Cattle Market Pulse

Sterling Livestock Commission Market Report

Sterling, Colorado · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, October 14, 2026

1,267 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $395.97/cwt +21.97 vs last sale · ≈ $2,598/hd at 656 lb · 100 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $473.00/cwt +51.32 vs last sale · ≈ $2,450/hd at 518 lb · 93 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $359.55/cwt +13.27 vs last sale · ≈ $2,208/hd at 614 lb · 69 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,267 770 1,110
Feeder cattle 1,267 770 1,110

Market comments — USDA reporter

Trade activity and demand was good. Sale was almost all preconditioned calves off the cow and the quality was extremely good. Feeder steers and heifers traded mostly 3.00 to 13.00 higher with some sharply higher due to the increase in quality and reputation from the last sale. Those sharply higher were replacement quality heifers. Next available report will be Wednesday, October, 21, 2026.

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
374 374 11 580.00 $580.00 $2,169 —
444 unweaned 444 45 551.00 $551.00 $2,446 —
455 455 4 542.50 $542.50 $2,468 +78.08
518 unweaned 518 93 473.00 $473.00 $2,450 +51.32
551 unweaned 551 9 416.00 $416.00 $2,292 +11.25
608 unweaned 608 23 413.00 $413.00 $2,511 —
656–657 unweaned 656 100 390.00–402.50 $395.97 $2,598 +21.97
734 unweaned 734 8 356.00 $356.00 $2,613 —
758–771 unweaned 762 18 335.00–350.00 $344.89 $2,628 —
934 934 29 325.00 $325.00 $3,036 —
1008 1008 2 305.00 $305.00 $3,074 +6.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
448 448 3 502.50 $502.50 $2,251 —
497 497 6 490.00 $490.00 $2,435 +90.00
511–545 unweaned 538 44 426.00–435.00 $429.77 $2,312 +21.35
551–592 unweaned 573 48 406.00–422.50 $412.07 $2,361 +25.07
584 584 7 405.00 $405.00 $2,365 —
605–613 unweaned 611 16 391.00–394.00 $391.74 $2,394 +14.81
659–671 unweaned 667 16 383.00–389.00 $387.15 $2,582 +14.90
735 unweaned 735 11 336.00 $336.00 $2,470 -8.00
805–808 unweaned 806 25 320.00–323.00 $322.28 $2,598 —
870 unweaned 870 4 300.00 $300.00 $2,610 —
869–876 873 19 325.00–328.50 $327.03 $2,855 -4.97
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
590 unweaned 590 30 404.00 $404.00 $2,384 —
603–604 unweaned 604 30 368.00–369.00 $368.93 $2,228 +11.43
657–685 unweaned 680 31 362.00–375.00 $372.71 $2,534 +17.71
823 823 2 300.00 $300.00 $2,469 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
573 unweaned 573 9 386.00 $386.00 $2,212 —
649 unweaned 649 10 367.00 $367.00 $2,382 —
698 unweaned 698 19 351.00 $351.00 $2,450 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
334 334 4 495.00 $495.00 $1,653 —
398 398 3 440.00 $440.00 $1,751 —
419 419 11 437.50 $437.50 $1,833 +20.80
451–477 459 17 415.00–427.50 $420.68 $1,931 +35.68
516–528 unweaned 521 12 399.00–412.50 $406.80 $2,119 +37.80
552 unweaned 552 9 392.00 $392.00 $2,164 +22.99
609–619 unweaned 614 69 355.50–364.00 $359.55 $2,208 +13.27
651–657 unweaned 653 10 345.00–355.00 $351.98 $2,298 +17.37
874 874 57 323.00 $323.00 $2,823 —
931 931 25 304.00 $304.00 $2,830 +1.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
387 387 3 432.50 $432.50 $1,674 —
416–445 432 13 427.50–430.00 $429.26 $1,854 +49.26
451–484 464 13 410.00 $410.00 $1,902 —
543–545 unweaned 544 33 387.50–390.00 $388.49 $2,113 +40.49
562–564 unweaned 562 30 373.00–375.00 $373.47 $2,099 +28.47
621–633 unweaned 629 54 343.00–352.50 $348.63 $2,193 —
681–693 unweaned 689 18 320.00–330.00 $323.29 $2,227 —
727 unweaned 727 5 310.00 $310.00 $2,254 —
794 unweaned 794 4 284.00 $284.00 $2,255 -28.50
801 unweaned 801 11 281.00 $281.00 $2,251 —
823 823 6 300.00 $300.00 $2,469 —
928 928 3 279.00 $279.00 $2,589 —
1028 1028 3 262.50 $262.50 $2,698 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
488 488 2 380.00 $380.00 $1,854 —
535–548 unweaned 546 29 372.00–376.00 $372.68 $2,035 —
557 unweaned 557 24 360.00 $360.00 $2,005 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
572 unweaned 572 3 330.00 $330.00 $1,888 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
291 291 4 581.00 $581.00 $1,691 —
425 425 6 510.00 $510.00 $2,168 —

↑ 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.