Cattle Market Pulse

La Junta Livestock Commision Market Report

La Junta, Colorado · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, September 18, 2024

1,378 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $287.37/cwt +3.33 vs last sale · ≈ $1,558/hd at 542 lb · 87 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $250.11/cwt +2.17 vs last sale · ≈ $1,461/hd at 584 lb · 78 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $237.95/cwt +8.07 vs last sale · ≈ $1,704/hd at 716 lb · 75 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,378 2,374 1,683
Feeder cattle 1,142 1,937 1,521
Slaughter cattle 109 387 134
Replacement cattle 127 50 28

Market comments — USDA reporter

Trade activity and demand was moderate. Feeder steers under 550lbs sold mostly 3.00 to 14.00 higher. Feeder steers over 550lbs sold mostly 2.00 to 12.00 lower with instances of sharply lower. Feeder heifers sold mostly 1.00 to 14.00 lower with instances of sharply lower across all weight classes. Boner slaughter cows of average dressing sold 3.00 higher while lean cows of average dressing sold 1.00 lower. Slaughter bulls sold 14.00 higher. The next feeder calf and slaughter cow sale will be next Wednesday September 25, 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
270 270 2 356.00 $356.00 $961 —
315 315 2 320.00 $320.00 $1,008 -50.93
353–391 377 22 327.00–330.00 $328.98 $1,240 -14.02
405–412 408 9 299.00–307.00 $302.58 $1,235 +13.71
459–473 469 50 291.00–308.00 $302.67 $1,420 +13.37
542–543 542 87 273.00–288.25 $287.37 $1,558 —
555–598 590 50 262.50–271.00 $263.52 $1,555 -11.14
603–628 611 19 257.00–263.00 $260.29 $1,590 -7.75
660–698 675 21 251.00–260.00 $255.29 $1,723 -1.45
709–734 725 24 243.00–248.00 $247.19 $1,792 -4.55
754–790 771 40 235.00–244.00 $239.06 $1,843 -2.80
807 807 8 206.00 $206.00 $1,662 -35.44
853–882 859 15 220.00–229.00 $227.15 $1,951 -5.36
937 937 6 189.00 $189.00 $1,771 -34.22
980 980 2 201.00 $201.00 $1,970 -9.61
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 5 291.00 $291.00 $1,004 —
355 355 4 305.00 $305.00 $1,083 -15.00
431–434 432 26 281.00–287.00 $282.86 $1,222 +11.94
467–492 481 23 281.00–287.50 $286.19 $1,377 +11.19
535 535 2 261.00 $261.00 $1,396 -8.78
575 575 3 247.00 $247.00 $1,420 -18.27
878 878 3 214.00 $214.00 $1,879 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
393 393 2 271.00 $271.00 $1,065 —
453–498 480 23 246.00–266.00 $255.71 $1,227 —
510 510 5 233.00 $233.00 $1,188 -18.00
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
479 479 4 251.00 $251.00 $1,202 —
517 517 6 271.00 $271.00 $1,401 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305 305 3 291.00 $291.00 $888 -22.00
365–393 389 29 291.00–295.00 $294.48 $1,146 -13.95
403–436 427 23 251.00–256.00 $251.87 $1,075 -27.08
453–487 481 62 246.00–256.00 $254.02 $1,222 -7.38
538–549 544 8 251.00 $251.00 $1,365 -1.00
569–595 584 78 246.00–258.00 $250.11 $1,461 +2.17
600–636 615 31 233.00–246.00 $238.83 $1,469 -9.22
663 663 2 226.00 $226.00 $1,498 -12.52
702–737 716 75 235.00–241.00 $237.95 $1,704 +8.07
765–778 775 15 221.00–223.00 $222.61 $1,725 -2.40
810–843 829 7 213.00–222.00 $216.77 $1,797 -3.71
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330 330 2 241.00 $241.00 $795 -51.00
383–394 391 25 272.50–276.00 $275.18 $1,076 -6.04
441–443 442 8 231.00–241.00 $236.01 $1,043 -16.99
468–473 469 8 236.00–240.00 $238.99 $1,121 +5.57
553–588 557 16 231.00–240.00 $232.19 $1,293 -5.65
622 622 3 216.00 $216.00 $1,344 -15.85
723–748 734 6 224.00–225.00 $224.67 $1,649 —
758–796 783 6 199.00–204.00 $202.39 $1,585 -15.61
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
396 396 6 237.00 $237.00 $939 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
621 621 4 240.00 $240.00 $1,490 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
458 458 2 288.00 $288.00 $1,319 +29.00
503–530 520 7 257.00–264.00 $260.24 $1,353 —
574 574 5 234.00 $234.00 $1,343 —
637–641 640 17 220.00–226.00 $223.18 $1,428 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
465 465 3 237.00 $237.00 $1,102 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
945–1240 1113 85-90% 31 81.00–108.00 $104.45 $1,163 -11.37
1020–1285 1158 85-90% 23 111.00–119.00 $114.96 $1,331 -8.33
905–1375 1182 85-90% 9 121.00–131.00 $125.08 $1,478 +1.79
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1313–1425 1358 80-85% 10 113.00–118.50 $115.31 $1,566 +2.31
1325–1417 1382 80-85% 8 120.00–126.00 $123.64 $1,709 -4.38
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1510–1625 1568 75-80% 2 113.00–114.00 $113.48 $1,779 -14.09

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1128–1840 1447 13 111.00–139.00 $132.16 $1,912 —
1080–2240 1610 7 140.00–151.00 $143.64 $2,313 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
870–935 900 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 11 170.00–191.00 $181.13 $1,630
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
750–968 926 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 6 151.00–161.00 $154.08 $1,427
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
740–865 798 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 3 211.00–224.00 $217.30 $1,734

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1127–1175 1128 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 45 1,675.00–1,750.00 $1,748.26
1164 1164 Aged (>8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 12 1,325.00 $1,325.00
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
952–1195 1013 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 4 1,800.00–1,925.00 $1,836.87
970–1198 1141 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 4 2,025.00–2,350.00 $2,280.93
1198 1198 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 2,325.00 $2,325.00
1315 1315 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,100.00 $2,100.00
1320 1320 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,850.00 $1,850.00
1327–1360 1339 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 14 1,950.00–2,000.00 $1,968.14
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1020 1020 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 5 1,025.00 $1,025.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
808–850 822 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,550.00–1,750.00 $1,681.06
860–985 940 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 4 1,500.00–1,775.00 $1,685.93
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
735 735 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,275.00 $1,275.00

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Heifer Pairs

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
828 828 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 2,100.00 $2,100.00 —

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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.