Cattle Market Pulse

La Junta Livestock Commision Market Report

La Junta, Colorado · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, January 31, 2024

2,095 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 7-weight M&L 1 steers $233.78/cwt +9.30 vs last sale · ≈ $1,783/hd at 762 lb · 106 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $272.31/cwt +24.54 vs last sale · ≈ $1,784/hd at 655 lb · 50 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 2 steers $230.80/cwt +11.80 vs last sale · ≈ $1,546/hd at 670 lb · 49 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,095 2,787 1,544
Feeder cattle 1,445 2,363 1,360
Slaughter cattle 355 258 184
Replacement cattle 295 166 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Trade activity and demand was good. Feeder steers under 500lbs sold 3.00 to 11.00 lower while steers over 500lbs sold mostly 2.00 to 8.00 higher with instances of sharply higher. Feeder heifers under 500lbs sold 5.00 to 16.00 higher with instances of sharply higher. Feeder heifers over 500lbs sold mostly 7.00 higher. Slaughter cows of average dressing sold unevenly steady. Slaughter bulls sold 2.00 lower. The next feeder calf and slaughter cow sale is next Wednesday February 7, 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
298 298 4 356.00 $356.00 $1,061 —
304–329 320 16 345.00–357.00 $354.20 $1,133 -10.28
370–373 372 10 353.00–364.00 $357.38 $1,329 -3.05
431–447 436 23 317.00–320.00 $318.27 $1,388 -29.73
480 480 2 316.00 $316.00 $1,517 -11.00
562–587 578 39 289.00–302.00 $295.57 $1,708 +1.43
605 605 11 289.00 $289.00 $1,748 -1.00
651–662 655 50 271.00–273.00 $272.31 $1,784 +24.54
700–741 721 38 235.00–245.00 $240.22 $1,732 +6.20
751–796 762 81 223.50–241.00 $232.17 $1,769 +7.69
764 fancy 764 25 239.00 $239.00 $1,826 —
808–848 816 15 209.00–218.00 $216.13 $1,764 -9.31
852 852 20 216.00 $216.00 $1,840 +4.80
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390 390 2 292.00 $292.00 $1,139 +10.00
413–420 416 5 271.00–282.00 $275.44 $1,146 +6.39
475–499 491 28 221.00–292.00 $250.05 $1,228 -11.95
501 501 4 230.00 $230.00 $1,152 —
552–593 567 31 236.00–256.00 $247.72 $1,405 +4.89
603–638 625 31 240.00–255.00 $246.96 $1,544 +23.07
652–691 670 49 230.00–238.00 $230.80 $1,546 +11.80
984 984 16 177.00 $177.00 $1,742 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350–387 361 10 333.00–340.00 $335.25 $1,210 +2.60
403–438 416 12 302.00–312.00 $305.57 $1,271 +0.08
453–469 467 16 310.00 $310.00 $1,448 -1.06
517–537 526 45 283.00–292.00 $289.35 $1,522 +1.86
597 597 5 275.00 $275.00 $1,642 +2.58
656–682 671 21 242.00–248.00 $243.97 $1,637 +7.44
745 745 2 223.00 $223.00 $1,661 -4.41
908 908 2 185.00 $185.00 $1,680 —
953–984 970 9 185.00–191.00 $187.62 $1,820 +13.62
1168 1168 5 167.00 $167.00 $1,951 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
341 341 5 311.00 $311.00 $1,061 —
370 fancy 370 2 350.00 $350.00 $1,295 —
410 fancy 410 3 315.00 $315.00 $1,292 —
518 518 4 293.00 $293.00 $1,518 —
641 641 5 245.00 $245.00 $1,570 —
693 693 2 240.00 $240.00 $1,663 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
472 472 3 271.00 $271.00 $1,279 —
543 543 7 260.00 $260.00 $1,412 —
663 663 9 221.00 $221.00 $1,465 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300–340 319 18 300.00–324.00 $308.11 $983 +6.71
353 353 14 315.00 $315.00 $1,112 +16.32
473–494 480 28 279.00–290.00 $286.04 $1,373 +4.67
523 523 2 258.00 $258.00 $1,349 -15.42
554 fancy 554 9 263.00 $263.00 $1,457 —
563–596 583 24 245.00–252.00 $247.43 $1,443 —
603 603 2 242.00 $242.00 $1,459 +6.96
653–670 668 21 232.00–236.00 $235.63 $1,574 +6.63
722–727 723 20 214.00–220.00 $219.09 $1,584 -3.91
753 753 4 220.00 $220.00 $1,657 —
813 fancy 813 6 218.00 $218.00 $1,772 —
828 828 10 206.00 $206.00 $1,706 —
867 867 3 200.00 $200.00 $1,734 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
342–348 345 11 282.00–284.00 $282.90 $976 -7.00
402–429 424 17 278.00–288.00 $285.79 $1,212 +13.70
470–489 481 7 268.00–271.00 $269.26 $1,295 +1.85
514–541 535 37 246.00–252.00 $249.70 $1,336 -8.12
562–594 585 11 234.00–238.00 $236.95 $1,386 +0.01
664–688 668 31 216.00–225.00 $219.92 $1,469 -1.58
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
378–385 382 4 212.00–249.00 $230.33 $880 -25.67
406–448 417 26 251.00–270.00 $266.40 $1,111 +11.51
458–495 478 20 225.00–264.00 $253.58 $1,212 +6.73
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
418 fancy 418 4 279.00 $279.00 $1,166 —
428 428 3 252.00 $252.00 $1,079 —
499 fancy 499 20 280.00 $280.00 $1,397 —
585 fancy 585 16 249.00 $249.00 $1,457 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
488 488 2 261.00 $261.00 $1,274 —
700 700 3 214.00 $214.00 $1,498 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
815–1230 1046 85-90% 24 52.00–81.00 $72.50 $758 -13.00
870–1263 1072 85-90% 20 84.00–89.00 $86.94 $932 -14.45
848–1230 1085 85-90% 19 101.00–106.00 $101.29 $1,099 -0.10
870–1275 1159 85-90% 143 90.00–98.00 $93.75 $1,087 -4.15
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1299–1460 1343 80-85% 53 91.00–98.00 $96.71 $1,299 -6.88
1300–1381 1365 80-85% 5 83.50–88.00 $84.36 $1,152 +10.36
1298–1495 1367 80-85% 12 101.00–107.00 $103.63 $1,417 +29.63
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1505–1660 1607 75-80% 20 98.00–110.00 $105.26 $1,692 -2.21
1620 1620 75-80% 1 91.00 $91.00 $1,474 -16.47
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1960 1960 65-75% 1 96.00 $96.00 $1,882 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1210–1650 1453 4 101.00–108.00 $105.54 $1,533 —
1445–1710 1587 3 96.00–100.00 $97.21 $1,543 —
1165–2100 1740 18 111.00–129.00 $121.32 $2,111 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
710–785 746 (<2 yrs)Open 6 151.00–190.00 $170.00 $1,268
793–1072 928 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 240 151.00–196.00 $167.52 $1,555
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
920–1018 962 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 10 133.00–147.00 $143.76 $1,383
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
710 710 (<2 yrs)Open 1 111.00 $111.00 $788
880–1115 1031 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 9 111.00–121.00 $114.31 $1,179

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
920 920 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,425.00 $1,425.00
1226 1226 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 7 1,275.00 $1,275.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
975 975 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,000.00 $1,000.00
1203 1203 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,075.00 $1,075.00
1245 1245 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,175.00 $1,175.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
603–660 622 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 485.00–525.00 $499.15
1085 1085 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 975.00 $975.00

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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.