Cattle Market Pulse

Sterling Livestock Commission Market Report

Sterling, Colorado · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, December 11, 2024

1,659 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $297.25/cwt +10.25 vs last sale · ≈ $1,966/hd at 661 lb · 120 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $355.50/cwt +26.25 vs last sale · ≈ $1,984/hd at 558 lb · 74 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $314.85/cwt +20.30 vs last sale · ≈ $1,910/hd at 607 lb · 66 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,659 1,690 1,554
Feeder cattle 1,437 1,375 1,405
Slaughter cattle 222 315 149

Market comments — USDA reporter

Trade activity and demand was moderate to good. Feeder steers and heifers traded mostly 3.00 to 10.00 higher with a few sharply higher. Average dress slaughter cows traded steady to 3.00 lower, largely due to a high number of higher quality cows returning to feed. 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
325 unweaned 325 4 437.50 $437.50 $1,422 +22.50
327 327 16 441.50 $441.50 $1,444 —
386 unweaned 386 13 417.50 $417.50 $1,612 —
413 413 34 425.00 $425.00 $1,755 —
469 unweaned 469 10 372.50 $372.50 $1,747 +1.50
478 478 50 401.50 $401.50 $1,919 +24.35
558 558 74 355.50 $355.50 $1,984 +7.00
605 unweaned 605 10 305.00 $305.00 $1,845 +10.45
601–615 607 56 314.00–318.00 $316.61 $1,922 —
659 unweaned 659 22 288.00 $288.00 $1,898 —
650–677 662 98 293.00–300.50 $299.33 $1,982 +12.33
701–715 unweaned 707 24 272.50–278.50 $275.72 $1,949 —
700–734 714 28 283.00–294.00 $288.85 $2,062 +10.44
838 838 3 244.00 $244.00 $2,045 -9.63
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
374–388 378 12 382.50–389.00 $384.17 $1,452 -5.83
407 407 9 377.50 $377.50 $1,536 —
433 unweaned 433 6 360.00 $360.00 $1,559 —
455–486 469 25 357.50–370.00 $362.75 $1,701 —
553–584 563 26 327.50–338.50 $334.91 $1,886 +12.13
614–644 639 32 293.00–307.00 $299.09 $1,911 -8.57
685–696 691 8 286.00–287.00 $286.50 $1,980 +8.57
711–733 722 32 278.00–281.00 $278.75 $2,013 +17.75
740 unweaned 740 2 260.00 $260.00 $1,924 —
957 957 5 202.50 $202.50 $1,938 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
434–446 441 12 347.00–354.00 $349.87 $1,543 —
450 450 3 337.50 $337.50 $1,519 —
506–507 507 23 327.50–335.00 $329.78 $1,672 -4.10
554–598 569 43 312.00–312.50 $312.35 $1,777 —
608–645 635 15 282.00–286.00 $284.98 $1,810 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
468 468 14 335.00 $335.00 $1,568 ±0.00
511 unweaned 511 7 300.00 $300.00 $1,533 —
502–540 515 12 320.00–325.00 $323.25 $1,665 —
640 unweaned 640 5 267.00 $267.00 $1,709 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
446 446 7 309.00 $309.00 $1,378 —
523 523 9 302.50 $302.50 $1,582 —
595 595 3 264.00 $264.00 $1,571 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
303 303 6 380.00 $380.00 $1,151 —
364 364 4 350.00 $350.00 $1,274 -7.50
409 unweaned 409 8 342.50 $342.50 $1,401 -1.50
454 unweaned 454 18 336.00 $336.00 $1,525 +12.50
468 468 6 348.00 $348.00 $1,629 +18.24
517–531 522 33 324.00–331.00 $326.31 $1,703 +32.64
558–584 571 53 280.00–292.00 $283.26 $1,617 -1.06
611–617 614 55 275.00–278.00 $276.18 $1,696 +5.90
650 650 2 278.00 $278.00 $1,807 —
708 708 5 248.00 $248.00 $1,756 —
1064 1064 5 213.00 $213.00 $2,266 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
329 329 5 365.00 $365.00 $1,201 —
395 unweaned 395 4 332.50 $332.50 $1,313 —
427 427 10 348.00 $348.00 $1,486 +14.07
457–489 482 27 327.50–340.00 $336.43 $1,622 +23.62
519–533 529 15 310.00–320.00 $312.61 $1,654 +27.61
573–595 586 23 271.00–275.50 $273.35 $1,602 -5.65
617–649 629 13 267.00–268.00 $267.45 $1,682 +4.14
653–680 665 21 260.00–264.00 $262.65 $1,747 +22.37
682 682 6 244.00 $244.00 $1,664 +3.72
737 737 5 240.00 $240.00 $1,769 +8.00
1162 1162 13 180.00 $180.00 $2,092 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
401 401 7 315.00 $315.00 $1,263 —
494 494 4 322.00 $322.00 $1,591 —
522–538 533 10 305.00–306.00 $305.71 $1,629 —
559–566 564 29 261.00–266.00 $264.45 $1,491 —
610 610 2 262.00 $262.00 $1,598 —
676 676 9 236.00 $236.00 $1,595 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
394 394 5 300.00 $300.00 $1,182 —
482 482 8 286.00 $286.00 $1,379 —
531–538 537 28 272.50–274.00 $273.79 $1,470 —
644 644 4 250.00 $250.00 $1,610 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405 405 3 300.00 $300.00 $1,215 —
494 494 4 273.00 $273.00 $1,349 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1013–1195 1054 80-85% 6 140.00–165.50 $146.70 $1,546 -7.99
1114–1220 1120 80-85% 18 109.00–113.00 $109.24 $1,223 —
1050–1395 1254 80-85% 10 109.00–112.00 $110.47 $1,385 —
1215–1355 1283 80-85% 7 104.00–107.00 $104.85 $1,345 —
1195–1576 1325 80-85% 62 116.00–129.50 $124.73 $1,653 +12.14
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
865 865 85-90% 1 52.00 $52.00 $450 -63.00
845–998 948 85-90% 9 142.50–167.50 $147.61 $1,399 —
965–1217 1081 85-90% 42 98.00–108.00 $103.95 $1,124 —
995–1222 1101 85-90% 14 85.00–96.50 $91.59 $1,008 -20.62
993–1123 1111 85-90% 21 91.00–107.00 $105.64 $1,174 -6.57
1188 1188 85-90% 12 119.00 $119.00 $1,414 +12.96
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1465–1875 1627 75-80% 3 114.00–119.00 $116.22 $1,891 -4.28
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1895 1895 65-75% 1 129.00 $129.00 $2,445 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1505–1795 1623 4 139.00–146.00 $143.20 $2,324 —
1305–2070 1626 5 128.00–137.50 $132.98 $2,162 —
2045–2345 2208 6 148.50–159.00 $152.89 $3,376 —

↑ 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.