Cattle Market Pulse

La Junta Livestock Commision Market Report

La Junta, Colorado · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Wednesday, October 21, 2026

2,207 head sold ·Official USDA report

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $388.95/cwt -17.83 vs last sale · ≈ $2,253/hd at 579 lb · 212 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $348.55/cwt +26.40 vs last sale · ≈ $2,026/hd at 581 lb · 153 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $348.78/cwt +4.13 vs last sale · ≈ $1,833/hd at 526 lb · 138 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,207 1,760 2,999
Feeder cattle 2,207 1,757 2,999
Replacement cattle — 3 —

Market comments — USDA reporter

Trade activity and demand was moderate. Feeder steers sold mostly lower to sharply lower across all weight classes. Feeder heifers under 550 sold mostly sharply higher. Heifers over 550 sold 2.00 to 4.00 lower with instances of sharply lower. The next feeder calf sale will be next Wednesday October 28, 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
284 284 6 522.50 $522.50 $1,484 -85.00
313–315 unweaned 314 5 520.00 $520.00 $1,633 -35.00
328 328 2 557.50 $557.50 $1,829 -57.50
358 358 8 510.00 $510.00 $1,826 -14.95
361–398 unweaned 384 42 480.00–492.50 $484.73 $1,861 -0.27
423–433 427 20 470.00–487.50 $475.41 $2,030 +8.84
402–444 unweaned 437 50 455.00–462.50 $457.13 $1,998 +5.36
460 fancy 460 15 477.50 $477.50 $2,196 +12.50
460 unweaned 460 3 412.50 $412.50 $1,898 -22.50
450–484 461 75 430.00–445.00 $441.34 $2,035 -2.84
500–529 unweaned 516 31 402.50–412.50 $408.59 $2,108 +2.87
522–541 532 51 427.00–442.50 $432.03 $2,298 +9.89
551–582 575 99 401.50–422.50 $411.58 $2,367 +22.71
553–598 unweaned 583 113 364.00–381.00 $369.13 $2,152 —
602–639 615 67 342.50–358.00 $352.81 $2,170 -22.44
608–646 unweaned 635 40 320.00–337.50 $325.68 $2,068 -23.79
662–688 thin fleshed 665 18 342.50–344.00 $343.83 $2,286 —
650–699 682 37 320.00–331.00 $327.43 $2,233 -10.30
668–699 unweaned 686 17 307.50–315.00 $311.44 $2,136 -16.06
705–744 724 12 285.00–301.00 $293.69 $2,126 -56.39
750 thin fleshed 750 2 322.50 $322.50 $2,419 —
813 813 4 295.00 $295.00 $2,398 —
833 thin fleshed 833 2 317.50 $317.50 $2,645 —
884 884 4 310.00 $310.00 $2,740 —
953–997 975 6 303.00–305.00 $303.98 $2,964 —
1009 1009 7 299.00 $299.00 $3,017 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
333 unweaned 333 7 487.50 $487.50 $1,623 -35.78
331–345 335 10 499.00–502.50 $500.08 $1,675 —
352–353 353 16 432.50–472.50 $447.47 $1,580 —
390 unweaned 390 4 457.50 $457.50 $1,784 +2.50
426 426 6 447.50 $447.50 $1,906 —
405–448 unweaned 433 13 435.00–437.50 $435.80 $1,887 +16.10
461–480 467 6 392.50 $392.50 $1,833 -23.37
525–545 unweaned 531 16 340.00–355.00 $353.11 $1,875 +3.18
518–547 542 33 377.50–380.00 $379.49 $2,057 -2.71
583–598 589 7 340.00–352.50 $346.02 $2,038 -20.08
590 unweaned 590 2 322.50 $322.50 $1,903 —
617–631 unweaned 623 9 312.50–315.00 $313.62 $1,954 -8.88
815 815 2 232.50 $232.50 $1,895 —
985 985 4 287.50 $287.50 $2,832 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 unweaned 275 2 507.50 $507.50 $1,396 —
389 unweaned 389 5 480.00 $480.00 $1,867 —
435 unweaned 435 3 455.00 $455.00 $1,979 +42.50
470 470 3 425.00 $425.00 $1,998 -37.50
486 unweaned 486 5 407.50 $407.50 $1,980 -9.00
508 unweaned 508 11 395.00 $395.00 $2,007 —
526 526 4 410.00 $410.00 $2,157 —
668 668 3 332.50 $332.50 $2,221 —
754–792 777 10 302.50–307.50 $304.44 $2,365 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
490 490 2 377.50 $377.50 $1,850 —
525 525 5 362.50 $362.50 $1,903 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
253 253 2 500.00 $500.00 $1,265 -30.00
258–294 unweaned 279 7 450.00–470.00 $462.06 $1,289 —
316–345 unweaned 327 8 417.50–422.50 $419.48 $1,372 -38.02
328–348 337 15 435.00–455.00 $446.40 $1,504 -56.10
350–375 359 22 430.00–445.00 $436.41 $1,567 -15.69
366–394 unweaned 381 11 415.00–425.00 $419.36 $1,598 -1.50
410 410 16 412.50 $412.50 $1,691 -15.01
402–434 unweaned 417 11 392.50–400.00 $396.45 $1,653 -6.05
422 fancy 422 3 462.50 $462.50 $1,952 —
461–499 unweaned 471 56 364.00–382.50 $373.77 $1,760 -12.51
455–489 fancy 473 15 422.50–430.00 $426.63 $2,018 —
466–478 475 23 392.50–402.50 $394.63 $1,874 -10.66
503 fancy 503 12 377.50 $377.50 $1,899 —
504–546 unweaned 527 79 330.00–345.00 $337.23 $1,777 +4.13
500–546 529 47 355.00–367.50 $360.86 $1,909 -1.64
558–582 unweaned 576 17 310.00–322.50 $316.21 $1,821 +0.20
560–583 578 86 327.50–342.50 $333.75 $1,929 +8.38
589 fancy 589 50 385.00 $385.00 $2,268 —
620 thin fleshed 620 2 322.50 $322.50 $2,000 —
607–646 621 55 295.00–305.00 $298.20 $1,852 -19.67
622–636 unweaned 630 7 280.00–281.00 $280.58 $1,768 —
657–658 unweaned 657 16 287.50–292.50 $290.62 $1,909 —
655–670 664 5 302.50–317.00 $308.22 $2,047 -6.78
708–748 735 9 272.50–282.50 $276.31 $2,031 -51.19
750–776 764 11 282.00–282.50 $282.22 $2,156 -36.78
838 838 3 277.50 $277.50 $2,325 -15.00
896 896 12 292.50 $292.50 $2,621 —
945 945 2 265.00 $265.00 $2,504 —
968 968 4 272.50 $272.50 $2,638 —
1007 1007 3 263.00 $263.00 $2,648 +12.75
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
377 377 10 332.50 $332.50 $1,254 —
408 408 30 377.00 $377.00 $1,538 —
427–430 unweaned 428 5 352.50–360.00 $355.51 $1,522 -21.41
463 unweaned 463 2 305.00 $305.00 $1,412 -41.76
504–548 528 9 320.00–322.50 $321.06 $1,695 -1.18
562–591 588 31 282.50–291.00 $290.21 $1,706 -12.29
655 unweaned 655 2 272.50 $272.50 $1,785 —
823 823 5 257.50 $257.50 $2,119 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
373 unweaned 373 3 412.50 $412.50 $1,539 +7.01
402 402 6 410.00 $410.00 $1,648 —
434–439 unweaned 437 16 390.00 $390.00 $1,704 +25.12
463–485 478 19 352.50–367.50 $359.49 $1,718 -35.51
488 unweaned 488 2 340.00 $340.00 $1,659 +7.97
505 unweaned 505 2 310.00 $310.00 $1,566 -20.00
500–524 519 10 342.50–357.00 $354.21 $1,838 +1.71
551 551 4 325.00 $325.00 $1,791 —
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
388 unweaned 388 2 377.50 $377.50 $1,465 +25.00
397 397 5 390.00 $390.00 $1,548 —
491 491 7 311.00 $311.00 $1,527 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
403 403 2 470.00 $470.00 $1,894 —
623 623 2 332.50 $332.50 $2,071 —
632 unweaned 632 3 312.50 $312.50 $1,975 —
650 650 3 322.50 $322.50 $2,096 —
768 768 2 340.00 $340.00 $2,611 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
511 unweaned 511 7 387.50 $387.50 $1,980 —

↑ Back to top

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.