Cattle Market Pulse

La Junta Livestock Commision Market Report

La Junta, Colorado · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, April 12, 2023

1,802 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $200.00/cwt ≈ $1,306/hd at 653 lb · 62 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $205.72/cwt -1.87 vs last sale · ≈ $1,397/hd at 679 lb · 55 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $206.17/cwt +8.62 vs last sale · ≈ $1,177/hd at 571 lb · 41 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,802 1,680 1,275
Feeder cattle 980 1,489 769
Slaughter cattle 225 191 287
Replacement cattle 597 — 219

Market comments — USDA reporter

Feeder steers and heifers mostly steady in a light test. Slaughter cows and bulls mostly 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
513 513 12 242.00 $242.00 $1,241 +2.24
550 550 3 234.00 $234.00 $1,287 -3.50
632 632 27 212.00 $212.00 $1,340 —
665–691 679 55 200.00–210.00 $205.72 $1,397 -1.87
700 700 5 196.00 $196.00 $1,372 —
757 757 17 190.00 $190.00 $1,438 +2.48
804–805 805 22 181.00–182.00 $181.59 $1,462 -2.41
913 913 5 174.00 $174.00 $1,589 +0.27
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
380 380 7 261.00 $261.00 $992 —
408 408 6 251.00 $251.00 $1,024 +10.00
485 485 2 246.00 $246.00 $1,193 +10.75
515 515 2 219.00 $219.00 $1,128 -9.66
588 588 13 217.00 $217.00 $1,276 -8.00
753 753 12 171.00 $171.00 $1,288 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
404–432 422 34 216.00–225.00 $221.38 $934 -4.66
475–489 483 18 211.00–212.00 $211.56 $1,022 -1.00
510 fancy 510 6 221.00 $221.00 $1,127 —
538–541 540 27 211.00 $211.00 $1,139 +11.00
555–593 571 41 201.00–213.00 $206.17 $1,177 +8.62
638 638 10 203.00 $203.00 $1,295 +8.83
653 653 62 200.00 $200.00 $1,306 —
703 703 18 183.00 $183.00 $1,286 +1.35
755–767 763 15 177.00–181.00 $178.32 $1,361 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
373 373 7 211.00 $211.00 $787 —
547 547 5 197.00 $197.00 $1,078 —
585 585 5 197.00 $197.00 $1,152 +4.50
623 623 32 186.00 $186.00 $1,159 —
685 685 12 181.00 $181.00 $1,240 —
775 775 12 166.00 $166.00 $1,286 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
589 589 20 162.50 $162.50 $957 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
550 550 4 187.00 $187.00 $1,028 —
726 726 9 146.00 $146.00 $1,060 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1495 1495 75-80% 1 106.00 $106.00 $1,585 +7.89
1310–1877 1521 75-80% 25 94.00–104.00 $99.28 $1,510 —
1458–1860 1557 75-80% 10 87.00–94.00 $90.66 $1,412 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
775–1170 970 85-90% 14 81.00–85.00 $82.77 $803 —
965–1253 1103 85-90% 11 85.00–93.00 $89.78 $990 —
1045–1170 1103 85-90% 4 69.50–72.00 $71.13 $785 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1107–1390 1225 80-85% 13 81.00–89.00 $85.16 $1,043 —
1245–1255 1250 80-85% 2 100.00 $100.00 $1,250 —
1250–1255 1253 80-85% 5 93.00–96.00 $94.80 $1,188 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1445–1470 1451 4 101.00–104.00 $103.24 $1,498 —
1425–2590 1731 11 106.00–114.00 $108.75 $1,882 +2.13
1835–1955 1895 2 101.00 $101.00 $1,914 —
1980 1980 1 123.00 $123.00 $2,435 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1143–1353 1258 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 28 1,610.00–1,725.00 $1,658.76
1337–1448 1361 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 16 1,260.00–1,360.00 $1,279.95
1193–1499 1363 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 26 1,400.00–1,500.00 $1,443.75
1384 fancy 1384 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 11 1,785.00 $1,785.00
1388–1545 1517 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 28 1,525.00–1,610.00 $1,596.11
1601 1601 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 6 1,560.00 $1,560.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
977–1613 1157 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 42 1,425.00–1,585.00 $1,495.10
1196–1396 1302 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 17 1,375.00–1,450.00 $1,413.78

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
950–1300 1170 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 15 1,700.00–1,810.00 $1,776.17 —
1125–1350 1183 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 7 1,525.00–1,610.00 $1,582.74 —
1125–1270 1191 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 24 1,300.00–1,385.00 $1,373.91 —
1675 1675 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,910.00 $1,910.00 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1020–1300 1171 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 5 1,300.00–1,450.00 $1,385.55 —

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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.