Cattle Market Pulse

La Junta Livestock Commision Market Report

La Junta, Colorado · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, January 17, 2024

1,767 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $252.76/cwt ≈ $1,720/hd at 681 lb · 97 head
heavy 3-weight M&L 1 heifers $292.57/cwt +4.10 vs last sale · ≈ $1,080/hd at 369 lb · 68 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $272.83/cwt +8.83 vs last sale · ≈ $1,555/hd at 570 lb · 54 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,767 1,588 2,475
Feeder cattle 1,372 1,016 2,288
Slaughter cattle 234 313 187
Replacement cattle 161 259 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Trade activity and demand was good. Feeder steers under 450lbs sold sharply lower while steers over 450lbs to 700lbs sold 2.00 to 3.00 higher. Steers over 700lbs sold 3.00 to 12.00 higher. Feeder heifers under 550lbs sold mostly 1.00 to 11.00 higher. Feeder heifers over 550lbs sold 1.00 to 7.00 higher. Slaughter cows sold mostly 1.00 to 5.00 higher across all weight classes. Slaughter bulls sold mostly 6.00 to 9.00 higher. The next feeder calf and slaughter cow sale will be next Wednesday January 24, 2024.

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
300–332 314 18 330.00–339.00 $332.09 $1,043 -18.02
447 447 3 320.00 $320.00 $1,430 -16.71
510–545 531 15 287.00–290.00 $289.04 $1,535 +1.94
562 value added 562 10 298.00 $298.00 $1,675 —
556–579 570 41 260.00–273.00 $266.09 $1,517 +2.09
597 thin fleshed 597 3 281.00 $281.00 $1,678 —
606 value added 606 7 290.00 $290.00 $1,757 —
608–645 627 4 240.00–261.00 $250.81 $1,573 -1.19
630 thin fleshed 630 2 270.00 $270.00 $1,701 —
660 value added 660 10 263.00 $263.00 $1,736 —
672–675 thin fleshed 673 33 259.00–260.00 $259.73 $1,748 —
673–690 689 54 236.00–247.00 $246.60 $1,699 —
743 743 2 221.00 $221.00 $1,642 +3.00
777 777 3 217.00 $217.00 $1,686 +9.00
785 value added 785 8 228.00 $228.00 $1,790 +12.00
806 806 4 201.00 $201.00 $1,620 ±0.00
856–888 868 11 202.00–206.00 $204.51 $1,775 +8.51
987 987 7 192.00 $192.00 $1,895 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
372–396 386 27 307.00–317.00 $310.57 $1,199 -3.43
415–432 426 20 251.00–291.00 $275.95 $1,176 -0.05
466–491 474 32 226.00–294.00 $278.10 $1,318 +0.35
547 547 3 256.00 $256.00 $1,400 -5.00
618 618 11 219.00 $219.00 $1,353 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
437 437 3 300.00 $300.00 $1,311 -10.63
474 474 9 308.00 $308.00 $1,460 +2.17
513 513 4 271.00 $271.00 $1,390 -5.00
577 577 6 252.00 $252.00 $1,454 -7.00
634 634 4 235.00 $235.00 $1,490 +7.45
669–686 682 18 231.00–235.00 $234.13 $1,597 +8.13
703 703 3 216.00 $216.00 $1,518 —
753 753 5 188.00 $188.00 $1,416 -8.00
894 894 21 198.50 $198.50 $1,775 —
1025 1025 13 175.00 $175.00 $1,794 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
438–446 444 11 294.00–296.00 $294.54 $1,308 -5.46
547 value added 547 28 292.00 $292.00 $1,597 —
555 value added 555 7 279.00 $279.00 $1,548 —
649 value added 649 21 271.00 $271.00 $1,759 —
718 718 2 207.00 $207.00 $1,486 -1.00

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
268 fancy 268 8 317.00 $317.00 $850 —
343 343 16 301.00 $301.00 $1,032 —
362–374 369 68 292.00–293.00 $292.57 $1,080 +4.10
415 value added 415 2 290.00 $290.00 $1,204 —
426–434 431 12 263.00–271.00 $266.30 $1,148 -1.00
433 fancy 433 5 301.00 $301.00 $1,303 —
483 value added 483 14 279.00 $279.00 $1,348 —
487 487 7 264.00 $264.00 $1,286 +0.89
509 value added 509 12 264.00 $264.00 $1,344 —
500–527 511 27 245.00–256.00 $250.61 $1,281 +10.61
551 thin fleshed 551 12 250.00 $250.00 $1,378 —
552 value added 552 12 267.00 $267.00 $1,474 —
590 590 24 237.00 $237.00 $1,398 —
608 608 10 230.00 $230.00 $1,398 +6.32
703 703 12 205.00 $205.00 $1,441 +2.00
724 value added 724 17 212.00 $212.00 $1,535 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
281 281 4 301.00 $301.00 $846 —
306–315 312 12 289.00–290.00 $289.67 $904 +7.67
355–372 369 13 276.00–277.00 $276.85 $1,022 —
408–423 415 19 250.00–252.00 $250.64 $1,040 -8.04
450–499 483 46 246.00–257.00 $250.64 $1,211 -1.78
540 540 7 229.00–239.00 $236.14 $1,275 +2.14
558–593 563 21 221.00–230.00 $227.21 $1,279 +3.41
608–623 611 17 212.00–215.00 $214.82 $1,313 -2.19
723–728 726 16 196.00 $196.00 $1,423 —
791 791 7 193.00 $193.00 $1,527 —
844 844 4 179.00 $179.00 $1,511 —
932 932 10 169.00 $169.00 $1,575 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
348 348 2 261.00 $261.00 $908 -2.00
433 433 2 241.00 $241.00 $1,044 —
452 452 3 231.00 $231.00 $1,044 +7.38
501–542 527 14 226.00 $226.00 $1,191 —
550–592 576 8 190.00–214.00 $205.41 $1,183 -5.59
640 640 3 171.00 $171.00 $1,094 —
658–690 664 19 181.00–208.00 $201.77 $1,340 —
718 718 8 188.00 $188.00 $1,350 —
835 835 5 171.00 $171.00 $1,428 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
394 394 4 261.00 $261.00 $1,028 —
450–490 470 8 246.00–251.00 $248.61 $1,168 —
510 510 13 229.00 $229.00 $1,168 -7.33
510 value added 510 12 257.00 $257.00 $1,311 —
557–570 561 15 230.00–239.00 $235.95 $1,324 +7.95
615 615 5 205.00 $205.00 $1,261 -15.00
618 value added 618 3 220.00 $220.00 $1,360 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
725–1255 988 85-90% 47 56.00–81.00 $72.84 $720 —
944–1290 994 85-90% 29 84.00–89.00 $87.59 $871 —
917–1275 1095 85-90% 73 90.00–99.00 $93.93 $1,029 —
950–1250 1142 85-90% 5 100.00–102.00 $100.73 $1,150 +13.66
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1373 1373 80-85% 12 100.50 $100.50 $1,380 +14.74
1310–1440 1401 80-85% 5 61.00–81.00 $75.98 $1,064 —
1365–1443 1425 80-85% 13 92.00–99.00 $97.51 $1,390 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1597–1615 1598 75-80% 14 104.00 $104.00 $1,662 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1700 1700 65-75% 1 100.00 $100.00 $1,700 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
900–1775 1267 3 100.00 $100.00 $1,267 —
1030–1558 1361 5 101.00–109.00 $105.62 $1,437 —
1250–2350 1865 16 115.00–125.50 $120.27 $2,243 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
750 750 (<2 yrs)Open 1 161.00 $161.00 $1,208
818–1013 900 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 70 164.00–179.00 $169.07 $1,522
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
735–760 748 (<2 yrs)Open 2 120.00–125.00 $122.46 $916
868–1082 986 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 51 102.00–132.00 $122.06 $1,204
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
738 738 (<2 yrs)Open 6 153.00 $153.00 $1,129
960–990 989 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 24 141.00–159.00 $158.27 $1,565

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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.