La Junta Livestock Commision Market Report

La Junta, Colorado · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, December 18, 2024

2,364 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers $352.84/cwt -3.64 vs last sale · ≈ $1,711/hd at 485 lb · 131 head

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $314.60/cwt +7.55 vs last sale · ≈ $1,809/hd at 575 lb · 125 head

light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $277.24/cwt -17.85 vs last sale · ≈ $1,480/hd at 534 lb · 116 head

Receipts

Head	This sale	Last sale	Last year
Total receipts	2,364	3,856	2,163
Feeder cattle	2,001	3,821	1,346
Slaughter cattle	304	—	450
Replacement cattle	59	35	367

Market comments — USDA reporter

Trade activity and demand was good. Feeder steers under 500lbs sold 3.00 to 9.00 lower with instances of sharply lower. Steers over 500lbs sold mostly 4.00 to 9.00 higher with instances of sharply higher. Feeder heifers under 500lbs sold 10.00 lower with instances of sharply lower. Heifers over 500lbs sold 5.00 to 7.00 higher with instances if sharply higher. Breaker slaughter cows of average dressing sold 1.00 higher. Boner cows of average dressing sold 1.00 higher and lean cows sold 1.00 higher. Slaughter bulls of average dressing sold 8.00 higher. The next feeder calf and slaughter cow sale will be January 8, 2025.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
291	291	26	435.00	$435.00	$1,266	-16.53
311 fancy	311	12	460.00	$460.00	$1,431	—
311–340	325	34	415.00–460.00	$438.34	$1,425	-11.60
350–388	375	42	410.00–420.00	$414.77	$1,555	-11.61
408–424	421	42	385.00–402.00	$394.05	$1,659	-9.32
452–498	485	131	332.50–370.00	$352.84	$1,711	-3.64
503–535	519	55	322.50–337.50	$330.04	$1,713	+0.96
551–594	575	125	288.00–322.00	$314.60	$1,809	+7.55
600–636	624	48	281.00–302.00	$291.19	$1,817	+9.15
672–695	686	71	261.00–277.00	$272.66	$1,870	+4.15
702–745	715	24	251.00–261.00	$257.23	$1,839	-1.22
787	787	3	243.00	$243.00	$1,912	+13.00
805	805	3	249.00	$249.00	$2,004	+12.16
913	913	2	220.00	$220.00	$2,009	—
965	965	6	227.00	$227.00	$2,191	—
1013	1013	2	196.00	$196.00	$1,985	—
1105	1105	3	195.00	$195.00	$2,155	—

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
350–391	375	13	385.00–407.50	$397.02	$1,489	-0.01
409–448	429	23	362.50–380.00	$373.62	$1,603	+6.17
452–473	464	7	311.00–329.00	$321.49	$1,492	-9.51
505–507	506	10	281.00–301.00	$286.98	$1,452	-11.95
650–665	656	6	240.00–254.00	$249.27	$1,635	-2.52

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
267	267	6	460.00	$460.00	$1,228	+15.00
328	328	4	425.00	$425.00	$1,394	+5.00
440	440	22	392.50	$392.50	$1,727	+2.50
505–546	532	6	305.00–327.50	$312.11	$1,660	+7.11
553	553	3	312.50	$312.50	$1,728	+9.32
610	610	3	292.00	$292.00	$1,781	+9.91

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
372	372	6	300.00	$300.00	$1,116	—
442–448	445	12	312.50–330.00	$321.31	$1,430	—
513	513	5	235.00	$235.00	$1,206	—

Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
260	260	3	402.50	$402.50	$1,046	—
373	373	3	355.00	$355.00	$1,324	-13.76
513	513	3	282.50	$282.50	$1,449	—

Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
411–448	432	9	301.00–309.00	$305.61	$1,320	—

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
248	248	7	375.00	$375.00	$930	—
256	256	4	370.00	$370.00	$947	-23.83
362–395	381	19	330.00–360.00	$346.11	$1,319	-0.32
406–449	421	37	311.00–327.50	$318.31	$1,340	-10.43
466–490	469	62	295.00–322.50	$313.90	$1,472	+9.24
507–549	534	116	266.00–294.00	$277.24	$1,480	-12.44
556–592	572	104	253.00–282.50	$268.82	$1,538	+4.97
615–644	629	48	249.00–267.00	$263.64	$1,658	+6.82
653–688	673	50	241.00–266.00	$257.48	$1,733	+8.10
702–747	724	67	233.00–247.00	$242.39	$1,755	+10.73
787–798	791	13	213.00–242.50	$231.06	$1,828	—
813–849	835	49	211.00–230.00	$219.33	$1,831	—
923–936	930	11	191.00–192.00	$191.55	$1,781	—

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
245	245	4	340.00	$340.00	$833	-15.00
267	267	3	337.50	$337.50	$901	—
302–338	332	33	340.00–367.50	$353.37	$1,173	+15.53
367–390	372	29	290.00–327.50	$316.31	$1,177	+7.44
403–447	424	43	297.50–301.00	$298.30	$1,265	-2.03
458–499	467	38	271.00–285.00	$281.79	$1,316	+5.93
515–548	528	9	233.00–261.00	$247.94	$1,309	-11.29
798	798	5	213.00	$213.00	$1,700	—
808–825	820	7	180.00–204.00	$197.24	$1,617	-3.76
868–899	889	11	195.00–201.00	$199.22	$1,771	—

Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
400	400	7	283.00	$283.00	$1,132	—
456–472	464	10	251.00–261.00	$255.91	$1,187	-6.59

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
374–391	383	10	235.00–261.00	$247.71	$949	—
488	488	2	252.50	$252.50	$1,232	-1.50

Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
325	325	3	291.00	$291.00	$946	—

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
439–443	442	15	310.00–320.00	$312.65	$1,382	—
453	453	14	341.00	$341.00	$1,545	—
500–511	508	7	292.00–300.00	$297.75	$1,513	—
663	663	8	247.50	$247.50	$1,641	—
780	780	3	221.00	$221.00	$1,724	—
840	840	8	203.00	$203.00	$1,705	—
872	872	32	202.00	$202.00	$1,761	—
1011	1011	10	183.00	$183.00	$1,850	—

Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
385	385	7	310.00	$310.00	$1,194	—

Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
528	528	2	262.50	$262.50	$1,386	—

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
732–1195	841	85-90%	28	61.00–86.00	$77.79	$654	—
908–1220	1024	85-90%	20	91.00–109.00	$101.21	$1,036	—
790–1273	1109	85-90%	63	111.00–119.50	$116.43	$1,291	—
905–1297	1160	85-90%	86	120.00–136.00	$120.94	$1,403	—

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1315–1450	1352	80-85%	20	111.00–119.50	$117.39	$1,587	—
1365	1365	80-85%	1	91.00	$91.00	$1,242	—
1300–1465	1405	80-85%	31	120.00–126.00	$121.18	$1,703	—

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1777	1777	65-75%	3	126.00	$126.00	$2,239	—
1800	1800	65-75%	1	113.00	$113.00	$2,034	—

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Dressing	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1525–1655	1590	75-80%	2	116.00–119.00	$117.44	$1,867	—

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd	Δ last sale
1125–2245	1468	13	120.00–133.00	$124.96	$1,834	—
1225–1755	1491	4	116.00–118.00	$116.79	$1,741	—
1049–2170	1531	23	137.00–175.00	$150.50	$2,304	—

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
855–1065	913	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	21	150.00–166.00	$157.75	$1,440

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
735–1293	1029	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	8	112.50–124.00	$121.18	$1,247

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	≈ $/hd
970–995	983	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	2	143.00–145.00	$143.99	$1,415

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
883–1215	994	Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	3	1,725.00–1,875.00	$1,813.86
1085	1085	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo)	1	1,725.00	$1,725.00
1196	1196	Aged (>8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	4	1,575.00	$1,575.00
1130–1325	1200	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	3	1,525.00–1,660.00	$1,574.69
1370	1370	Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	2	1,825.00	$1,825.00
1436	1436	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	5	1,725.00	$1,725.00

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
1105	1105	Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	1	1,250.00	$1,250.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $
815	815	Young (2-4 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	1	1,600.00	$1,600.00
815	815	Young (2-4 yrs)	2nd Stage (4-6 mo)	1	1,325.00	$1,325.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb)	Avg wt	Age	Stage	Head	Price range	Avg $	Δ last sale
1140	1140	Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	1	1,775.00	$1,775.00	—
1280	1280	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	Open	1	1,550.00	$1,550.00	—

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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.