Cattle Market Pulse

La Junta Livestock Commision Market Report

La Junta, Colorado · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, February 28, 2024

1,231 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 3-weight M&L 1 heifers $333.57/cwt +7.34 vs last sale · ≈ $1,262/hd at 378 lb · 57 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1-2 steers $225.39/cwt ≈ $1,733/hd at 769 lb · 49 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $257.53/cwt +16.40 vs last sale · ≈ $1,584/hd at 615 lb · 39 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,231 3,208 2,389
Feeder cattle 1,018 2,901 2,107
Slaughter cattle 112 146 282
Replacement cattle 101 161 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Trade activity and demand was good. Feeder steers under 550lbs sold 8.00 to 17.00 higher with instances of sharply higher. Steers over 550lbs sold 3.00 to 15.00 lower on a light test. Feeder heifers under 3500lbs sold 4.00 to 10.00 higher. Heifers between 350lbs and 500lbs sold 1.00 to 7.00 lower while heifers over 500lbs sold 1.00 to 20.00 higher. Lean slaughter cows of average dressing sold 2.00 higher while all other weight classes sold steady on a light test. The next feeder calf and slaughter cow sale will be Wednesday March 6, 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
278–285 fancy 282 8 445.00 $445.00 $1,255 +33.97
290 value added 290 3 410.00 $410.00 $1,189 —
303 fancy 303 3 435.00 $435.00 $1,318 +25.37
305–310 308 9 405.00–410.00 $408.35 $1,258 +21.35
384 384 6 377.00 $377.00 $1,448 -10.58
407–420 value added 415 13 382.00–390.00 $385.21 $1,599 +11.21
400–445 428 9 365.00–377.50 $371.21 $1,589 +7.48
428 fancy 428 6 400.00 $400.00 $1,712 —
460 460 4 335.00 $335.00 $1,541 +10.81
468–483 value added 475 27 359.00–365.00 $361.29 $1,716 +14.41
504–526 519 39 325.00–332.00 $328.69 $1,706 +16.89
570 fancy 570 11 303.00 $303.00 $1,727 —
595–596 596 20 287.00–295.00 $291.40 $1,737 —
630 630 2 274.00 $274.00 $1,726 -14.00
685 685 2 260.00 $260.00 $1,781 -2.06
723 723 2 246.00 $246.00 $1,779 -3.05
773–780 777 4 227.00–228.00 $227.50 $1,768 -14.67
804–809 807 8 228.00–232.00 $229.99 $1,856 -6.11
1104 1104 4 182.00 $182.00 $2,009 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
344 344 7 385.00 $385.00 $1,324 —
366 366 6 365.00 $365.00 $1,336 —
409–447 433 11 347.50–350.00 $349.14 $1,512 -0.61
461–488 469 10 320.00–323.00 $322.06 $1,510 +5.06
523–528 526 6 302.00–306.00 $304.01 $1,599 +1.46
567–580 571 16 282.00–286.00 $284.73 $1,626 -1.27
603–616 610 15 268.00–273.00 $270.39 $1,649 +3.41
654–697 682 24 241.00–247.00 $243.00 $1,657 -10.73
767–769 769 49 221.00–226.00 $225.39 $1,733 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
426–436 428 19 275.00–312.50 $283.04 $1,211 —
498 498 2 281.00 $281.00 $1,399 —
529 529 9 276.00 $276.00 $1,460 +7.75
588–596 593 6 254.00–262.00 $256.64 $1,522 —
602 602 6 250.00 $250.00 $1,505 -5.99
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
459 fancy 459 3 348.00 $348.00 $1,597 —
533 533 4 285.00 $285.00 $1,519 -14.36
625–636 632 6 254.00–260.00 $255.98 $1,618 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
480 480 2 293.00 $293.00 $1,406 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
248 248 8 410.00 $410.00 $1,017 —
304 value added 304 4 367.50 $367.50 $1,117 —
300–322 314 23 340.00–355.00 $349.51 $1,097 +3.36
340 fancy 340 3 390.00 $390.00 $1,326 +10.00
369 thin fleshed 369 6 340.00 $340.00 $1,255 —
363–377 fancy 376 26 345.00 $345.00 $1,297 -6.00
351–393 383 25 317.00–325.00 $320.15 $1,226 +3.56
405–445 428 12 323.00–331.00 $326.15 $1,396 -1.85
456 thin fleshed 456 4 310.00 $310.00 $1,414 —
465 465 11 295.00 $295.00 $1,372 -0.56
519 519 10 285.00 $285.00 $1,479 +5.76
552–557 555 8 260.00 $260.00 $1,443 -11.89
568 value added 568 2 276.00 $276.00 $1,568 —
608–648 615 39 250.00–262.00 $257.53 $1,584 +16.40
654 thin fleshed 654 7 261.00 $261.00 $1,707 —
660–678 672 11 246.00–247.00 $246.27 $1,655 +14.88
704–746 717 38 232.00–239.00 $235.87 $1,691 +19.87
765–792 776 15 221.00–232.00 $226.77 $1,760 +0.77
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
445 445 5 290.00 $290.00 $1,290 -7.84
488 488 3 279.00 $279.00 $1,362 —
511 511 4 262.00 $262.00 $1,339 —
558–590 582 16 232.00–246.00 $235.36 $1,370 -13.21
635–642 thin fleshed 637 11 251.00–252.00 $251.27 $1,601 —
735 735 17 216.00 $216.00 $1,588 -2.00
797 thin fleshed 797 23 227.00 $227.00 $1,809 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
418–443 434 8 295.00–312.00 $301.15 $1,307 +21.37
455–480 476 29 272.00–282.00 $273.96 $1,304 -7.23
505–540 531 16 251.00–252.00 $251.43 $1,335 -11.59
567 567 3 251.00 $251.00 $1,423 -0.01
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
408–410 408 9 279.00–280.00 $279.22 $1,139 —
480 480 5 246.00 $246.00 $1,181 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
396 396 4 372.50 $372.50 $1,475 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
693–1010 806 85-90% 8 71.00–76.00 $72.40 $584 —
795–1140 954 85-90% 6 84.00–91.00 $88.37 $843 +1.58
905–1185 978 85-90% 6 96.00–99.00 $97.39 $952 +10.60
860–1275 1068 85-90% 65 101.00–121.00 $110.88 $1,184 +4.79
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1295–1440 1400 80-85% 6 106.00–117.00 $110.39 $1,545 -1.11
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1503–1515 1507 75-80% 3 115.00–116.00 $115.34 $1,738 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1600 1600 1 92.00 $92.00 $1,472 —
1193–2295 1734 6 116.00–137.00 $129.09 $2,238 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
808 fancy 808 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 231.00 $231.00 $1,866
829–872 thin fleshed 848 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 26 201.00–219.00 $208.56 $1,769
725–1135 934 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 31 161.00–199.00 $184.49 $1,723
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
810–1113 1026 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 9 141.00–159.00 $151.17 $1,551
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
960–1198 1122 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 8 121.00–132.00 $127.08 $1,426

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1277 1277 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 9 1,475.00 $1,475.00
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1190 1190 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,675.00 $1,675.00
1380 1380 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 1,675.00 $1,675.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
910 910 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,625.00 $1,625.00
1075 1075 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,675.00 $1,675.00
1225 1225 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,650.00 $1,650.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
725 725 (<2 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,375.00 $1,375.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
982 982 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 3 1,975.00 $1,975.00 —
1070 1070 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 2,025.00 $2,025.00 —

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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.