Cattle Market Pulse

La Junta Livestock Commision Market Report

La Junta, Colorado · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, February 18, 2026

1,096 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight L 1 steers $401.99/cwt ≈ $2,661/hd at 662 lb · 66 head
heavy 5-weight L 1 steers $478.53/cwt +78.53 vs last sale · ≈ $2,689/hd at 562 lb · 53 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $408.61/cwt +19.66 vs last sale · ≈ $2,577/hd at 631 lb · 52 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,096 1,459 1,679
Feeder cattle 857 1,275 1,508
Slaughter cattle 205 144 108
Replacement cattle 34 40 63

Market comments — USDA reporter

Trade activity and demand was good. Feeder steers sold unevenly steady across all weight classes. Feeder heifers sold sharply higher across all weight classes. Boner slaughter cows of average dressing sold 5.00 higher while lean cow sold 3.00 higher. Slaughter bulls of average dressing sold 4.00 lower. The next slaughter cow and feeder calf sale will be next Wednesday February 25, 2026.

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
308 fancy 308 2 705.00 $705.00 $2,171 —
324 unweaned 324 4 617.50 $617.50 $2,001 —
328 328 3 640.00 $640.00 $2,099 +10.00
393 unweaned 393 8 597.50 $597.50 $2,348 -7.50
432 432 3 582.50 $582.50 $2,516 +27.50
467–471 468 36 540.00–550.00 $541.39 $2,534 +1.28
503–537 530 17 502.50–512.50 $509.30 $2,699 +9.30
540 unweaned 540 6 470.00–482.50 $478.33 $2,583 +5.83
586 586 9 435.00 $435.00 $2,549 -3.09
590 unweaned 590 2 405.00 $405.00 $2,390 -13.76
610 fancy 610 2 440.00 $440.00 $2,684 —
610–645 627 15 422.50–425.00 $423.66 $2,656 -2.68
648 unweaned 648 31 414.00 $414.00 $2,683 -1.00
685 685 40 401.00 $401.00 $2,747 -4.00
713–735 719 26 362.50–370.00 $364.56 $2,621 -0.91
756–774 768 32 358.00–367.50 $360.68 $2,770 +10.68
800 800 18 347.50–365.00 $358.19 $2,866 +11.66
1130 1130 2 282.50 $282.50 $3,192 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
398 unweaned 398 5 585.00 $585.00 $2,328 —
448 unweaned 448 2 500.00 $500.00 $2,240 —
452 unweaned 452 3 500.00 $500.00 $2,260 —
504 504 9 510.00 $510.00 $2,570 —
562–564 562 53 465.00–482.50 $478.53 $2,689 —
618 unweaned 618 2 395.00 $395.00 $2,441 +15.00
621–622 621 10 417.50–425.00 $422.75 $2,625 —
658–665 662 66 397.50–410.00 $401.99 $2,661 —
743 743 2 350.00 $350.00 $2,600 -9.00
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
430 unweaned 430 8 455.00 $455.00 $1,956 —
483 unweaned 483 16 460.00 $460.00 $2,222 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
600 unweaned 600 2 322.50 $322.50 $1,935 —
780 780 4 345.00 $345.00 $2,691 —
813 813 2 312.50 $312.50 $2,541 -10.00

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
328 328 2 540.00 $540.00 $1,771 —
369–393 379 7 520.00–535.00 $526.66 $1,996 +24.16
433 433 6 497.50 $497.50 $2,154 +36.53
473–497 486 9 470.00–475.00 $472.16 $2,295 +21.13
509–526 unweaned 521 22 432.50–450.00 $444.56 $2,316 +21.43
520–539 535 27 475.00–480.00 $475.90 $2,546 +33.90
592 592 6 407.50 $407.50 $2,412 -4.42
627 627 35 422.50 $422.50 $2,649 +30.72
638 unweaned 638 17 380.00 $380.00 $2,424 +15.00
880 880 2 315.00 $315.00 $2,772 -17.00
938 938 4 307.50 $307.50 $2,884 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 3 535.00 $535.00 $1,552 —
407–409 408 15 510.00–515.00 $513.33 $2,094 —
531–538 534 23 470.00–472.50 $471.10 $2,516 —
575 unweaned 575 4 382.50 $382.50 $2,199 —
613 613 24 418.00 $418.00 $2,562 —
818 818 2 325.00 $325.00 $2,658 +32.50
989 989 4 320.00 $320.00 $3,165 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
718 718 2 340.00 $340.00 $2,441 —
753–792 773 4 305.00–312.50 $308.66 $2,386 +6.16
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
930 930 2 302.50 $302.50 $2,813 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
638 638 2 395.00 $395.00 $2,520 +13.16

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
820–1293 1060 85-90% 25 121.00–164.00 $149.71 $1,587 —
1055–1211 1145 85-90% 27 168.00–174.00 $171.44 $1,963 -11.39
1093–1194 1154 85-90% 41 175.00–178.00 $176.66 $2,039 -0.68
1030–1295 1197 85-90% 12 166.00–172.00 $170.59 $2,042 -6.75
1135–1290 1263 85-90% 34 175.00–178.00 $175.81 $2,220 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1300–1475 1372 80-85% 34 171.00–177.00 $173.28 $2,377 -6.78
1435 1435 80-85% 1 128.00 $128.00 $1,837 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1505 1505 75-80% 1 173.00 $173.00 $2,604 —
1585 1585 75-80% 1 156.00 $156.00 $2,473 -20.47
1595–1640 1618 75-80% 2 168.00–169.00 $168.51 $2,726 +7.51
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1700 1700 65-75% 1 171.00 $171.00 $2,907 -5.00

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1305–1685 1507 7 172.00–184.00 $177.54 $2,676 —
1660–1855 1758 2 157.00–161.00 $159.11 $2,797 —
1890–2100 1995 2 196.00–206.00 $201.26 $4,015 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
853–1108 thin fleshed 990 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 14 265.00–287.50 $278.00 $2,752
1178–1263 1221 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 4 222.50–232.50 $227.33 $2,776
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1255–1285 1280 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 6 202.50 $202.50 $2,592
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1268 1268 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 180.00 $180.00 $2,282

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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.