Cattle Market Sterling Livestock Commission Market Report
Sterling, Colorado · USDA-reported Auction Livestock
Sale of Wednesday, January 26, 20221,336 head sold ·Official USDA report
This is an archived report. See the latest Sterling Livestock Commission report →
Receipts
| Head | This sale | Last sale | Last year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total receipts | 1,336 | 961 | 908 |
| Feeder cattle | — | 763 | — |
| Slaughter cattle | 229 | 174 | 285 |
| Replacement cattle | 1,107 | 24 | 623 |
Market comments — USDA reporter
New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓
Slaughter Cows
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Dressing | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 985–1340 | 1119 | 80-85% | 13 | 60.00–68.00 | $62.61 | $701 | — |
| 1005–1390 | 1201 | 80-85% | 14 | 60.00–67.00 | $63.50 | $763 | — |
| 1045–1405 | 1291 | 80-85% | 73 | 68.00–75.00 | $71.62 | $925 | +12.65 |
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Dressing | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1455–1575 | 1487 | 75-80% | 8 | 65.00–70.00 | $68.73 | $1,022 | — |
| 1340–1725 | 1528 | 75-80% | 16 | 69.00–78.00 | $73.17 | $1,118 | — |
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Dressing | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 848–945 | 880 | 85-90% | 3 | 64.00–68.00 | $66.57 | $586 | — |
Bred Cows
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Age | Stage | Head | Price range | Avg $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1018–1248 | 1079 | Young (2-4 yrs) | 2nd Stage (4-6 mo) | 54 | 1,275.00–1,450.00 | $1,360.81 |
| 1106–1196 | 1132 | Young (2-4 yrs) | 3rd Stage (7-9 mo) | 28 | 1,400.00–1,550.00 | $1,478.80 |
| 1264 | 1264 | Middle Aged (5-8 yrs) | 2nd Stage (4-6 mo) | 29 | 1,525.00 | $1,525.00 |
| 1184–1391 | 1265 | Middle Aged (5-8 yrs) | 2nd Stage (4-6 mo) | 34 | 1,100.00–1,300.00 | $1,182.39 |
| 1037–1329 | 1276 | Young (2-4 yrs) | 3rd Stage (7-9 mo) | 109 | 1,650.00–2,550.00 | $1,866.89 |
| 1197–1751 | 1311 | Middle Aged (5-8 yrs) | 3rd Stage (7-9 mo) | 136 | 1,100.00–1,385.00 | $1,275.16 |
| 1294–1407 | 1318 | Aged (>8 yrs) | 2nd Stage (4-6 mo) | 14 | 975.00–1,050.00 | $992.15 |
| 1308–1556 | 1398 | Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs) | 3rd Stage (7-9 mo) | 18 | 1,025.00–1,275.00 | $1,185.22 |
| 1218–1564 | 1430 | Aged (>8 yrs) | 3rd Stage (7-9 mo) | 95 | 950.00–1,175.00 | $1,043.66 |
| 1367–1653 | 1436 | Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs) | 2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) | 28 | 1,060.00–1,100.00 | $1,076.88 |
| 1171–1662 | 1446 | Middle Aged (5-8 yrs) | 3rd Stage (7-9 mo) | 102 | 1,500.00–1,600.00 | $1,551.85 |
| 1325–1655 | 1527 | Aged (>8 yrs) | 2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) | 18 | 950.00–1,060.00 | $1,022.87 |
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Age | Stage | Head | Price range | Avg $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1211–1433 | 1287 | Middle Aged (5-8 yrs) | 2nd Stage (4-6 mo) | 21 | 850.00–1,025.00 | $940.32 |
| 1293 | 1293 | Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs) | 2nd Stage (4-6 mo) | 3 | 925.00 | $925.00 |
| 1301 | 1301 | Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs) | 3rd Stage (7-9 mo) | 9 | 925.00 | $925.00 |
| 1232–1498 | 1322 | Aged (>8 yrs) | 3rd Stage (7-9 mo) | 100 | 785.00–925.00 | $856.51 |
| 1313–1367 | 1351 | Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs) | 2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) | 10 | 875.00–900.00 | $882.29 |
| 1285–1467 | 1361 | Aged (>8 yrs) | 2nd Stage (4-6 mo) | 39 | 860.00–925.00 | $889.82 |
| 1475–1628 | 1584 | Middle Aged (5-8 yrs) | 3rd Stage (7-9 mo) | 7 | 1,000.00–1,075.00 | $1,055.05 |
Bred Heifers
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Age | Stage | Head | Price range | Avg $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1109–1302 | 1145 | Young (2-4 yrs) | 3rd Stage (7-9 mo) | 90 | 1,450.00–1,750.00 | $1,554.41 |
| 1146 | 1146 | Young (2-4 yrs) | 2nd Stage (4-6 mo) | 8 | 1,600.00 | $1,600.00 |
| 1146–1348 | 1230 | Young (2-4 yrs) | 3rd Stage (7-9 mo) | 37 | 1,800.00–2,500.00 | $2,245.89 |
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Age | Stage | Head | Price range | Avg $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1152 | 1152 | Young (2-4 yrs) | 3rd Stage (7-9 mo) | 8 | 1,300.00 | $1,300.00 |
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.
Special bred cow and heifer sale. Bred cattle had no comparisons to trend, though a firm undertone was noted. Trade activity and demand were moderate to good. Today's run was a bred heifer and cow special, with a majority of the cattle being bred six to eight months. Slaughter cattle had no comparisons. The next available report will be February 02, 2022.