Name: Sterling livestock auction prices — 2026-01-17
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-01-17

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Trade activity and demand were good. Feeder steers traded uneven, calves under 500 pounds traded mostly 2.00 to 6.00 lower, while those above 500 pounds traded mostly steady to 6.00 higher. Feeder heifers traded mostly steady to 6.00 lower. Quality may have fell a little short from the last two specials as a whole but still some good quality calves. Next available report will be as receipts warrant.

Weight class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $475.96/cwt on 144 head, down $25.55 from the prior sale. That ranks 1 of 3 comparable sales and sits −25.55 against this barn's trailing median of $501.51.

Average price

$475.96

▼ 25.55 vs prior sale

144 head · 562 lb average

Value per head Derived

$2,674

Price × average weight ÷ 100

Grade differential Derived

$164

per head · Medium 1 over Medium 1-2

$46.31/cwt at this weight

vs the market

+9.01

vs CO average

+3.98 vs national

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium 1	534	498.21	2,660	20
Medium and Large 1	586	487.00	2,854	28
Medium and Large 1-2	563	472.64	2,660	75
Medium 1-2	552	451.90	2,496	21

One grade step is worth $46.31/cwt here — about $164 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 300–400 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 sale144 hd

475.96

—

CO average5 barns · 2,295 hd

466.95

+9.01

National average187 barns · 29,067 hd

471.98

+3.98

This barn, trailing median3 sales

501.51

−25.55

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

65 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	Large 1	650–700	686	387.50/cwt	387.50–387.50	2,658	11
Heifers	Medium 1	400–450	449	472.50/cwt	472.50–472.50	2,122	5
Heifers	Medium 1	500–550	511	470.00/cwt	470.00–470.00	2,402	13
Steers	Medium 1-2	600–650	647	407.50/cwt	407.50–407.50	2,637	3
Steers	Medium 1-2	550–600	589	427.70/cwt	425.00–430.00	2,519	11
Steers	Medium 1-2	500–550	512	486.45/cwt	485.00–487.50	2,491	7
Steers	Medium and Large 2	350–400	395	560.00/cwt	560.00–560.00	2,212	12
Steers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	618	420.00/cwt	420.00–420.00	2,596	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	350–400	390	520.00/cwt	520.00–520.00	2,028	24
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	523	444.05/cwt	435.00–450.00	2,322	30
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	629	388.81/cwt	380.00–396.00	2,446	89
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	500–550	527	422.50/cwt	422.50–422.50	2,227	3
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	550–600	588	398.87/cwt	396.00–404.00	2,345	25
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	772	327.24/cwt	325.00–329.00	2,526	49
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	494	533.61/cwt	530.00–547.50	2,636	24
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	583	437.50/cwt	437.50–437.50	2,551	6
Steers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	684	395.00/cwt	395.00–395.00	2,702	4
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	683	409.54/cwt	407.00–410.00	2,797	58
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	895	332.50/cwt	332.50–332.50	2,976	27
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	574	462.91/cwt	457.50–472.50	2,657	46
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	770	371.76/cwt	369.00–380.00	2,863	34
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	862	302.50/cwt	302.50–302.50	2,608	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	650–700	665	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	2,494	11
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	800–850	837	345.67/cwt	345.00–347.50	2,893	47
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	600–650	633	434.78/cwt	425.00–449.00	2,752	130
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	437	577.50/cwt	577.50–577.50	2,524	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	500–550	535	501.26/cwt	500.00–507.50	2,682	23
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	450–500	486	464.43/cwt	460.00–467.50	2,257	17
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	550–600	572	418.19/cwt	414.00–427.50	2,392	45
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	574	412.50/cwt	412.50–412.50	2,368	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	400–450	443	505.88/cwt	505.00–506.00	2,241	30
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	732	380.53/cwt	379.00–384.00	2,785	46
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	700–750	707	390.00/cwt	390.00–390.00	2,757	25
Steers	Medium 1	750–800	797	348.00/cwt	348.00–348.00	2,774	9
Steers	Medium 1	500–550	534	498.21/cwt	492.00–500.00	2,660	20
Heifers	Medium 1-2	550–600	590	385.00/cwt	385.00–385.00	2,272	3
Steers	Medium 1-2Unweaned	500–550	512	460.00/cwt	460.00–460.00	2,355	3
Heifers	Medium 1-2	650–700	695	335.00/cwt	335.00–335.00	2,328	8
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	780	348.01/cwt	346.00–355.00	2,714	74
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	650–700	694	353.19/cwt	350.00–355.00	2,451	25
Heifers	Medium and Large 2	600–650	639	369.16/cwt	365.00–377.50	2,359	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	560	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	2,520	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	476	485.00/cwt	485.00–485.00	2,309	13
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	386	540.00/cwt	540.00–540.00	2,084	5
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	606	401.33/cwt	401.00–410.00	2,432	54
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	663	431.50/cwt	431.50–431.50	2,861	24
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	460	555.00/cwt	555.00–555.00	2,553	28
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	840	330.00/cwt	330.00–330.00	2,772	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	823	354.34/cwt	348.00–362.00	2,916	65
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	859	344.58/cwt	342.50–346.00	2,960	54
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	681	362.17/cwt	360.00–366.00	2,466	27
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	726	390.36/cwt	387.50–400.00	2,834	34
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	752	384.63/cwt	383.00–386.00	2,892	24
Steers	Medium and Large 1	350–400	388	640.00/cwt	640.00–640.00	2,483	6
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	606	460.00/cwt	460.00–460.00	2,788	17
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	586	487.00/cwt	487.00–487.00	2,854	28
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	600–650	623	421.28/cwt	417.50–422.50	2,625	21
Steers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	963	325.00/cwt	325.00–325.00	3,130	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	440	528.00/cwt	528.00–528.00	2,323	21
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	498	465.00/cwt	465.00–465.00	2,316	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	950–1000	974	301.78/cwt	300.00–302.50	2,939	28
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	510	463.08/cwt	457.50–469.00	2,362	34
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2	700–750	719	352.84/cwt	342.50–355.00	2,537	87
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	902	310.00/cwt	310.00–310.00	2,796	9
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	879	317.50/cwt	317.50–317.50	2,791	6

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 17, 2026

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

Receipts 1,815Last week 2,307Year ago 0

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
11	650–700	686	387.50	387.50
Steers — Medium 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
7	500–550	512	485.00–487.50	486.45
11	550–600	589	425.00–430.00	427.70
3	600–650	647	407.50	407.50
Steers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
12	350–400	395	560.00	560.00
13	600–650	618	420.00	420.00
4	650–700	684	395.00	395.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
3	400–450	437	577.50	577.50
24	450–500	494	530.00–547.50	533.61
23	500–550	535	500.00–507.50	501.26
46	550–600	574	457.50–472.50	462.91
130	600–650	633	425.00–449.00	434.78
58	650–700	683	407.00–410.00	409.54
46	700–750	732	379.00–384.00	380.53
34	750–800	770	369.00–380.00	371.76
47	800–850	837	345.00–347.50	345.67
27	850–900	895	332.50	332.50
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
6	550–600	583	437.50	437.50
21	600–650	623	417.50–422.50	421.28
Steers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
20	500–550	534	492.00–500.00	498.21
9	750–800	797	348.00	348.00
Steers — Medium 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
3	500–550	512	460.00	460.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
6	350–400	388	640.00	640.00
28	450–500	460	555.00	555.00
28	550–600	586	487.00	487.00
17	600–650	606	460.00	460.00
24	650–700	663	431.50	431.50
34	700–750	726	387.50–400.00	390.36
24	750–800	752	383.00–386.00	384.63
65	800–850	823	348.00–362.00	354.34
54	850–900	859	342.50–346.00	344.58
2	950–1000	963	325.00	325.00
Heifers — Medium 1$ per cwt · actual wt
5	400–450	449	472.50	472.50
13	500–550	511	470.00	470.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
24	350–400	390	520.00	520.00
30	400–450	443	505.00–506.00	505.88
17	450–500	486	460.00–467.50	464.43
30	500–550	523	435.00–450.00	444.05
45	550–600	572	414.00–427.50	418.19
89	600–650	629	380.00–396.00	388.81
11	650–700	665	375.00	375.00
87	700–750	719	342.50–355.00	352.84
49	750–800	772	325.00–329.00	327.24
11	850–900	862	302.50	302.50
Heifers — Medium and Large 2$ per cwt · actual wt
3	500–550	527	422.50	422.50
25	550–600	588	396.00–404.00	398.87
18	600–650	639	365.00–377.50	369.16
25	650–700	694	350.00–355.00	353.19
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
10	550–600	574	412.50	412.50
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
25	700–750	707	390.00	390.00
Heifers — Medium 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
3	550–600	590	385.00	385.00
8	650–700	695	335.00	335.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
5	350–400	386	540.00	540.00
21	400–450	440	528.00	528.00
13	450–500	476	485.00	485.00
34	500–550	510	457.50–469.00	463.08
21	550–600	560	450.00	450.00
54	600–650	606	401.00–410.00	401.33
27	650–700	681	360.00–366.00	362.17
74	750–800	780	346.00–355.00	348.01
10	800–850	840	330.00	330.00
6	850–900	879	317.50	317.50
9	900–950	902	310.00	310.00
28	950–1000	974	300.00–302.50	301.78
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
6	450–500	498	465.00	465.00

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.

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