Sale reports / Colorado / Sterling / 2026-01-17

Sterling

Feeder Cattle · Sterling, Colorado · Sat, Jan 17
● Final65 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1867
← Jan 14Jan 17latest
Receipts
1,815 head
▼ 492 vs last sale 2,307▲ 1,815 vs year ago 0 · no sale a year ago
View

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 classPick one — the panels below update

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb steers averaged $475.96/cwt on 144 head.
Average price
$475.96
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

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium 1534498.212,66020
Medium and Large 1586487.002,85428
Medium and Large 1-2563472.642,66075
Medium 1-2552451.902,49621
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.

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

Every lot

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. Grouped by class and set lightest first; USDA files them in sale-ring order.
ClassWeightGrade / descriptionAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
Feeder Cattle · Steers32 lots · lightest first
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1388640.00/cwt640.00–640.002,4836
Steers350–400Medium and Large 2395560.00/cwt560.00–560.002,21212
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1-2437577.50/cwt577.50–577.502,5243
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1460555.00/cwt555.00–555.002,55328
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1-2494533.61/cwt530.00–547.502,63624
Steers500–550Medium 1-2512486.45/cwt485.00–487.502,4917
Steers500–550Medium 1-2Unweaned512460.00/cwt460.00–460.002,3553
Steers500–550Medium 1534498.21/cwt492.00–500.002,66020
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1-2535501.26/cwt500.00–507.502,68223
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1-2574462.91/cwt457.50–472.502,65746
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned583437.50/cwt437.50–437.502,5516
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1586487.00/cwt487.00–487.002,85428
Steers550–600Medium 1-2589427.70/cwt425.00–430.002,51911
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1606460.00/cwt460.00–460.002,78817
Steers600–650Medium and Large 2618420.00/cwt420.00–420.002,59613
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned623421.28/cwt417.50–422.502,62521
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1-2633434.78/cwt425.00–449.002,752130
Steers600–650Medium 1-2647407.50/cwt407.50–407.502,6373
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1663431.50/cwt431.50–431.502,86124
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1-2683409.54/cwt407.00–410.002,79758
Steers650–700Medium and Large 2684395.00/cwt395.00–395.002,7024
Steers650–700Large 1686387.50/cwt387.50–387.502,65811
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1726390.36/cwt387.50–400.002,83434
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1-2732380.53/cwt379.00–384.002,78546
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1752384.63/cwt383.00–386.002,89224
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1-2770371.76/cwt369.00–380.002,86334
Steers750–800Medium 1797348.00/cwt348.00–348.002,7749
Steers800–850Medium and Large 1823354.34/cwt348.00–362.002,91665
Steers800–850Medium and Large 1-2837345.67/cwt345.00–347.502,89347
Steers850–900Medium and Large 1859344.58/cwt342.50–346.002,96054
Steers850–900Medium and Large 1-2895332.50/cwt332.50–332.502,97627
Steers950–1000Medium and Large 1963325.00/cwt325.00–325.003,1302
Feeder Cattle · Heifers33 lots · lightest first
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1386540.00/cwt540.00–540.002,0845
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1-2390520.00/cwt520.00–520.002,02824
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1440528.00/cwt528.00–528.002,32321
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1-2443505.88/cwt505.00–506.002,24130
Heifers400–450Medium 1449472.50/cwt472.50–472.502,1225
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1476485.00/cwt485.00–485.002,30913
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1-2486464.43/cwt460.00–467.502,25717
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1Unweaned498465.00/cwt465.00–465.002,3166
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1510463.08/cwt457.50–469.002,36234
Heifers500–550Medium 1511470.00/cwt470.00–470.002,40213
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2523444.05/cwt435.00–450.002,32230
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 2527422.50/cwt422.50–422.502,2273
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1560450.00/cwt450.00–450.002,52021
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2572418.19/cwt414.00–427.502,39245
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned574412.50/cwt412.50–412.502,36810
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 2588398.87/cwt396.00–404.002,34525
Heifers550–600Medium 1-2590385.00/cwt385.00–385.002,2723
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1606401.33/cwt401.00–410.002,43254
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1-2629388.81/cwt380.00–396.002,44689
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 2639369.16/cwt365.00–377.502,35918
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1-2665375.00/cwt375.00–375.002,49411
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1681362.17/cwt360.00–366.002,46627
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 2694353.19/cwt350.00–355.002,45125
Heifers650–700Medium 1-2695335.00/cwt335.00–335.002,3288
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1Fancy707390.00/cwt390.00–390.002,75725
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1-2719352.84/cwt342.50–355.002,53787
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1-2772327.24/cwt325.00–329.002,52649
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1780348.01/cwt346.00–355.002,71474
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 1840330.00/cwt330.00–330.002,77210
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 1-2862302.50/cwt302.50–302.502,60811
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 1879317.50/cwt317.50–317.502,7916
Heifers900–950Medium and Large 1902310.00/cwt310.00–310.002,7969
Heifers950–1000Medium and Large 1974301.78/cwt300.00–302.502,93928

This sale against other markets

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.