Cattle Market Pulse

Sterling Livestock Commission Market Report

Sterling, Colorado · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, October 2, 2024

1,054 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $281.31/cwt ≈ $1,736/hd at 617 lb · 99 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $296.34/cwt ≈ $1,544/hd at 521 lb · 75 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $266.93/cwt ≈ $1,546/hd at 579 lb · 60 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,054 1,793 1,516
Feeder cattle 1,054 1,793 1,516

Trade activity and demand was moderate to good. No trend available due to last reported sale being a month ago. Next available report will be as receipts warrant.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
378–396 386 20 337.50–342.50 $339.49 $1,310
444 fancy 444 17 352.00 $352.00 $1,563
439–449 unweaned 446 20 330.00–338.00 $335.64 $1,497
460 unweaned 460 3 327.00 $327.00 $1,504
488 488 6 337.50 $337.50 $1,647
519–525 521 75 295.50–297.50 $296.34 $1,544
565–586 unweaned 583 19 281.00–282.00 $281.15 $1,639
600–644 unweaned 617 99 279.00–283.50 $281.31 $1,736
672 unweaned 672 8 248.00 $248.00 $1,667
718 unweaned 718 6 225.00 $225.00 $1,616
953 953 35 232.50 $232.50 $2,216 +8.62
1055 1055 5 224.00 $224.00 $2,363 +8.75
1355 1355 1 173.00 $173.00 $2,344
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
411 411 8 327.50 $327.50 $1,346
455–459 456 28 310.00–315.00 $310.72 $1,417
498–499 unweaned 498 12 291.00–305.00 $300.33 $1,496
521 521 15 274.00 $274.00 $1,428
565–589 unweaned 579 54 265.00–272.00 $267.88 $1,551
572–592 582 6 252.50–264.00 $258.35 $1,504
608–631 unweaned 617 27 265.00–269.00 $267.48 $1,650
618–622 619 23 256.00–257.00 $256.65 $1,589
737 737 20 239.00 $239.00 $1,761
789 unweaned 789 9 216.00 $216.00 $1,704
840 unweaned 840 2 200.00 $200.00 $1,680
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
432 unweaned 432 3 293.00 $293.00 $1,266
435 435 4 322.50 $322.50 $1,403
477 unweaned 477 3 285.00 $285.00 $1,359
495 495 3 257.00 $257.00 $1,272
510–526 unweaned 518 8 257.50–263.00 $260.29 $1,348
617 unweaned 617 3 242.50 $242.50 $1,496
1280 1280 1 172.00 $172.00 $2,202
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
434 434 8 300.00 $300.00 $1,302
463–494 488 11 282.50–297.50 $294.91 $1,439
731 unweaned 731 5 222.00 $222.00 $1,623
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
483 483 2 282.00 $282.00 $1,362
588 unweaned 588 9 256.00 $256.00 $1,505
678 unweaned 678 6 223.00 $223.00 $1,512
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
839 839 4 224.00 $224.00 $1,879
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
505 505 4 247.50 $247.50 $1,250
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
246 246 4 1,000.00 $1,000.00

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330 330 3 312.50 $312.50 $1,031
368–385 377 18 290.00–295.00 $292.56 $1,103
432–445 440 15 274.00–285.00 $278.32 $1,225
463–494 488 35 255.50–262.50 $258.99 $1,264
519 fancy 519 5 291.00 $291.00 $1,510
519–547 537 32 256.00–266.00 $263.05 $1,413
561 561 14 262.00 $262.00 $1,470
579 unweaned 579 27 250.00 $250.00 $1,448 +5.00
600 600 18 261.00 $261.00 $1,566
735–745 742 18 229.00–229.50 $229.33 $1,702
891 891 6 219.00 $219.00 $1,951
920 920 4 215.00 $215.00 $1,978
1052 1052 3 200.00 $200.00 $2,104
1188 1188 2 177.00 $177.00 $2,103
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 320 4 292.50 $292.50 $936
386–394 390 19 277.50–280.00 $279.07 $1,088
413 413 3 281.00 $281.00 $1,161
428 unweaned 428 3 270.00 $270.00 $1,156
507–522 519 31 246.00–251.00 $247.29 $1,283
564–570 unweaned 568 14 210.00–238.00 $230.06 $1,307
575–598 590 6 230.00–242.00 $233.90 $1,380
609 609 18 246.00 $246.00 $1,498
648 unweaned 648 2 228.00 $228.00 $1,477
698 698 7 208.00 $208.00 $1,452 -34.00
1118 1118 3 175.00 $175.00 $1,956
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
440 440 3 265.00 $265.00 $1,166
453–467 458 11 252.00–262.50 $259.64 $1,189
511 unweaned 511 7 247.50 $247.50 $1,265
628 unweaned 628 6 224.50 $224.50 $1,410
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
448 448 6 262.00 $262.00 $1,174
619 619 5 231.00 $231.00 $1,430
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
237 237 8 775.00 $775.00
280 280 2 825.00 $825.00
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
560 560 4 225.50 $225.50 $1,263

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Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
193 193 2 750.00 $750.00

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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.