Cattle Market Pulse

Sterling Livestock Commission Market Report

Sterling, Colorado · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, November 13, 2024

1,508 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $256.73/cwt -2.06 vs last sale · ≈ $1,483/hd at 578 lb · 82 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $274.58/cwt -0.62 vs last sale · ≈ $1,868/hd at 680 lb · 75 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $340.50/cwt +11.80 vs last sale · ≈ $1,754/hd at 515 lb · 68 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,508 1,283 0
Feeder cattle 1,336 1,183 0
Slaughter cattle 172 100 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Trade activity and demand was good. Feeder steers were mostly up 2.00 to 12.00 as we are seeing more calves that are weaned and preconditioned. Feeder heifers traded mostly up 2.00 to 8.00. Average dress slaughter cows and bulls traded up 1.00. Next available report will be as receipts warrant as next week is a bred cow special.

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
307 unweaned 307 7 417.50 $417.50 $1,282 —
425 unweaned 425 67 387.50 $387.50 $1,647 +15.13
464 unweaned 464 7 347.50 $347.50 $1,612 +2.50
470 470 4 355.00 $355.00 $1,668 —
515 unweaned 515 68 340.50 $340.50 $1,754 +18.50
577–592 unweaned 581 23 293.00–300.00 $296.20 $1,721 +4.43
613–645 unweaned 626 61 283.50–292.50 $286.95 $1,796 +17.14
651 unweaned 651 10 289.00 $289.00 $1,881 +27.00
669–689 685 65 272.00–274.00 $272.36 $1,866 —
709 unweaned 709 6 268.50 $268.50 $1,904 +23.20
738 738 6 263.00 $263.00 $1,941 —
771 771 13 236.00 $236.00 $1,820 —
943 943 18 234.50 $234.50 $2,211 —
1060–1068 1064 11 210.00–216.00 $212.72 $2,263 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
372 372 5 372.50 $372.50 $1,386 —
424–432 427 7 350.00–360.00 $354.33 $1,513 —
482 482 7 335.00 $335.00 $1,615 -10.00
539 unweaned 539 39 322.00 $322.00 $1,736 +19.89
584 unweaned 584 5 274.00 $274.00 $1,600 -4.50
555–595 585 40 287.50–290.00 $288.09 $1,685 -1.24
610 unweaned 610 20 280.00 $280.00 $1,708 +18.75
651–682 unweaned 665 31 264.00–271.00 $268.23 $1,784 +19.76
692 692 14 252.50 $252.50 $1,747 -20.34
702–725 unweaned 721 34 253.00–254.75 $253.82 $1,830 +12.32
877 877 10 233.00 $233.00 $2,043 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
331–335 332 11 350.00–352.50 $350.69 $1,164 —
446 446 5 327.50 $327.50 $1,461 —
478 unweaned 478 7 320.00 $320.00 $1,530 —
507–542 515 23 290.00–297.50 $291.65 $1,502 —
614–639 unweaned 627 21 262.00–266.00 $264.14 $1,656 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420–437 427 7 310.00 $310.00 $1,324 —
493–498 unweaned 496 8 301.00–307.50 $305.08 $1,513 —
570 570 12 265.00 $265.00 $1,510 —
622–639 633 31 245.00–252.50 $249.63 $1,580 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
600 unweaned 600 3 262.00 $262.00 $1,572 —
610 610 4 265.00 $265.00 $1,616 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
584 584 5 239.00 $239.00 $1,396 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
371 unweaned 371 4 322.50 $322.50 $1,196 -6.08
486 unweaned 486 15 299.00 $299.00 $1,453 +4.00
504–516 unweaned 510 18 280.00–289.50 $284.69 $1,452 +14.10
506–519 511 18 287.00–291.50 $288.78 $1,476 +8.29
555–587 unweaned 569 38 252.00–261.00 $254.54 $1,448 -4.25
566–597 585 44 256.00–263.00 $258.62 $1,513 —
601–645 unweaned 623 66 240.00–244.00 $241.92 $1,507 +1.92
653–660 unweaned 657 45 245.00–249.00 $246.50 $1,620 +12.50
700 700 3 244.00 $244.00 $1,708 —
739 unweaned 739 7 228.00 $228.00 $1,685 —
804 804 15 234.00 $234.00 $1,881 —
891 891 8 233.00 $233.00 $2,076 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
493 unweaned 493 5 282.00 $282.00 $1,390 +6.00
534 unweaned 534 25 276.00 $276.00 $1,474 +16.65
558 unweaned 558 3 254.00 $254.00 $1,417 +6.99
649 unweaned 649 5 235.00 $235.00 $1,525 -3.00
687 unweaned 687 3 226.00 $226.00 $1,553 —
740 unweaned 740 7 226.00 $226.00 $1,672 —
817 817 8 227.50 $227.50 $1,859 —
1143 1143 3 180.00 $180.00 $2,057 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
448 448 15 297.50 $297.50 $1,333 —
680 680 29 239.50 $239.50 $1,629 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 13 332.50 $332.50 $1,130 —
366 366 5 332.50 $332.50 $1,217 —
422 422 8 312.50 $312.50 $1,319 —
448 448 4 305.00 $305.00 $1,366 —
557 557 3 251.00 $251.00 $1,398 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
520 520 23 271.00 $271.00 $1,409 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
348 348 6 290.00 $290.00 $1,009 —
604–610 607 10 217.50–229.00 $223.28 $1,355 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1364 1364 4 179.00 $179.00 $2,442 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1060–1135 1087 80-85% 6 147.50–167.50 $157.58 $1,713 —
1080–1510 1310 80-85% 26 111.00–120.00 $115.80 $1,517 +11.44
1385 1385 80-85% 1 127.50 $127.50 $1,766 +2.36
1145–1662 1418 80-85% 73 119.00–137.50 $126.52 $1,794 —
1345–1670 1452 80-85% 5 99.00–110.00 $106.31 $1,544 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
965–985 979 85-90% 7 164.00–167.50 $165.65 $1,622 -2.83
925–1255 1044 85-90% 10 102.00–110.00 $105.92 $1,106 +0.72
1155 1155 85-90% 1 51.00 $51.00 $589 —
1080–1285 1180 85-90% 3 116.00–131.00 $121.24 $1,431 —
1085–1355 1263 85-90% 3 89.00–97.00 $92.92 $1,174 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1505 1505 75-80% 1 123.00 $123.00 $1,851 —
1620–1651 1645 75-80% 5 125.00–126.00 $125.80 $2,069 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1055–1215 1135 2 125.00–129.00 $127.14 $1,443 —
1250–1290 1270 2 134.00–136.00 $135.02 $1,715 —
1400–2005 1685 5 125.00–135.00 $130.69 $2,202 —
1450–2030 1706 10 138.00–149.00 $143.41 $2,447 +1.16
1915–2030 1957 3 151.00–163.00 $156.46 $3,062 —

↑ Back to top

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.