Cattle Market Pulse

Colorado Weekly Cattle Auction Summary

Colorado · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Monday, August 2, 2021

2,560 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Colorado Weekly Cattle Auction Summary report →

light 4-weight M&L 1-2 steers $172.55/cwt ≈ $739/hd at 428 lb · 13 head
light 7-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $147.50/cwt ≈ $1,038/hd at 704 lb · 12 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,560 742 1,069
Feeder cattle 1,976 143 404
Slaughter cattle 584 599 665

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Combined weighted average report for 2 Colorado auction markets included: Centennial Livestock and Livestock Exchange. Trade activity and demand moderate to good. Very good demand and firm pricing of crossbred steers and heifers should be noted, with instances of sharply higher trades. Dairy feeder steers under 350 lbs traded steady to 5.00 higher, and 350-550 lbs sold 5.00 to 10.00 lower. Comparable trades of dairy feeder heifers sold mostly 5.00 higher, with the exception of 400-450 lb heifers selling 8.00 lower. Trade activity and demand moderate to good on slaughter cows and bulls. Average dressing slaughter cows sold 3.00 to 6.00 higher. Average dressing slaughter bulls sold 1.00 higher. Feeding cows sold 4.00 to 6.00 higher. Dairy heifers sold 2.00 to 3.00 higher. Trade activity light on moderate demand for feeder steers and heifers with no comparable trades from the prior week for a trend. The next available report will be Monday, August 16, 2021.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
403–439 428 13 169.00–174.00 $172.55 $739 —
573 573 3 159.00 $159.00 $911 —
893 893 4 136.00 $136.00 $1,214 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
432 432 7 155.00 $155.00 $670 —
704 704 12 147.50 $147.50 $1,038 —
818 818 3 138.00 $138.00 $1,129 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
578 578 6 148.00 $148.00 $855 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
160 160 1 185.00 $185.00 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
740–1470 1052 85-90% 7 31.00–45.00 $40.40 $425 —
830–1370 1084 85-90% 10 70.00–77.50 $72.90 $790 —
830–1430 1140 85-90% 14 49.00–60.00 $54.48 $621 —
1010–1395 1219 85-90% 14 72.00–88.50 $74.59 $909 —
955–1690 1238 85-90% 178 61.00–71.50 $67.95 $841 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1145 1145 80-85% 1 93.00 $93.00 $1,065 —
1305–1600 1411 80-85% 7 81.00–86.00 $82.95 $1,170 +10.57
1360–1540 1448 80-85% 7 73.00–87.00 $78.75 $1,140 +6.37
1100–1725 1471 80-85% 185 70.00–80.00 $75.69 $1,113 +11.85
1090–1735 1550 80-85% 22 54.00–69.00 $66.83 $1,036 —
1565 1565 80-85% 1 50.00 $50.00 $782 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1575 1575 75-80% 1 91.00 $91.00 $1,433 —
1450–1925 1706 75-80% 59 77.00–86.50 $83.86 $1,431 +6.08
1740–1980 1852 75-80% 3 70.00–73.50 $71.51 $1,324 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
945–1525 1150 15 80.00–90.00 $87.13 $1,002 —
1275 1275 1 57.50 $57.50 $733 —
1140–1930 1717 6 77.50–90.50 $86.43 $1,484 —
1555–2285 1846 25 92.00–103.00 $96.04 $1,773 —
1740–2120 1929 9 104.00–112.50 $107.47 $2,073 —

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Dairy Heifers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
242 242 3 90.00 $90.00 $218 —
258 258 2 72.00 $72.00 $186 —
310 fancy 310 20 104.50 $104.50 $324 —
331–337 335 28 71.00–81.00 $77.80 $261 —
383–397 393 18 76.00–77.00 $76.51 $301 —
412–418 414 14 71.00–72.00 $71.71 $297 —
431 fancy 431 6 139.00 $139.00 $599 —
492–498 494 7 76.00–77.50 $77.07 $381 —
568 568 2 71.00 $71.00 $403 —
713 713 2 73.00 $73.00 $520 —
791–798 793 7 85.00–93.50 $91.06 $722 —
810–820 815 2 89.00–90.00 $89.50 $729 +4.50
1036 1036 6 94.50 $94.50 $979 —
1065–1098 1074 30 92.00–95.00 $94.38 $1,014 +6.38
1188–1194 1193 11 89.50–92.00 $91.55 $1,092 —
1385–1398 1395 6 81.50–88.00 $86.76 $1,210 +2.51
Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250–292 278 9 102.50–113.00 $109.85 $305 —
303 fancy 303 7 127.50 $127.50 $386 —
630 630 4 80.50 $80.50 $507 —
835 835 4 93.00 $93.00 $777 —
875–890 882 9 94.50–95.50 $94.67 $835 —
921–937 926 10 95.50 $95.50 $884 +2.50
950–990 976 13 92.50–95.50 $94.47 $922 +2.47
1005–1035 1020 14 94.00–96.50 $95.47 $974 +1.71
1068–1086 1080 15 95.00–97.00 $95.83 $1,035 +2.83
1101–1124 1110 20 96.00–97.00 $96.52 $1,071 +3.39
1153–1176 1168 17 93.50–98.50 $97.27 $1,136 +4.10
1203–1233 1215 14 94.00–97.00 $95.93 $1,166 +2.34
1304 1304 8 94.50 $94.50 $1,232 —
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
220 220 8 150.00 $150.00 $330 —
241 fancy 241 42 173.00 $173.00 $417 —
256 256 13 143.00 $143.00 $366 —
330 330 3 142.50 $142.50 $470 —
355 355 2 138.00 $138.00 $490 —
369 fancy 369 14 158.00 $158.00 $583 —
463–493 475 5 133.00–137.50 $135.63 $644 —
Large 3-4 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
213 213 4 52.50 $52.50 $112 —
257–299 279 37 47.50–61.00 $54.94 $153 —
765 765 1 72.00 $72.00 $551 +1.00
959 959 7 54.00 $54.00 $518 —
1085 1085 1 70.50 $70.50 $765 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305 305 18 191.00 $191.00 $583 —
Medium and Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1179–1199 1188 14 75.00 $75.00 $891 —
Small 3-4 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
834–838 836 10 47.00–50.50 $48.40 $405 —
858 858 2 51.50 $51.50 $442 —
Small 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
329 329 9 119.00 $119.00 $392 —
Large 4 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
518 518 2 52.50 $52.50 $272 —
590–593 592 5 52.50–60.00 $57.51 $340 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
222 222 30 105.00 $105.00 $233 —
250–294 255 126 101.00–110.00 $107.62 $274 —
305–339 318 46 102.50–110.00 $106.32 $338 —
357–367 363 45 101.00–104.50 $102.65 $373 —
401–435 413 92 90.00–101.00 $98.36 $406 —
472–499 483 44 96.00–96.50 $96.15 $464 —
503–543 510 43 90.50–100.00 $96.56 $492 —
566–583 575 14 93.00–103.00 $98.07 $564 —
585 585 18 111.50 $111.50 $652 —
608 608 6 97.00 $97.00 $590 —
662 662 3 89.00 $89.00 $589 —
1085 1085 2 70.00 $70.00 $760 —
Large 2-3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 fancy 285 27 189.00 $189.00 $539 —
290 290 7 135.00 $135.00 $392 —
334–340 335 98 112.75–117.00 $113.63 $381 —
414–441 437 127 106.00–113.50 $108.74 $475 —
465 465 2 115.00 $115.00 $535 —
577 577 44 110.00–111.00 $110.50 $638 —
708–735 731 13 101.00–112.00 $110.36 $807 —
768 768 4 106.00 $106.00 $814 —
Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
253–265 255 8 147.00–152.50 $147.72 $377 —
259 fancy 259 47 212.00 $212.00 $549 —
324 fancy 324 18 180.00 $180.00 $583 —
353–383 fancy 356 65 163.00–190.50 $185.61 $661 —
394 394 4 148.00 $148.00 $583 —
423 423 3 147.50 $147.50 $624 —
469 469 16 147.00 $147.00 $689 —
551–576 562 23 134.00–149.00 $139.71 $785 —
779 779 4 123.00 $123.00 $958 —
Large 3-4 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
159–199 190 54 92.50–97.00 $93.34 $177 —
250–287 279 57 90.00–100.00 $92.36 $258 —
354 354 8 84.00 $84.00 $297 —
418 418 4 88.00 $88.00 $368 —
489 489 7 86.00 $86.00 $421 —
Small 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
455 455 30 148.00 $148.00 $673 —
Small 3-4 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
287–296 290 11 85.00–87.50 $87.09 $253 —
394 394 11 96.00 $96.00 $378 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
362–391 373 19 174.00–199.00 $189.34 $706 —
543 543 2 152.50 $152.50 $828 —

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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.