Cattle Market Pulse

La Junta Livestock Commision Market Report

La Junta, Colorado · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, March 27, 2024

3,540 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 $285.60/cwt +19.30 vs last sale · ≈ $1,916/hd at 671 lb · 330 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers $381.40/cwt +19.23 vs last sale · ≈ $1,807/hd at 474 lb · 226 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $306.01/cwt +20.01 vs last sale · ≈ $1,940/hd at 634 lb · 165 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 3,540 877 4,902
Feeder cattle 3,366 545 4,655
Slaughter cattle 72 181 237
Replacement cattle 102 151 10

Market comments — USDA reporter

Trade activity and demand was good. Feeder steers sold 7.00 to 15.00 higher with instances of sharply higher across all weight classes. Feeder heifers sold 7.00 to 16.00 higher with instances of sharply higher across all weight classes. Slaughter cows sold steady across all weight classes while slaughter bulls sold 7.00 lower. The next feeder calf and slaughter cow sale will be next Wednesday April 3, 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
257 fancy 257 8 470.00 $470.00 $1,208 —
277 277 3 430.00 $430.00 $1,191 —
314 fancy 314 8 438.00 $438.00 $1,375 +38.00
300–344 value added 328 55 421.00–429.00 $423.44 $1,389 —
312–347 335 31 405.00–413.00 $409.63 $1,372 +17.63
356 fancy 356 7 423.00 $423.00 $1,506 —
364–373 value added 369 40 414.00–417.00 $414.97 $1,531 +15.97
398 398 4 401.00 $401.00 $1,596 +18.50
405–424 fancy 416 18 414.00–416.00 $414.87 $1,726 —
405–440 428 20 368.00–386.00 $379.65 $1,625 +17.10
403–449 thin fleshed 432 78 391.00–406.00 $397.48 $1,717 —
451–489 fancy 468 73 391.00–416.00 $404.54 $1,893 —
450–488 475 75 349.00–365.00 $357.48 $1,698 -4.69
472–486 value added 478 78 375.00–388.00 $382.75 $1,830 —
502–540 520 43 338.00–348.00 $342.04 $1,779 +14.05
520 fancy 520 16 378.00 $378.00 $1,966 —
506–539 thin fleshed 530 79 355.00–366.00 $358.84 $1,902 —
560 fancy 560 32 345.00–347.00 $346.63 $1,941 +6.63
582 582 6 302.00 $302.00 $1,758 -5.55
580–591 thin fleshed 589 59 317.00–335.00 $325.80 $1,919 —
605–617 fancy 616 18 318.00–323.00 $318.55 $1,962 —
620–648 636 147 298.00–308.00 $304.47 $1,936 +18.47
650–660 fancy 659 147 293.00–298.00 $297.30 $1,959 —
650–681 value added 674 119 276.00–285.00 $282.27 $1,902 +12.27
678–695 693 64 260.00–273.00 $264.94 $1,836 +6.94
713–738 730 90 251.00–269.00 $263.65 $1,925 +10.65
739 fancy 739 20 273.00 $273.00 $2,017 —
750–789 760 99 245.00–256.00 $250.20 $1,902 +21.20
813–837 815 34 226.00–234.00 $233.28 $1,901 —
890 890 27 214.00–222.00 $219.04 $1,949 —
917 917 11 216.00 $216.00 $1,981 —
968 968 2 190.00 $190.00 $1,839 —
1053 1053 4 191.00 $191.00 $2,011 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
302 302 3 407.00 $407.00 $1,229 +66.00
375 fancy 375 7 420.00 $420.00 $1,575 —
410 410 3 379.00 $379.00 $1,554 —
472 472 65 375.00 $375.00 $1,770 —
525 525 6 343.00 $343.00 $1,801 —
558 fancy 558 18 342.00 $342.00 $1,908 —
621 621 4 306.00 $306.00 $1,900 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415–433 422 5 339.00–342.00 $340.23 $1,436 —
547 547 6 296.00 $296.00 $1,619 +5.00
775 775 2 221.00 $221.00 $1,713 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
373 373 4 305.00 $305.00 $1,138 —
434 434 7 320.00 $320.00 $1,389 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
278 278 4 382.50 $382.50 $1,063 —
304–321 value added 312 19 370.00–382.50 $377.57 $1,178 —
302–349 328 52 342.00–361.00 $355.25 $1,165 —
329 fancy 329 14 390.00 $390.00 $1,283 —
361–393 374 16 308.00–320.00 $313.72 $1,173 —
360–396 value added 383 50 333.00–347.00 $340.09 $1,303 —
383 fancy 383 2 361.00 $361.00 $1,383 —
402–404 fancy 402 35 336.00–339.00 $338.66 $1,361 —
413–449 442 78 314.00–322.00 $316.63 $1,400 +13.63
457–463 thin fleshed 460 18 314.00–317.00 $314.78 $1,448 —
474–499 483 136 295.00–306.00 $298.89 $1,444 +6.89
498 498 9 295.00–317.00 $312.11 $1,554 —
502–526 thin fleshed 515 40 301.00–305.00 $304.51 $1,568 —
513–525 522 7 302.00–310.00 $304.25 $1,588 +33.25
524–537 fancy 529 27 316.00–318.00 $317.17 $1,678 —
500–548 532 48 288.00–299.00 $294.25 $1,565 +23.25
550 thin fleshed 550 2 282.00 $282.00 $1,551 —
554 fancy 554 6 295.00 $295.00 $1,634 —
551–599 562 46 266.00–307.00 $291.58 $1,639 +36.58
567–587 573 55 264.00–277.00 $272.83 $1,563 +17.83
607 value added 607 32 266.00–271.00 $270.22 $1,640 +15.23
613–639 626 56 268.00–280.00 $275.99 $1,728 +27.99
609–643 632 63 251.00–263.00 $254.44 $1,608 +6.44
662–694 672 56 245.00–248.00 $245.63 $1,651 +4.72
672–684 681 22 241.00–253.00 $249.77 $1,701 +8.86
710–726 716 26 241.00–248.00 $243.46 $1,743 +23.46
719–745 726 83 229.00–230.50 $230.24 $1,672 +10.24
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240 fancy 240 2 407.50 $407.50 $978 —
344–348 346 14 349.00–355.00 $352.02 $1,218 +37.02
393–398 395 12 314.00–318.00 $315.68 $1,247 —
443–447 445 6 298.00 $298.00 $1,326 —
494 494 102 301.00 $301.00 $1,487 +55.00
499 499 30 296.00 $296.00 $1,477 +50.00
500–537 533 20 277.00–292.00 $290.59 $1,549 +42.71
568–598 595 19 257.00–262.00 $257.50 $1,532 —
602 602 5 258.00 $258.00 $1,553 —
658 658 6 249.00 $249.00 $1,638 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
434–442 437 17 302.00–306.00 $304.34 $1,330 +13.50
492 492 9 273.00 $273.00 $1,343 -9.00
507–510 509 9 280.00–291.00 $287.35 $1,463 +29.35
561–585 574 25 253.00–258.00 $255.04 $1,464 +4.04
622–649 627 20 238.00–249.00 $246.72 $1,547 —
655–698 672 5 226.00–229.00 $227.25 $1,527 +9.25
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
326 326 4 320.00 $320.00 $1,043 —
548 548 10 259.00 $259.00 $1,419 —
581 581 9 239.00 $239.00 $1,389 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305 305 2 251.00 $251.00 $766 —
428 428 2 288.00 $288.00 $1,233 +26.00
529 529 14 273.00 $273.00 $1,444 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
570 570 4 287.00 $287.00 $1,636 —
630 630 2 283.00 $283.00 $1,783 -4.50

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
905 905 85-90% 1 91.00 $91.00 $824 —
990–1055 1023 85-90% 2 81.00–84.00 $82.55 $844 —
955–1270 1117 85-90% 25 103.00–132.00 $121.10 $1,353 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1325–1485 1415 80-85% 5 115.00–135.00 $126.52 $1,790 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1595 1595 75-80% 2 117.00 $117.00 $1,866 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1035–2482 1728 18 112.00–151.00 $133.96 $2,315 -7.79

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
706–786 fancy 771 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 24 221.00–230.00 $228.78 $1,764
817–945 thin fleshed 903 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 13 201.00–217.00 $205.83 $1,859
765–1118 980 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 23 132.00–191.00 $177.95 $1,744
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
755–1235 1010 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 13 160.00–169.00 $163.07 $1,647
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
930–1160 1029 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 10 121.00–149.00 $141.39 $1,455

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1180 1180 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,600.00 $2,600.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
895 895 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,225.00 $1,225.00 —

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Heifer Pairs

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
959 959 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 4 2,900.00 $2,900.00 —

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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.