Cattle Market Pulse

La Junta Livestock Commision Market Report

La Junta, Colorado · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, February 14, 2024

1,529 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight L 1 steers $324.50/cwt ≈ $1,820/hd at 561 lb · 151 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $264.81/cwt -4.95 vs last sale · ≈ $1,573/hd at 594 lb · 84 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $294.15/cwt -17.62 vs last sale · ≈ $1,718/hd at 584 lb · 63 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,529 1,617 939
Feeder cattle 1,294 1,250 830
Slaughter cattle 116 201 109
Replacement cattle 119 166 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Trade activity and demand was good. Feeder steers under 400lbs sold 10.00 to 12.00 higher while steers over 400lbs sold unevenly steady. Feeder heifers under 550lbs sold 4.00 to 12.00 higher with instances of sharply higher. Feeder heifers over 550lbs sold unevenly steady on a light test. Slaughter cows of average dressing sold 1.00 to 7.00 higher. Slaughter bulls sold 1.00 higher. The next feeder calf and slaughter cow sale will be next Wednesday February 21, 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
247 fancy 247 6 410.00 $410.00 $1,013 —
325 325 17 382.50 $382.50 $1,243 +9.86
336–342 value added 338 10 397.50 $397.50 $1,344 —
354 value added 354 5 383.00 $383.00 $1,356 —
380 380 6 372.50 $372.50 $1,416 +11.50
414–444 429 8 360.00–364.00 $362.07 $1,553 —
461–483 value added 468 19 343.00–350.00 $345.59 $1,617 -3.41
453–498 478 24 323.00–333.00 $326.18 $1,559 -11.47
503–529 517 35 323.00–331.50 $326.70 $1,689 +10.70
568–587 584 63 292.00–301.00 $294.15 $1,718 -16.51
700–721 711 19 238.00–240.00 $239.36 $1,702 -1.79
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360 360 2 331.00 $331.00 $1,192 —
532 532 3 285.00 $285.00 $1,516 -2.00
561 fancy 561 151 324.50 $324.50 $1,820 —
674 674 54 257.00 $257.00 $1,732 +14.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
395 395 5 340.00 $340.00 $1,343 +19.00
503–549 527 38 297.00–310.00 $302.85 $1,596 —
566–594 579 28 276.00–288.00 $283.66 $1,642 +2.66
610–645 627 35 269.00–278.00 $273.78 $1,717 —
656–670 664 9 246.00–251.00 $248.20 $1,648 -0.86
739 739 4 228.00 $228.00 $1,685 —
766 766 11 217.00 $217.00 $1,662 —
818 818 4 221.00 $221.00 $1,808 +11.00
877 877 15 211.00 $211.00 $1,850 —
1030 1030 2 169.00 $169.00 $1,741 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
538 538 16 262.00–279.00 $272.63 $1,467 —
565–581 576 7 251.00–256.00 $254.60 $1,466 —
645 645 5 238.00 $238.00 $1,535 -22.11
671–695 683 10 231.00–232.00 $231.49 $1,581 —
845 845 3 200.00 $200.00 $1,690 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
591 591 23 285.00 $285.00 $1,684 —
670 670 5 246.00 $246.00 $1,648 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 2 375.00 $375.00 $1,069 —
325 325 4 364.00 $364.00 $1,183 +30.00
336 fancy 336 4 372.50 $372.50 $1,252 —
352 fancy 352 7 355.00 $355.00 $1,250 —
419–433 421 24 321.00 $321.00 $1,351 +7.51
480–491 488 20 290.00–292.00 $290.49 $1,418 —
519 519 17 281.00 $281.00 $1,458 +11.49
523 value added 523 26 292.00 $292.00 $1,527 +4.02
577 value added 577 5 270.00 $270.00 $1,558 —
594–598 595 79 260.00–267.00 $264.48 $1,574 +17.48
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260–290 275 4 340.00–345.00 $342.36 $941 +31.36
353–385 378 9 330.00–335.00 $331.04 $1,251 —
418–440 429 4 286.00–294.00 $290.10 $1,245 +0.10
458–498 476 11 281.00 $281.00 $1,338 —
531 531 6 274.00 $274.00 $1,455 +17.87
564–576 568 12 250.00–252.00 $250.68 $1,424 —
630–644 639 23 231.00–241.00 $238.39 $1,523 +9.63
653–657 655 12 218.00–229.00 $223.48 $1,464 —
711 711 4 218.00 $218.00 $1,550 +3.68
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410 410 7 271.00–276.00 $273.86 $1,123 —
455–466 459 11 267.00 $267.00 $1,226 +2.00
519–540 524 8 243.00–257.00 $246.61 $1,292 —
578–590 584 4 237.00–248.00 $242.44 $1,416 —
698 698 3 210.00 $210.00 $1,466 +17.35
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
601 fancy 601 16 250.00 $250.00 $1,502 +10.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
436 436 4 296.00 $296.00 $1,291 -7.00
478–496 488 7 249.00–276.00 $264.67 $1,292 —
548 548 3 256.00 $256.00 $1,403 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
694 694 11 241.00 $241.00 $1,673 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
870–891 887 85-90% 5 74.00–81.00 $75.37 $669 —
920–1190 1020 85-90% 11 85.00–91.00 $88.78 $906 —
875–1245 1033 85-90% 12 92.00–98.00 $95.28 $984 —
810–1285 1155 85-90% 45 100.00–106.00 $102.67 $1,186 +0.43
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1523–1725 1628 75-80% 10 106.00–110.50 $108.38 $1,764 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1706 1706 65-75% 8 111.00 $111.00 $1,894 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1363 1363 80-85% 2 98.00 $98.00 $1,336 +12.24
1290–1465 1384 80-85% 5 106.00–110.00 $108.17 $1,497 +22.41

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1260 1260 1 101.00 $101.00 $1,273 —
1240–1545 1393 2 106.00–109.50 $107.94 $1,504 +0.29
1315–1910 1636 7 112.00–126.00 $118.76 $1,943 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
820 fancy 820 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 201.00 $201.00 $1,648
800–1020 889 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 54 161.00–196.00 $173.52 $1,543
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
895–1178 1015 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 42 131.00–159.00 $145.87 $1,481
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
925–1120 977 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 10 120.00–126.00 $125.43 $1,225

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
853 853 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,100.00 $1,100.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
925 925 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,400.00 $1,400.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
780 780 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,350.00 $1,350.00

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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.