Cattle Market Pulse

La Junta Livestock Commision Market Report

La Junta, Colorado · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, March 22, 2023

1,060 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 steers $249.72/cwt -1.28 vs last sale · ≈ $1,144/hd at 458 lb · 29 head
light 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $203.19/cwt -15.81 vs last sale · ≈ $880/hd at 433 lb · 24 head
light 8-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $163.50/cwt ≈ $1,351/hd at 826 lb · 22 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,060 2,007 665
Feeder cattle 909 1,864 423
Slaughter cattle 151 143 242

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared with last Wednesday: Feeder steers and heifers too lightly tested for a comparison. Slaughter cows and bulls steady. Trade and 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
403–408 407 10 270.00–279.00 $276.32 $1,125 +2.78
553–554 554 21 231.00–234.00 $233.71 $1,295 -4.15
614 614 4 225.00 $225.00 $1,382 +5.34
700–710 703 22 183.00–187.00 $184.18 $1,295 -0.26
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
382–391 388 8 257.00–265.00 $259.96 $1,009 —
452–469 458 29 249.00–250.00 $249.72 $1,144 -1.28
532 532 3 229.00 $229.00 $1,218 -6.00
558–578 574 14 221.00–226.00 $222.04 $1,275 +10.04

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
313 313 6 220.00 $220.00 $689 -20.50
413–442 433 24 201.00–206.00 $203.19 $880 -15.81
468–472 469 9 186.00–187.00 $186.66 $875 —
826 826 22 163.50 $163.50 $1,351 —
940 940 13 155.00 $155.00 $1,457 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
459 459 7 200.00 $200.00 $918 -21.58
530–545 541 17 193.00–196.00 $193.87 $1,049 -2.54
564 564 6 191.00 $191.00 $1,077 +4.97
604–615 607 10 175.00–184.00 $181.27 $1,100 +0.14
657–673 665 16 173.00–181.00 $176.95 $1,177 +0.09
728 728 6 175.50 $175.50 $1,278 —
778 778 2 168.00 $168.00 $1,307 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
939–1380 1182 80-85% 18 81.00–89.00 $84.93 $1,004 —
1125–1298 1209 80-85% 15 90.00–95.00 $92.51 $1,118 +3.26
1272–1365 1289 80-85% 11 96.00–97.00 $96.19 $1,240 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
765–1135 938 85-90% 11 61.00–71.00 $68.02 $638 —
935–1005 970 85-90% 2 82.00–87.00 $84.59 $821 +13.84
785–1130 989 85-90% 22 72.00–79.00 $74.99 $742 +4.24
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1330 1330 75-80% 1 85.00 $85.00 $1,130 —
1245–1580 1397 75-80% 3 92.00–95.00 $93.57 $1,307 —
1585–1590 1588 75-80% 2 98.00–99.00 $98.50 $1,564 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1390–1945 1690 3 96.00–99.00 $97.21 $1,643 —
1685–1755 1720 2 111.00–112.00 $111.49 $1,918 —
1565–2203 1941 6 103.00–108.00 $106.35 $2,064 -2.25

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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.