Name: Sterling livestock auction prices — 2026-01-10
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-01-10

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Trade activity and demand was good. Feeder steers sold sharply higher across all weight classes. Feeder heifers also sold sharply higher across all weight classes. The next feeder calf Stock Show sale will be next Wednesday January 14, 2026.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $505.36/cwt on 267 head. That ranks 3 of 3 comparable sales and sits +3.85 against this barn's trailing median of $501.51.

Average price

$505.36

267 head · 538 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,721

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$31

per head · Medium and Large 1 over Large 1

$36.44/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+28.78

vs CO average

+39.03 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	538	506.44	2,724	256
Medium and Large 1-2	548	482.50	2,644	9thin
Large 1	573	470.00	2,693	2thin

One grade step is worth $36.44/cwt here — about $31 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 400–500 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

3 sales

Steers 500–600 lb: high $505.36, low $475.96, median $501.51 across 3 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only

This sale267 hd

505.36

—

CO average5 barns · 1,063 hd

476.58

+28.78

National average195 barns · 28,890 hd

466.33

+39.03

This barn, trailing median3 sales

501.51

+3.85

A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

Every lot, as filed

68 lots · USDA AMS · Sterling Livestock Commission Stock Show Special - Sterling, CO

Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added.

Class	Grade / description	Weight	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	873	345.23/cwt	345.00–346.00	3,014	51
Steers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	923	331.75/cwt	320.00–337.50	3,062	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	902	312.00/cwt	312.00–312.00	2,814	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	668	370.19/cwt	365.00–379.50	2,473	129
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	613	406.74/cwt	401.00–415.00	2,493	92
Steers	Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed	750–800	753	377.50/cwt	377.50–377.50	2,843	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	825	361.74/cwt	355.00–363.00	2,984	72
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	724	347.95/cwt	346.00–355.00	2,519	83
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	441	490.00/cwt	490.00–490.00	2,161	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	526	457.28/cwt	455.00–460.00	2,405	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	700–750	742	373.31/cwt	365.00–375.00	2,770	38
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	581	418.96/cwt	415.00–425.00	2,434	42
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	385	630.00/cwt	630.00–630.00	2,426	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	689	358.53/cwt	350.00–360.00	2,470	67
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	641	423.96/cwt	420.00–428.00	2,718	44
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	537	441.86/cwt	439.00–447.50	2,373	38
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	598	367.50/cwt	367.50–367.50	2,198	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	500	427.50/cwt	427.50–427.50	2,138	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	587	442.50/cwt	442.50–442.50	2,597	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	834	303.66/cwt	302.50–305.00	2,533	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	418	460.00/cwt	460.00–460.00	1,923	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	540	505.53/cwt	491.00–510.00	2,730	190
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	823	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	2,757	7
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	781	331.40/cwt	329.00–335.00	2,588	16
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	624	391.29/cwt	387.00–399.00	2,442	69
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	692	397.70/cwt	392.50–400.00	2,752	73
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	738	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	2,288	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	548	482.50/cwt	482.50–482.50	2,644	9
Steers	Large 1	550–600	573	470.00/cwt	470.00–470.00	2,693	2
Steers	Large 1	950–1000	950	300.00/cwt	300.00–300.00	2,850	9
Steers	Large 1	800–850	841	349.00/cwt	349.00–349.00	2,935	100
Steers	Large 1	900–950	916	328.00/cwt	328.00–328.00	3,004	39
Heifers	Large 1	700–750	710	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	2,485	3
Heifers	Large 1	750–800	786	336.00/cwt	336.00–336.00	2,641	88
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	781	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	2,734	40
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	559	440.63/cwt	432.50–445.00	2,463	81
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	321	577.38/cwt	575.00–580.00	1,853	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	438	510.98/cwt	495.00–512.00	2,238	33
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	991	280.00/cwt	280.00–280.00	2,775	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	200–250	233	640.00/cwt	640.00–640.00	1,491	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	439	562.50/cwt	562.50–562.50	2,469	24
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	462	555.00/cwt	555.00–555.00	2,564	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	476	493.00/cwt	493.00–493.00	2,347	14
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	726	385.03/cwt	380.00–389.00	2,795	154
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	625	436.20/cwt	430.00–448.00	2,726	315
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	393	537.50/cwt	537.50–537.50	2,112	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	300–350	345	595.00/cwt	595.00–595.00	2,053	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	795	368.77/cwt	361.00–372.50	2,932	148
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	353	658.00/cwt	658.00–658.00	2,323	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	679	408.83/cwt	405.00–416.00	2,776	69
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	650–700	657	422.00/cwt	422.00–422.00	2,773	25
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	700–750	704	401.00/cwt	401.00–401.00	2,823	56
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	559	493.76/cwt	490.00–495.00	2,760	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	521	518.42/cwt	512.50–525.00	2,701	23
Steers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	965	317.51/cwt	315.00–319.00	3,064	57
Bulls	Medium and Large 1	650–700	682	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	2,626	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	600–650	601	426.00/cwt	426.00–426.00	2,560	197
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	750–800	763	377.00/cwt	377.00–377.00	2,877	77
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	500–550	514	477.75/cwt	475.00–478.00	2,456	122
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	600–650	609	455.00/cwt	455.00–455.00	2,771	13
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	500–550	510	532.00/cwt	532.00–532.00	2,713	25
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	250–300	274	565.00/cwt	565.00–565.00	1,548	8
Heifers	Large 1	650–700	653	379.00/cwt	379.00–379.00	2,475	34
Heifers	Large 1	850–900	854	317.50/cwt	317.50–317.50	2,711	28
Steers	Large 1	650–700	690	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	2,657	6
Steers	Large 1	700–750	710	379.66/cwt	377.50–385.00	2,696	24
Steers	Large 1	750–800	765	369.00/cwt	369.00–369.00	2,823	31
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	700–750	704	392.00/cwt	392.00–392.00	2,760	41

How this sale compares

Colorado weighted averages

One sale is one barn on one day. The state ladder is every Colorado auction USDA reported that week, weighted by head — the fairer test of whether a lot sold well.

Colorado feeder prices, every weight →Every state and region →

Sterling Livestock Commission Stock Show Special - Sterling, CO

Sat Jan 10, 2026

USDA Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News · Federal-State Market News Service, Greeley, CO (LS-GL)

Receipts 3,248Last week 3,042Year ago 3,042

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
3	200–250	233	640.00	640.00
4	300–350	345	595.00	595.00
21	350–400	353	658.00	658.00
24	400–450	439	562.50	562.50
13	450–500	462	555.00	555.00
23	500–550	521	512.50–525.00	518.42
8	550–600	559	490.00–495.00	493.76
315	600–650	625	430.00–448.00	436.20
69	650–700	679	405.00–416.00	408.83
154	700–750	726	380.00–389.00	385.03
148	750–800	795	361.00–372.50	368.77
72	800–850	825	355.00–363.00	361.74
51	850–900	873	345.00–346.00	345.23
6	900–950	923	320.00–337.50	331.75
57	950–1000	965	315.00–319.00	317.51
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Thin Fleshed$ per cwt · actual wt
17	750–800	753	377.50	377.50
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
3	350–400	385	630.00	630.00
6	400–450	441	490.00	490.00
190	500–550	540	491.00–510.00	505.53
10	550–600	587	442.50	442.50
44	600–650	641	420.00–428.00	423.96
73	650–700	692	392.50–400.00	397.70
38	700–750	742	365.00–375.00	373.31
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
2	400–450	418	460.00	460.00
9	500–550	548	482.50	482.50
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
7	800–850	823	335.00	335.00
Steers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
2	550–600	573	470.00	470.00
6	650–700	690	385.00	385.00
24	700–750	710	377.50–385.00	379.66
31	750–800	765	369.00	369.00
100	800–850	841	349.00	349.00
39	900–950	916	328.00	328.00
9	950–1000	950	300.00	300.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
25	500–550	510	532.00	532.00
13	600–650	609	455.00	455.00
25	650–700	657	422.00	422.00
56	700–750	704	401.00	401.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
8	250–300	274	565.00	565.00
18	300–350	321	575.00–580.00	577.38
4	350–400	393	537.50	537.50
33	400–450	438	495.00–512.00	510.98
14	450–500	476	493.00	493.00
15	500–550	526	455.00–460.00	457.28
81	550–600	559	432.50–445.00	440.63
92	600–650	613	401.00–415.00	406.74
129	650–700	668	365.00–379.50	370.19
83	700–750	724	346.00–355.00	347.95
40	750–800	781	350.00	350.00
15	800–850	834	302.50–305.00	303.66
9	900–950	902	312.00	312.00
4	950–1000	991	280.00	280.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
38	500–550	537	439.00–447.50	441.86
42	550–600	581	415.00–425.00	418.96
69	600–650	624	387.00–399.00	391.29
67	650–700	689	350.00–360.00	358.53
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
3	500–550	500	427.50	427.50
3	550–600	598	367.50	367.50
2	700–750	738	310.00	310.00
16	750–800	781	329.00–335.00	331.40
Heifers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
34	650–700	653	379.00	379.00
3	700–750	710	350.00	350.00
88	750–800	786	336.00	336.00
28	850–900	854	317.50	317.50
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
122	500–550	514	475.00–478.00	477.75
197	600–650	601	426.00	426.00
41	700–750	704	392.00	392.00
77	750–800	763	377.00	377.00
Bulls — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
5	650–700	682	385.00	385.00

Head, weight ranges, average weights and price ranges are exactly as USDA AMS filed them — nothing recomputed, nothing rounded — in USDA's own reporting structure. This is RaisedBeef's rendering of that data, not a copy of USDA's document.

Feeder Cattle — prices, barns, and planning

Fed Cattle — the cash market and what quality pays

Beef & Retail — from the box to the grocery shelf

Feed & Hay — the cost side, cash not futures

Cows & Bred Stock — the rebuild market

More

Sterling