Cattle Market Pulse

Winter Livestock (Tuesday) Market Report, La Junta, CO

La Junta, Colorado · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, January 16, 2024

4,343 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Winter Livestock (Tuesday) report →

light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $284.24/cwt +26.12 vs last sale · ≈ $1,752/hd at 616 lb · 324 head
heavy 9-weight M&L 1 steers $214.21/cwt ≈ $2,066/hd at 965 lb · 303 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $202.65/cwt -3.83 vs last sale · ≈ $1,540/hd at 760 lb · 249 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 4,343 4,446 4,739
Feeder cattle 4,075 4,196 4,361
Slaughter cattle 169 182 378
Replacement cattle 99 68 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Trade activity and demand was good. Feeder steers sold mostly 1.00 to 12.00 higher across all weight classes with instances of sharply higher. Feeder heifers sold mostly 1.00 to 8.00 higher across all weight classes with instances of 12.00 higher. Slaughter cows of average dressing sold unevenly steady across all weight classes and slaughter bulls of average dressing sold 3.00 lower on a light test. The next feeder calf and slaughter cow sale will be next Tuesday January 23, 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
299 fancy 299 9 393.00 $393.00 $1,175 —
375–396 393 27 371.00–377.50 $371.92 $1,462 -0.46
405 fancy 405 16 368.00 $368.00 $1,490 —
447 447 6 332.00 $332.00 $1,484 +2.89
453 thin fleshed 453 10 333.00 $333.00 $1,508 —
472 fancy 472 50 338.00 $338.00 $1,595 —
493–497 496 7 315.00–320.00 $318.58 $1,580 +2.45
501–513 thin fleshed 510 55 314.00–322.00 $319.39 $1,629 —
521–542 537 63 300.00–301.00 $300.17 $1,612 +9.45
550–595 579 87 271.00–285.00 $281.58 $1,630 +15.51
591–595 fancy 592 91 291.00–292.00 $291.15 $1,724 —
601–604 fancy 603 92 290.00–294.00 $292.27 $1,762 —
602–629 thin fleshed 621 172 280.00–287.00 $283.37 $1,760 +12.37
601–635 624 60 260.00–277.00 $274.43 $1,712 +17.35
673–696 684 73 252.00–260.00 $256.10 $1,752 +8.67
694 thin fleshed 694 34 265.00 $265.00 $1,839 —
707 fancy 707 28 251.00 $251.00 $1,775 —
703–716 thin fleshed 712 47 230.00–244.00 $239.88 $1,708 +8.98
702–738 725 77 223.00–239.00 $232.14 $1,683 +7.13
758–786 774 84 221.00–239.00 $234.28 $1,813 +7.06
829 thin fleshed 829 59 224.25 $224.25 $1,859 +0.93
842 842 127 218.00 $218.00 $1,836 +8.11
858–882 862 70 203.00–211.00 $209.47 $1,806 +1.32
916 thin fleshed 916 65 213.25 $213.25 $1,953 —
957–967 thin fleshed 963 287 213.00–216.50 $215.22 $2,073 —
993 993 16 196.00 $196.00 $1,946 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
359 359 27 320.00 $320.00 $1,149 —
444 444 63 309.00 $309.00 $1,372 —
485 485 10 296.00 $296.00 $1,436 —
540 540 84 282.00 $282.00 $1,523 +22.00
629 fancy 629 33 251.00 $251.00 $1,579 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
282 282 2 327.50 $327.50 $924 —
390 390 3 349.00 $349.00 $1,361 —
400–408 404 4 310.00–316.00 $312.97 $1,264 -1.71
466–488 475 13 302.50–310.00 $305.24 $1,450 +0.48
520–539 537 23 271.00–282.50 $275.90 $1,482 +4.88
603–625 620 22 241.00–253.00 $246.39 $1,528 +14.72
650–689 670 49 230.00–248.50 $244.40 $1,637 +16.09
787 787 5 217.00 $217.00 $1,708 —
996 996 5 178.00 $178.00 $1,773 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
467–475 471 9 286.00–287.50 $286.83 $1,351 +11.43
510–545 534 11 262.50–266.00 $264.62 $1,413 +13.53
683 683 22 229.25 $229.25 $1,566 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
245 245 2 280.00 $280.00 $686 —
260 260 2 272.50 $272.50 $708 —
301 fancy 301 17 321.00 $321.00 $966 —
318–338 value added 328 6 305.00–307.50 $306.29 $1,005 —
323–335 333 12 292.50–296.00 $295.43 $984 -2.57
381 381 39 289.00 $289.00 $1,101 +3.62
406–434 420 10 276.00–285.00 $281.28 $1,181 +12.61
419–447 fancy 433 36 291.00–297.00 $292.29 $1,266 —
456–460 value added 457 6 280.00–287.50 $282.51 $1,291 —
452–494 477 47 265.00–278.00 $273.86 $1,306 +8.02
525 thin fleshed 525 32 260.00 $260.00 $1,365 —
505–541 526 110 241.00–254.00 $248.13 $1,305 +6.13
560–580 value added 572 23 253.00–254.00 $253.62 $1,451 —
561–576 thin fleshed 572 44 254.00–255.00 $254.27 $1,454 —
563–599 587 79 231.00–249.00 $237.35 $1,393 -0.25
616 value added 616 46 242.00–246.00 $243.48 $1,500 —
603–640 625 101 220.00–234.00 $228.67 $1,429 +3.58
661 661 57 235.00 $235.00 $1,553 +12.50
702–731 value added 710 27 215.00–217.00 $216.47 $1,537 —
718–736 719 68 203.00–204.75 $204.62 $1,471 +0.02
751–771 760 249 202.25–203.00 $202.65 $1,540 -3.83
806–834 820 174 196.50–197.50 $196.91 $1,615 +1.91
877 877 100 191.25 $191.25 $1,677 —
905–930 908 196 186.50–188.50 $188.27 $1,709 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
456 456 81 266.00 $266.00 $1,213 —
566 566 29 221.00 $221.00 $1,251 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 2 282.50 $282.50 $960 —
369 369 10 275.00 $275.00 $1,015 +5.45
410–436 427 17 260.00–267.50 $263.15 $1,124 +8.71
465–497 476 6 255.00 $255.00 $1,214 +10.10
512–519 517 12 230.00–238.00 $236.02 $1,220 -0.04
578–590 586 23 221.00–228.50 $226.34 $1,326 +2.47
642 642 13 221.00 $221.00 $1,419 +4.17
667 667 3 216.00 $216.00 $1,441 +2.21
700 700 6 191.00 $191.00 $1,337 —
802 802 5 182.50 $182.50 $1,464 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375 375 2 246.00 $246.00 $922 -8.08
527 527 3 216.00 $216.00 $1,138 -8.23

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
431 431 8 330.00 $330.00 $1,422 —
517 517 10 298.00 $298.00 $1,541 +53.00

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
770–1110 940 85-90% 2 50.00–58.00 $54.72 $514 —
815–1240 1040 85-90% 23 60.00–82.00 $75.53 $786 —
755–1268 1075 85-90% 85 82.00–90.00 $87.85 $944 —
990–1225 1108 85-90% 2 91.00–95.00 $92.79 $1,028 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1292–1345 1307 80-85% 7 94.00–97.00 $94.88 $1,240 +12.55
1345 1345 80-85% 1 103.00 $103.00 $1,385 —
1340–1405 1373 80-85% 2 79.00–80.00 $79.51 $1,092 -9.92
1350–1460 1389 80-85% 9 86.00–89.00 $88.44 $1,228 -0.99
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1540–1640 1593 75-80% 4 91.00–95.00 $92.73 $1,477 +5.73

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1195–1895 1617 7 100.00–109.50 $105.74 $1,710 —
1955–2050 2015 4 113.00–115.00 $114.14 $2,300 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
740–765 753 (<2 yrs)Open 2 130.00–142.50 $136.15 $1,025
850–1272 1082 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 55 122.50–159.00 $142.82 $1,545
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
650–725 686 (<2 yrs)Open 5 162.50–181.00 $173.51 $1,190
760–1137 1045 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 23 160.00–180.00 $161.56 $1,688
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
695 695 (<2 yrs)Open 1 120.00 $120.00 $834

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1195 1195 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,000.00 $1,000.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
980 980 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 800.00 $800.00

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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.