Cattle Market Pulse

Sterling Livestock Commission Market Report

Sterling, Colorado · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, November 1, 2023

1,941 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $246.73/cwt +1.26 vs last sale · ≈ $1,314/hd at 532 lb · 182 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $271.55/cwt -5.56 vs last sale · ≈ $1,555/hd at 573 lb · 143 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $271.91/cwt +6.19 vs last sale · ≈ $1,312/hd at 482 lb · 133 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,941 1,315 1,601
Feeder cattle 1,674 1,130 1,443
Slaughter cattle 121 160 143
Replacement cattle 146 25 15

Compared to last week trade activity and demand was good. Today steers under 400 pounds was too thinly tested for an accurate trend. Steers from 400 to 550 pounds traded 2.00 to 6.00 higher with a few trades sharply higher. Steers 550 pounds and up traded 4.00 to 14.00 lower. Heifers under 500 pounds too thinly tested for and accurate trend, but higher undertones noted. Over 500 pounds mostly 2.00 lower to 6.00 higher. No comparable trend to report on the replacement cattle. Slaughter cattle trade and demand was moderate. Slaughter cows and bulls average dress traded 1.00 to 3.00 higher. 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
341–348 343 9 326.00–332.50 $328.20 $1,126 -11.80
354–389 370 20 322.50–330.00 $324.65 $1,201
416–437 431 21 330.00–339.00 $332.48 $1,433 +11.41
464 464 18 322.50 $322.50 $1,496 +5.59
480 unweaned 480 15 300.00 $300.00 $1,440
506 fancy 506 15 306.50 $306.50 $1,551
508–532 524 71 289.00–300.00 $289.80 $1,519 +4.20
514–529 unweaned 527 26 277.00–285.00 $278.20 $1,466
559–589 571 81 272.00–281.00 $275.67 $1,574
573–576 unweaned 575 62 265.00–267.00 $266.16 $1,530 -10.95
610–644 630 42 242.50–254.00 $250.56 $1,579
651–689 674 79 242.00–256.00 $246.14 $1,659
701–724 unweaned 711 14 218.00–222.00 $220.25 $1,566 -14.75
746 746 8 226.00 $226.00 $1,686
794 unweaned 794 9 216.00 $216.00 $1,715
1338 1338 2 163.00 $163.00 $2,181
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 3 307.50 $307.50 $892
383 383 3 282.50 $282.50 $1,082
403–418 414 7 302.50–322.50 $308.07 $1,275
422 unweaned 422 5 262.50 $262.50 $1,108
470 470 5 271.00 $271.00 $1,274 -19.34
477–499 unweaned 479 37 289.00–294.00 $293.44 $1,406
500–541 520 27 267.50–275.00 $272.99 $1,420 +10.99
550–589 569 23 255.00–265.00 $260.45 $1,482
589 unweaned 589 7 242.00 $242.00 $1,425 -11.09
607–610 608 25 248.00–257.50 $254.09 $1,545
617–648 unweaned 641 43 230.00–235.00 $232.63 $1,491 -5.86
688 688 7 228.00 $228.00 $1,569
691 unweaned 691 6 226.00 $226.00 $1,562 -6.50
794 794 7 207.00 $207.00 $1,644
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
531 531 8 264.00 $264.00 $1,402
568–596 579 26 262.00–266.00 $265.42 $1,537
586 unweaned 586 5 255.00 $255.00 $1,494
662 662 10 253.00 $253.00 $1,675
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
474 474 7 252.50 $252.50 $1,197

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
367–372 369 21 281.00–287.50 $283.81 $1,047 -8.68
424–444 432 25 294.00–306.00 $301.07 $1,301 +42.57
453–488 unweaned 479 82 255.00–266.00 $263.82 $1,264
468–494 488 51 275.00–287.50 $284.92 $1,390 +28.92
525–548 unweaned 531 55 241.00–243.00 $241.35 $1,282 +6.23
505–543 533 127 242.00–254.00 $249.06 $1,327 -2.11
551–598 568 54 232.00–245.00 $239.29 $1,359 -7.71
568 fancy 568 7 259.00 $259.00 $1,471
582 unweaned 582 5 236.00 $236.00 $1,374 +1.62
616–618 618 27 235.00–243.00 $236.77 $1,463
605–643 unweaned 634 55 224.00–231.00 $228.63 $1,450 -15.37
673–685 677 12 225.00–231.00 $227.02 $1,537
704 704 10 225.00 $225.00 $1,584
718 unweaned 718 6 211.00 $211.00 $1,515
777 777 5 216.00 $216.00 $1,678
818 unweaned 818 2 196.00 $196.00 $1,603
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
367–393 382 30 265.00–275.00 $269.46 $1,029
435 435 8 271.00 $271.00 $1,179
454 454 5 272.00 $272.00 $1,235
470 unweaned 470 4 252.50 $252.50 $1,187
547–549 548 12 236.00–239.00 $237.00 $1,299
565–590 574 27 222.00–231.00 $229.85 $1,319
627–632 unweaned 629 16 221.00–223.00 $221.75 $1,395
642–643 643 9 217.50–220.00 $219.17 $1,409
690 690 4 216.00 $216.00 $1,490
702 unweaned 702 3 187.50 $187.50 $1,316
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
383 383 3 290.00 $290.00 $1,111
415 415 6 267.50 $267.50 $1,110
541 541 7 241.00 $241.00 $1,304
578–583 582 25 241.00–242.00 $241.80 $1,407
631 631 12 236.50 $236.50 $1,492
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
407 407 3 230.00 $230.00 $936
459 459 5 232.50 $232.50 $1,067

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Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
915–1112 1064 85-90% 5 54.00–65.00 $61.85 $658
895–1350 1195 85-90% 26 80.50–90.00 $85.75 $1,025 +0.70
1050–1295 1204 85-90% 12 73.00–79.50 $76.66 $923
1220 1220 85-90% 1 94.00 $94.00 $1,147
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
983–1480 1307 80-85% 31 88.00–101.50 $94.72 $1,238
1370 1370 80-85% 1 73.00 $73.00 $1,000 -18.49
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1170–1515 1363 75-80% 16 96.50–102.00 $97.63 $1,331
1435–1560 1498 75-80% 2 106.00–107.50 $106.72 $1,599 +7.56
1490–1550 1513 75-80% 3 89.00–93.50 $91.47 $1,384
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1540 1540 65-75% 1 98.50 $98.50 $1,517
1610–1805 1683 65-75% 4 109.00–111.50 $110.05 $1,852

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YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1415–1850 1527 6 104.00–110.50 $107.55 $1,642
1570–1705 1640 3 82.00–95.00 $90.18 $1,479
1685–1740 1720 3 111.00–117.00 $113.02 $1,944 +25.69

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Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1149 1149 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 4 1,000.00 $1,000.00
1203–1229 1215 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 18 1,925.00–2,350.00 $2,158.86
1255–1357 1311 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 87 1,800.00–1,975.00 $1,912.05
1316 1316 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 5 1,500.00 $1,500.00
1322 1322 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 12 1,350.00 $1,350.00
1306–1395 1348 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 19 1,385.00–1,610.00 $1,495.28

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Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
694 694 5 190.00 $190.00 $1,319
1004 1004 6 164.00 $164.00 $1,647
1058–1077 1068 6 162.50–165.00 $163.76 $1,749
1297 1297 3 164.00 $164.00 $2,127
Small 3-4 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
803 803 3 75.00 $75.00 $602
874 874 6 165.00 $165.00 $1,442

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Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
711 711 5 190.00 $190.00 $1,351

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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.