Cattle Market Pulse

Sterling Livestock Commission Market Report

Sterling, Colorado · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, October 9, 2024

1,183 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $283.33/cwt +2.02 vs last sale · ≈ $1,791/hd at 632 lb · 112 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $269.40/cwt +21.40 vs last sale · ≈ $1,803/hd at 669 lb · 82 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 steers $254.82/cwt +29.82 vs last sale · ≈ $1,818/hd at 713 lb · 78 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,183 1,054 1,780
Feeder cattle 1,183 1,054 1,780

Trade activity and demand were good. Feeder steers and heifers were mostly 15.00 to 18.00 higher with some sharply higher, largely due to larger quantities of high quality cattle. Next available report will be Wednesday, October 16, 2024.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
383–389 387 9 384.00–392.50 $389.70 $1,508 +50.21
432 432 16 369.00 $369.00 $1,594
480 480 12 342.50 $342.50 $1,644 +5.00
544–547 unweaned 546 31 299.50–301.50 $299.95 $1,638
554–567 unweaned 563 37 287.50–299.00 $295.04 $1,661 +13.89
604–649 unweaned 632 112 278.00–285.00 $283.33 $1,791 +2.02
657–674 unweaned 662 57 269.00–271.00 $270.35 $1,790 +22.35
675–689 686 25 260.00–269.00 $267.22 $1,833
701–719 707 42 245.00–253.00 $250.10 $1,768
706–734 unweaned 721 36 255.00–265.50 $260.33 $1,877 +35.33
759 759 9 255.00 $255.00 $1,935
764–794 unweaned 791 36 242.00–246.00 $245.57 $1,942
855–898 871 16 234.00–240.00 $237.68 $2,070
893 unweaned 893 4 210.00 $210.00 $1,875
942 942 3 195.00 $195.00 $1,837
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
515 unweaned 515 37 298.00 $298.00 $1,535
547 547 3 284.00 $284.00 $1,553
582 unweaned 582 29 270.00 $270.00 $1,571
696 unweaned 696 13 253.00 $253.00 $1,761
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
314–341 328 8 362.50–373.00 $367.53 $1,205
427–443 431 8 337.50–354.00 $349.76 $1,507 +22.26
472–493 490 25 322.50–330.00 $329.13 $1,613 +18.41
553 unweaned 553 4 270.00 $270.00 $1,493 +2.12
570 570 5 274.00 $274.00 $1,562 +15.65
668 668 8 257.00 $257.00 $1,717
672 unweaned 672 9 256.00 $256.00 $1,720
837 837 9 238.00 $238.00 $1,992
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375 375 12 255.00 $255.00 $956
423 423 14 276.00 $276.00 $1,167
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
559 559 7 262.50 $262.50 $1,467
636 unweaned 636 8 241.00 $241.00 $1,533
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
427 427 6 290.00 $290.00 $1,238 -32.50
610 unweaned 610 3 257.50 $257.50 $1,571 +15.00
620 620 1 247.50 $247.50 $1,534
693 693 2 237.50 $237.50 $1,646
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
640 unweaned 640 11 269.50 $269.50 $1,725
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
273 273 3 1,050.00 $1,050.00

↑ Back to top

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
338 338 4 320.00 $320.00 $1,082 +7.50
360–377 366 8 315.00–317.00 $316.23 $1,157 +23.67
454–463 456 9 305.00 $305.00 $1,391 +46.01
506 506 45 279.50–286.50 $282.30 $1,428 +19.25
572–592 unweaned 578 37 260.00–270.00 $266.95 $1,543 +16.95
620–634 630 29 249.00–253.00 $250.22 $1,576 -10.78
654–662 unweaned 656 25 234.00 $234.00 $1,535
702–742 722 22 240.00–246.00 $242.42 $1,750 +13.09
782–795 788 9 240.00–241.00 $240.55 $1,896
900 900 2 225.00 $225.00 $2,025 +10.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
484–491 486 17 275.00–281.00 $279.22 $1,357
524 unweaned 524 10 272.00 $272.00 $1,425
526–549 543 25 262.00–272.00 $264.32 $1,435 +17.03
568 568 6 260.00 $260.00 $1,477 +26.10
552–595 unweaned 588 45 249.50–253.00 $250.38 $1,472 +20.32
602–618 unweaned 607 7 238.00–245.00 $242.96 $1,475
743 743 5 232.50 $232.50 $1,727
985 985 2 197.50 $197.50 $1,945
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
406–440 420 10 275.00–282.50 $278.20 $1,168 +16.20
472 472 15 268.00 $268.00 $1,265
732 unweaned 732 18 220.00 $220.00 $1,610
785 785 4 215.00 $215.00 $1,688
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
433–436 unweaned 434 15 230.00–238.00 $233.75 $1,014
666 666 4 220.00 $220.00 $1,465
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
483 483 9 250.00 $250.00 $1,208 -9.64
602 unweaned 602 9 232.50 $232.50 $1,400 +8.00
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
343 unweaned 343 3 208.00 $208.00 $713
526 unweaned 526 5 200.00 $200.00 $1,052
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
625 625 5 230.00 $230.00 $1,438

↑ Back to top

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 4 365.00 $365.00 $1,186
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405 405 2 312.50 $312.50 $1,266

↑ Back to top

Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
995 995 1 167.00 $167.00 $1,662
1047 1047 3 168.00 $168.00 $1,759
1080 1080 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,782
1200 1200 2 164.00–166.00 $165.00 $1,980
1357 1357 3 165.00 $165.00 $2,239
Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1260 1260 1 160.00 $160.00 $2,016
Small 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
770 770 1 141.00 $141.00 $1,086

↑ Back to top

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.