Cattle Market Pulse

La Junta Livestock Commision Market Report

La Junta, Colorado · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, December 21, 2022

1,202 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest La Junta Livestock Commision report →

heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $154.29/cwt ≈ $1,021/hd at 662 lb · 26 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 steers $161.00/cwt ≈ $1,301/hd at 808 lb · 18 head
heavy 7-weight M 1-2 steers $145.00/cwt ≈ $1,103/hd at 761 lb · 17 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,202 2,985 1,222
Feeder cattle 982 2,473 872
Slaughter cattle 220 512 350

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared with last Wednesday: Feeder steers and heifers lightly tested. Demand moderate. Slaughter cows steady. Slaughter bulls steady to 1.00 higher. Demand moderate to good.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
366 366 6 230.00 $230.00 $842 -3.91
427–437 432 11 201.00–206.00 $203.24 $878 -21.61
454 454 5 200.00 $200.00 $908 -6.16
580 580 13 181.00 $181.00 $1,050 -15.48
694 694 12 163.00 $163.00 $1,131 -12.94
708 708 10 166.00 $166.00 $1,175 -5.85
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
306–336 321 17 201.00–204.00 $202.71 $651 —
507–511 509 16 180.00–182.00 $181.19 $922 —
808 808 18 161.00 $161.00 $1,301 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
761 761 17 145.00 $145.00 $1,103 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
363 363 9 191.00 $191.00 $693 —
411–431 423 13 175.00–180.00 $178.13 $753 —
550–555 553 12 155.00–158.00 $156.25 $864 —
655–673 662 26 150.00–156.00 $154.29 $1,021 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
707–711 709 16 154.00–156.00 $155.25 $1,101 -2.75

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1025–1625 1241 80-85% 11 65.00–70.00 $67.28 $835 -2.49
1225–1286 1253 80-85% 13 72.50–73.00 $72.80 $912 +4.66
1088–1365 1262 80-85% 7 61.00–65.00 $62.82 $793 -5.32
1270 1270 80-85% 9 65.50 $65.50 $832 -2.64
1388 1388 80-85% 6 67.00 $67.00 $930 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1340–1650 1463 75-80% 17 62.00–70.00 $64.77 $948 -14.73
1450–1745 1565 75-80% 22 71.00–79.00 $76.95 $1,204 —
2015 2015 75-80% 1 81.00 $81.00 $1,632 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
760–1084 1005 85-90% 10 51.00–58.00 $56.23 $565 +1.04
1115 1115 85-90% 1 66.00 $66.00 $736 +2.87
940–1142 1118 85-90% 20 61.00–64.00 $63.09 $705 -0.04
1287 1287 85-90% 7 64.00 $64.00 $824 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1460–1530 1495 2 88.00–91.00 $89.54 $1,339 —
1430–2005 1756 5 94.00–101.00 $97.33 $1,709 —
1495–1895 1770 6 92.00–101.00 $96.35 $1,705 —
1750–1970 1860 2 106.00–107.00 $106.53 $1,981 +15.78

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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.