Cattle Market Pulse

La Junta Livestock Commision Market Report

La Junta, Colorado · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, March 13, 2024

2,034 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $308.20/cwt +0.29 vs last sale · ≈ $1,792/hd at 582 lb · 99 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1 steers $247.45/cwt +5.04 vs last sale · ≈ $1,888/hd at 763 lb · 66 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $338.59/cwt +27.01 vs last sale · ≈ $1,767/hd at 522 lb · 55 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,034 2,454 2,007
Feeder cattle 1,752 2,199 1,864
Slaughter cattle 149 88 143
Replacement cattle 133 167 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Trade activity and demand was moderate to good. Feeder steers sold mostly 2.00 to 7.00 higher across all weight classes with instances of sharply higher. Feeder heifers sold mostly 4.00 to 10.00 lower across all weight classes on a lighter than normal test. Slaughter cows of average dressing and slaughter bulls sold steady. The next feeder calf and slaughter cow sale will be next Wednesday March 20, 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
273 273 3 397.00 $397.00 $1,084 —
310–333 320 7 389.00–393.00 $390.78 $1,250 -3.22
350 350 2 360.00 $360.00 $1,260 -25.16
403–446 436 29 369.00–375.00 $373.66 $1,629 +15.84
440 value added 440 7 390.00 $390.00 $1,716 —
459 fancy 459 22 379.00 $379.00 $1,740 +19.00
464–494 480 18 346.00–351.00 $349.12 $1,676 +18.06
504 fancy 504 21 360.00 $360.00 $1,814 —
529–531 530 11 316.00–321.00 $318.73 $1,689 +7.15
507–544 thin fleshed 534 23 326.00–330.00 $328.54 $1,754 —
558–595 581 40 291.00–305.00 $297.87 $1,731 +2.89
582–586 value added 582 59 315.00–318.00 $315.20 $1,834 —
622 622 32 292.00 $292.00 $1,816 +4.79
650 fancy 650 26 287.00 $287.00 $1,866 —
655–669 663 9 253.00–260.00 $256.07 $1,698 -16.64
668–679 value added 677 14 271.00–276.00 $275.30 $1,864 —
720 720 7 259.00 $259.00 $1,865 +1.65
753–756 value added 756 37 252.00–257.00 $256.33 $1,938 —
764–784 772 29 232.00–246.00 $236.12 $1,823 -6.29
806–832 818 39 221.00–233.00 $230.55 $1,886 -7.13
873 873 2 218.00 $218.00 $1,903 +3.08
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
329–336 331 15 353.00–364.00 $360.28 $1,193 +9.28
358–393 389 17 346.00–351.00 $346.54 $1,348 —
402–445 431 29 331.00–355.00 $335.86 $1,448 -12.14
453 453 2 315.00 $315.00 $1,427 -4.00
513–545 528 17 290.00–300.00 $294.00 $1,552 —
583–599 596 11 276.00 $276.00 $1,645 +6.00
601–643 607 13 241.00–246.00 $245.19 $1,488 —
696 696 4 241.00 $241.00 $1,677 —
850 850 2 185.00 $185.00 $1,572 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
406–440 424 16 323.00–331.00 $326.01 $1,382 —
516 thin fleshed 516 13 311.00 $311.00 $1,605 —
585 585 5 306.00 $306.00 $1,790 —
623 thin fleshed 623 25 291.00 $291.00 $1,813 —
750 thin fleshed 750 2 251.00 $251.00 $1,882 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
304 304 4 338.00 $338.00 $1,028 —
450–478 462 7 291.00–301.00 $296.57 $1,370 —
512–519 517 22 277.00–281.00 $280.10 $1,448 —
553–595 583 7 231.00–250.00 $244.85 $1,427 —
930 930 3 146.00 $146.00 $1,358 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
402 402 3 299.00 $299.00 $1,202 -13.00
505–521 516 6 281.00–295.00 $285.57 $1,474 +22.57
568–586 579 16 254.00–266.00 $258.41 $1,496 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
316–345 321 27 324.00–326.00 $325.68 $1,045 -20.60
336 thin fleshed 336 16 348.00 $348.00 $1,169 -10.00
346 fancy 346 6 359.00 $359.00 $1,242 —
356 fancy 356 5 344.00 $344.00 $1,225 —
356–379 value added 371 15 322.00–332.00 $325.20 $1,206 -15.02
374 374 4 313.00 $313.00 $1,171 -12.87
425 425 34 307.00 $307.00 $1,305 -10.87
466 466 17 296.00 $296.00 $1,379 -18.61
516–528 522 25 266.00–270.00 $268.92 $1,404 -9.96
524–526 value added 525 13 274.00–279.00 $276.69 $1,453 —
599 599 9 250.00 $250.00 $1,498 -38.34
605 605 13 260.00 $260.00 $1,573 +9.48
650–674 661 33 230.00–240.00 $235.04 $1,554 -27.96
741 741 4 231.00 $231.00 $1,712 -0.55
762 762 3 226.00 $226.00 $1,722 -4.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
257 257 3 332.00 $332.00 $853 +5.00
329–345 334 6 301.00–305.00 $303.62 $1,014 -24.38
358–397 384 30 301.00 $301.00 $1,156 ±0.00
400–447 412 24 280.00–291.00 $282.99 $1,166 —
454–494 471 40 264.00–274.00 $267.67 $1,261 -9.06
501–541 526 37 251.00–264.00 $259.47 $1,365 -4.68
560–598 577 18 236.00–242.00 $239.81 $1,384 -15.16
600–648 617 36 234.00–240.00 $237.94 $1,468 -2.42
675–690 680 6 226.00–227.00 $226.66 $1,541 —
748 748 3 211.00 $211.00 $1,578 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
299 299 4 301.00 $301.00 $900 —
368–393 376 6 290.00–291.00 $290.35 $1,092 —
513–534 531 20 252.00–256.00 $255.42 $1,356 —
584 value added 584 9 256.00 $256.00 $1,495 —
645 645 22 246.00 $246.00 $1,587 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
431–444 436 10 251.00–263.00 $258.11 $1,125 —
459 459 7 255.00 $255.00 $1,170 —
507–533 519 37 241.00–246.00 $244.10 $1,267 +2.10
596 596 5 227.00 $227.00 $1,353 —
620 620 2 222.00 $222.00 $1,376 +6.72
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
339 339 7 281.00 $281.00 $953 —
395 395 2 265.00 $265.00 $1,047 —
435 435 6 274.00 $274.00 $1,192 -25.00
460 460 2 260.00 $260.00 $1,196 —
519 519 4 234.00 $234.00 $1,214 -3.00
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
220 220 2 810.00 $810.00 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
585 585 5 252.00 $252.00 $1,474 —
655 655 5 241.00 $241.00 $1,579 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
961 961 7 136.00 $136.00 $1,307 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
762–1135 880 85-90% 11 85.00–86.00 $85.54 $753 —
770–1225 897 85-90% 13 71.00–81.00 $74.69 $670 —
845–1190 1044 85-90% 11 96.00–100.00 $97.90 $1,022 —
810–1280 1067 85-90% 69 101.00–131.00 $115.19 $1,229 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1325–1499 1442 80-85% 21 116.00–131.00 $124.20 $1,791 +22.20
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1715 1715 65-75% 1 115.00 $115.00 $1,972 -0.62

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1085–2010 1589 15 114.00–135.00 $125.22 $1,990 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
702 thin fleshed 702 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 13 201.00 $201.00 $1,411
722–1079 866 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 77 152.50–186.00 $167.79 $1,453
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
710–1145 987 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 27 130.00–146.00 $138.22 $1,364
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
725–1168 997 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 10 121.00–126.00 $122.51 $1,221

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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.