Cattle Market Pulse

Sterling Livestock Commission Market Report

Sterling, Colorado · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, November 8, 2023

2,300 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $257.19/cwt +6.63 vs last sale · ≈ $1,584/hd at 616 lb · 226 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $278.03/cwt +6.48 vs last sale · ≈ $1,618/hd at 582 lb · 173 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers $341.76/cwt +29.49 vs last sale · ≈ $1,596/hd at 467 lb · 132 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,300 1,941 1,866
Feeder cattle 2,027 1,674 1,538
Slaughter cattle 245 121 308
Replacement cattle 28 146 20

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week trade activity and demand was moderate. Steers traded steady to 8.00 higher with high quality fancy calves sharply higher. Heifers traded 1.00 to 8.00 lower with high quality fancy heifers trading sharply higher. Compared to last week, average dress slaughter cows traded steady steady to 2.00 higher. Average dress slaughter bulls traded 2.00 to 3.00 lower. Next available report will be as receipts warrant.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
347 347 5 340.00 $340.00 $1,180 +11.80
392 fancy 392 59 362.00 $362.00 $1,419 —
463–478 467 132 331.00–345.00 $341.76 $1,596 +19.26
505–525 518 49 298.00–313.00 $306.01 $1,585 +16.21
513–548 unweaned 532 41 281.00–289.00 $286.29 $1,523 +8.09
552–591 582 173 270.00–281.00 $278.03 $1,618 +2.36
600 fancy 600 70 274.00 $274.00 $1,644 —
600–641 623 156 245.00–255.00 $249.64 $1,555 -0.92
655–665 660 53 240.00–250.50 $247.04 $1,630 +0.90
660 fancy 660 16 263.50 $263.50 $1,739 —
650–689 unweaned 670 27 231.00–236.00 $233.45 $1,564 —
718–728 724 22 237.50–240.00 $239.10 $1,731 +13.10
805–838 822 4 219.00–230.00 $224.39 $1,844 —
859–880 869 14 223.00–226.00 $224.77 $1,953 —
928 928 17 226.50 $226.50 $2,102 —
973 973 2 222.50 $222.50 $2,165 —
1266 1266 10 169.00 $169.00 $2,140 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310 310 15 312.50 $312.50 $969 —
363 363 19 327.50 $327.50 $1,189 +45.00
428 unweaned 428 7 282.50 $282.50 $1,209 +20.00
446 446 8 325.00 $325.00 $1,450 +16.93
451–460 455 45 300.00–322.00 $309.98 $1,410 +38.98
455–471 unweaned 464 7 292.50–299.00 $296.27 $1,375 +2.83
518–538 533 39 265.00–280.00 $274.50 $1,463 +1.51
542 unweaned 542 9 252.50 $252.50 $1,369 —
560–590 584 14 251.00–259.00 $257.35 $1,503 -3.10
595–599 unweaned 597 27 237.50–240.00 $238.99 $1,427 -3.01
613–627 619 19 240.00–242.00 $241.21 $1,493 -12.88
648 unweaned 648 3 231.00 $231.00 $1,497 -1.63
693 693 5 226.00 $226.00 $1,566 -2.00
710 unweaned 710 3 214.00 $214.00 $1,519 —
710 710 3 215.00 $215.00 $1,526 —
798 798 6 211.00 $211.00 $1,684 +4.00
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
343 343 8 285.00 $285.00 $978 —
399 399 5 265.00 $265.00 $1,057 —
409–443 430 11 250.00–290.00 $273.37 $1,175 —
533 unweaned 533 5 258.00 $258.00 $1,375 —
585 585 3 220.00 $220.00 $1,287 —
628–632 630 7 222.50–223.00 $222.72 $1,403 —
820 820 5 212.50 $212.50 $1,742 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
416 416 7 236.00 $236.00 $982 —
510–539 523 20 242.00–242.50 $242.27 $1,267 —
618 618 4 222.00 $222.00 $1,372 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
284 284 4 960.00 $960.00 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350–386 373 8 285.00–300.00 $290.29 $1,083 +6.48
403–411 407 23 292.50–297.50 $295.86 $1,204 -5.21
410 unweaned 410 6 283.00 $283.00 $1,160 —
460–486 471 30 276.00–284.00 $278.90 $1,314 -6.02
510–534 518 66 260.00–266.00 $263.99 $1,367 +14.93
552–579 567 82 231.00–243.00 $237.77 $1,348 -1.52
575 unweaned 575 2 222.50 $222.50 $1,279 -13.50
606–633 615 109 226.00–232.00 $228.91 $1,408 -7.86
663–679 674 16 228.00–229.00 $228.69 $1,541 +1.67
730–743 738 5 215.00–226.00 $221.65 $1,636 -3.35
754–797 769 14 212.50–215.00 $213.42 $1,641 -2.58
828 828 18 206.00 $206.00 $1,706 —
1000 1000 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,650 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
317–340 322 15 262.00–285.00 $266.86 $859 —
375 375 8 252.50 $252.50 $947 -16.96
435–448 437 18 265.00–271.00 $266.02 $1,163 -4.98
454–497 474 49 263.00–270.00 $264.87 $1,255 -7.13
503–549 538 90 235.00–246.00 $238.27 $1,282 +1.27
615–618 616 18 222.00–231.00 $223.51 $1,377 +4.34
648 unweaned 648 4 217.00 $217.00 $1,406 -4.75
678 unweaned 678 3 208.00 $208.00 $1,410 —
855 855 3 188.00 $188.00 $1,607 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
343 343 4 251.00 $251.00 $861 —
420 420 4 250.00 $250.00 $1,050 —
477–485 483 13 235.00–248.00 $245.04 $1,184 —
535 535 10 229.00 $229.00 $1,225 —
578 578 2 225.00 $225.00 $1,300 —
638 638 4 217.50 $217.50 $1,388 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
382 382 7 230.00 $230.00 $879 —
419 419 6 221.00 $221.00 $926 -9.00
593 593 4 211.00 $211.00 $1,251 —
683 683 4 188.00 $188.00 $1,284 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
443 443 6 295.00 $295.00 $1,307 —
505 505 2 255.00 $255.00 $1,288 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
383 383 3 272.50 $272.50 $1,044 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1095–1135 1115 80-85% 2 135.00–140.00 $137.46 $1,533 —
1125–1455 1310 80-85% 17 96.00–112.50 $103.69 $1,358 +8.97
1194–1490 1329 80-85% 109 88.00–100.00 $95.46 $1,269 +0.74
1290–1500 1398 80-85% 3 83.00–87.00 $85.35 $1,193 +12.35
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
835–945 908 85-90% 3 112.50–125.00 $116.33 $1,056 —
910–1365 1111 85-90% 10 73.00–79.00 $76.50 $850 —
1040–1230 1135 85-90% 2 92.00–94.50 $93.15 $1,057 —
990–1310 1150 85-90% 2 51.00–57.00 $54.42 $626 —
1155 1155 85-90% 1 125.00 $125.00 $1,444 —
875–1405 1207 85-90% 51 80.00–90.00 $85.21 $1,028 +8.55
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1300–1770 1501 75-80% 15 95.00–104.00 $99.08 $1,487 +7.61
1460–1604 1581 75-80% 9 101.00–106.00 $105.38 $1,666 —
1655 1655 75-80% 1 91.00 $91.00 $1,506 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1140–1950 1645 7 87.00–98.00 $93.78 $1,543 +3.60
1450–1970 1680 6 100.00–110.00 $104.49 $1,755 —
1935–2065 2000 2 113.00–116.00 $114.45 $2,289 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
920–1116 997 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 21 141.00–155.00 $145.33 $1,449
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1004 1004 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 6 139.00 $139.00 $1,396

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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.