Cattle Market Pulse

Sterling Livestock Commission Market Report

Sterling, Colorado · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, December 6, 2023

1,858 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $263.39/cwt -14.64 vs last sale · ≈ $1,534/hd at 582 lb · 141 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $233.90/cwt -12.06 vs last sale · ≈ $1,566/hd at 669 lb · 115 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $227.98/cwt -9.43 vs last sale · ≈ $1,295/hd at 568 lb · 79 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,858 2,300 1,585
Feeder cattle 1,634 2,027 1,405
Slaughter cattle 224 245 180
Replacement cattle — 28 —

Market comments — USDA reporter

Trade activity and demand today was moderate to good. No comparison to last week available due to no coverage of sale due to low receipts. Today's feeder offering was about half weaned 30 to 60 days and half coming off the cow. Most of the calves were preconditioned and on a vaccination program. 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
379–388 384 10 290.00–305.00 $297.41 $1,142 —
462–487 481 13 296.00–310.00 $299.10 $1,439 -42.66
492 unweaned 492 3 282.00 $282.00 $1,387 —
511–514 512 51 287.00–300.00 $295.50 $1,513 -10.51
503–536 unweaned 524 27 262.50–272.50 $270.11 $1,415 -16.18
560–582 571 41 268.00–279.00 $271.62 $1,551 -6.41
577–594 unweaned 587 100 253.00–270.00 $260.02 $1,526 —
603–636 612 43 242.50–256.50 $252.98 $1,548 +3.34
605–649 unweaned 627 36 232.00–238.00 $234.69 $1,472 —
654–697 669 87 231.00–243.00 $238.18 $1,593 -8.86
657–680 unweaned 671 28 215.00–227.50 $220.61 $1,480 -12.84
703 unweaned 703 15 204.00 $204.00 $1,434 —
724–730 726 8 226.00–227.00 $226.62 $1,645 -12.48
752 unweaned 752 13 201.00 $201.00 $1,512 —
756–795 770 34 217.00–227.50 $226.86 $1,747 —
809 809 8 223.50 $223.50 $1,808 -0.89
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
409–435 424 30 280.00–285.00 $281.94 $1,195 -43.06
480 unweaned 480 8 273.00 $273.00 $1,310 -23.27
450–496 486 58 280.00–297.50 $289.48 $1,407 -20.50
513–535 526 5 266.00–281.00 $271.85 $1,430 -2.65
538 unweaned 538 5 257.00 $257.00 $1,383 +4.50
573–582 unweaned 578 20 240.00–246.00 $243.32 $1,406 +4.33
595 595 22 250.00 $250.00 $1,488 -7.35
613–635 unweaned 622 5 222.00–227.00 $224.96 $1,399 -6.04
618–638 630 21 238.00–240.00 $239.04 $1,506 -2.17
672–687 unweaned 682 16 212.00–212.50 $212.15 $1,447 —
742 unweaned 742 16 192.00 $192.00 $1,425 -22.00
784–787 785 10 187.50–212.50 $204.98 $1,609 -6.02
805–812 808 7 215.00 $215.00 $1,737 —
917 917 3 212.50 $212.50 $1,949 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
363 363 6 272.50 $272.50 $989 —
407 407 8 262.50 $262.50 $1,068 —
477 477 10 262.50 $262.50 $1,252 —
545 545 4 263.50 $263.50 $1,436 —
612–622 unweaned 618 8 162.50–195.00 $174.56 $1,079 —
986 986 4 155.00 $155.00 $1,528 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
541–548 546 15 240.00–262.50 $256.56 $1,401 —
560 560 11 242.50–248.00 $245.50 $1,375 +25.50
631 631 4 218.00 $218.00 $1,376 -4.72
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
561 561 4 217.50 $217.50 $1,220 —
628 628 4 201.00 $201.00 $1,262 -21.00
724 724 7 203.00 $203.00 $1,470 —
821 unweaned 821 6 192.00 $192.00 $1,576 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
269 269 5 775.00 $775.00 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
368 368 3 275.00 $275.00 $1,012 -15.29
401–406 404 15 257.00–270.00 $261.30 $1,056 -34.56
468–499 495 41 264.50–270.00 $265.96 $1,317 -12.94
500–517 502 35 265.00–271.00 $267.05 $1,341 +3.06
542 unweaned 542 23 247.00 $247.00 $1,339 —
553–597 568 79 224.00–232.50 $227.98 $1,295 -9.79
600–637 620 46 222.00–227.50 $224.73 $1,393 -4.18
634–636 unweaned 635 12 217.00–221.00 $218.66 $1,388 —
663–677 671 32 211.00–214.00 $212.20 $1,424 -16.49
709–714 712 15 200.00–201.00 $200.54 $1,428 -21.11
785 unweaned 785 6 185.00 $185.00 $1,452 —
873 873 3 190.00 $190.00 $1,659 —
998 998 32 194.50 $194.50 $1,941 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
333 333 11 257.50 $257.50 $857 -9.36
381 unweaned 381 4 246.00 $246.00 $937 —
390 390 3 238.00 $238.00 $928 -14.50
406–415 408 33 240.00–245.00 $241.23 $984 -24.79
428–447 unweaned 441 19 240.00–252.00 $243.68 $1,075 —
462–498 483 12 243.00–250.00 $247.21 $1,194 -17.66
526–531 527 15 239.00–244.00 $242.66 $1,279 +4.39
610–623 619 17 211.00–224.00 $219.37 $1,358 -4.14
657 unweaned 657 3 221.00 $221.00 $1,452 +13.00
773 unweaned 773 3 182.00 $182.00 $1,407 —
954 954 13 185.00 $185.00 $1,765 —
1065 1065 3 177.50 $177.50 $1,890 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
532 532 24 214.00 $214.00 $1,138 —
578–592 583 21 201.00–212.50 $209.88 $1,224 —
599 unweaned 599 9 201.00 $201.00 $1,204 —
626–633 630 16 204.00–205.50 $204.94 $1,291 —
682 unweaned 682 5 188.00 $188.00 $1,282 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
429 429 6 212.50 $212.50 $912 -8.50
521 521 5 192.50 $192.50 $1,003 —
555 555 4 182.50 $182.50 $1,013 —
601 601 6 157.00 $157.00 $944 —
Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
325 325 4 700.00 $700.00 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
441 441 4 227.50 $227.50 $1,003 -67.50
541 541 8 215.00 $215.00 $1,163 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
548 548 3 195.00 $195.00 $1,069 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
785–1218 1054 80-85% 11 98.00–126.00 $113.17 $1,193 —
940–1300 1120 80-85% 2 88.00–95.00 $92.06 $1,031 -45.40
910–1490 1206 80-85% 81 82.00–92.00 $87.62 $1,057 —
1195–1433 1299 80-85% 14 93.00–96.00 $94.30 $1,225 —
1115–1495 1316 80-85% 12 70.50–81.50 $76.57 $1,008 -27.12
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
910–935 929 85-90% 4 87.00–93.00 $91.53 $850 -24.80
925–1090 1033 85-90% 4 41.00–47.00 $43.70 $451 —
1060–1200 1130 85-90% 2 60.00–65.00 $62.65 $708 -30.50
905–1270 1135 85-90% 29 70.00–82.00 $78.05 $886 -15.10
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1250–1710 1422 75-80% 21 91.00–102.00 $95.99 $1,365 —
1480–1578 1537 75-80% 4 79.00–83.00 $80.48 $1,237 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1660–1670 1665 65-75% 2 101.00–103.00 $102.00 $1,698 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
925 925 1 102.50 $102.50 $948 —
1420 1420 1 90.00 $90.00 $1,278 —
1505–1820 1695 5 105.00–107.00 $105.75 $1,792 +1.26
1555–2105 1738 3 111.00–114.50 $112.41 $1,954 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
467 467 9 140.00 $140.00 $654 —

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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.