.79
628–644 unweaned 639 31 231.00–249.00 $242.13 $1,547 -13.93
670–690 unweaned 685 53 232.00–241.00 $235.49 $1,613
738 738 44 233.50 $233.50 $1,723
835 835 80 223.00 $223.00 $1,862
856 856 80 225.00 $225.00 $1,926
938–940 940 200 222.50–225.00 $224.39 $2,109
1175–1188 1182 6 160.00–195.00 $177.60 $2,099
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
549 unweaned 549 9 231.00 $231.00 $1,268 -32.84
578 578 4 235.00 $235.00 $1,358
587 unweaned 587 6 243.00 $243.00 $1,426 -17.89
647 647 17 237.00 $237.00 $1,533
774–782 779 13 210.00–226.00 $219.89 $1,713 +1.89
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
416 unweaned 416 8 271.00 $271.00 $1,127
484–491 unweaned 489 14 250.00–255.00 $251.77 $1,231
545 unweaned 545 6 240.00 $240.00 $1,308
608 unweaned 608 3 225.00 $225.00 $1,368
851 851 6 218.00 $218.00 $1,855
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
413 unweaned 413 11 234.00 $234.00 $966
737 737 9 202.50 $202.50 $1,492
800 800 7 200.00 $200.00 $1,600
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
820 820 3 197.50 $197.50 $1,620 -0.50

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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.