Cattle Market Pulse

Winter Livestock (Tuesday) Market Report

La Junta, Colorado · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, February 6, 2024

2,431 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $314.42/cwt -9.31 vs last sale · ≈ $1,704/hd at 542 lb · 152 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 heifers $214.16/cwt +11.66 vs last sale · ≈ $1,769/hd at 826 lb · 128 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $231.62/cwt +6.84 vs last sale · ≈ $1,649/hd at 712 lb · 113 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,431 4,195 5,386
Feeder cattle 2,157 3,857 5,118
Slaughter cattle 105 220 268
Replacement cattle 169 118 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last sale: Feeder steers under 500 lbs sold steady to 28.50 higher, while those over 550 lbs sold mostly steady to 6.00 higher. Feeder heifers under 650 lbs sold 4.00 to 19.50 higher and heifers over 700 lbs sold 5.50 to 18.50 higher. Average dressing slaughter cows and bulls sold steady to 7.75 higher. Trade activity and demand were good. The next available report will be Tuesday, February 13, 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
268 268 2 367.50 $367.50 $985 —
368–395 381 13 368.00–372.50 $371.06 $1,414 -0.93
385 385 10 365.00 $365.00 $1,405 -6.99
421–440 423 27 362.50–376.00 $374.44 $1,584 +28.49
418–433 426 16 357.00–360.00 $358.29 $1,526 +12.34
473–488 474 90 328.00–340.00 $338.91 $1,606 +11.40
512–548 542 152 309.00–320.00 $314.42 $1,704 -3.97
558–582 574 35 301.00–302.50 $302.00 $1,733 +1.04
609–637 626 81 282.00–289.00 $285.33 $1,786 +0.23
689 689 84 260.00 $260.00 $1,791 -0.90
709–728 719 51 243.00–254.00 $249.62 $1,795 +6.80
752–784 774 68 231.00–236.50 $233.95 $1,811 +6.00
800–826 804 90 222.00–239.50 $237.01 $1,906 +24.01
855–864 861 6 218.00–225.00 $220.32 $1,897 —
905–908 908 44 220.50–225.00 $224.59 $2,039 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
233 233 2 352.50 $352.50 $821 —
270 270 2 352.50 $352.50 $952 —
433–448 445 13 331.00–340.00 $337.88 $1,504 —
452–494 460 25 317.50–319.00 $317.82 $1,462 +4.84
508–549 533 50 290.00–301.00 $297.58 $1,586 +6.58
553–591 568 37 273.00–287.00 $280.28 $1,592 -0.03
625–646 634 59 265.00–276.00 $273.58 $1,734 -2.15
663–697 688 55 241.00–250.00 $248.30 $1,708 +3.41
785 785 9 215.00 $215.00 $1,688 -4.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
482–485 483 5 308.00–310.00 $309.20 $1,493 +21.35
539 539 14 286.00 $286.00 $1,542 —
594 594 7 269.00 $269.00 $1,598 +23.00
627 627 5 242.50 $242.50 $1,520 -16.09
680 680 3 244.00 $244.00 $1,659 +15.06

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
357–398 386 31 331.00–345.00 $337.92 $1,304 +30.42
400–447 428 17 317.00–320.00 $318.84 $1,365 +19.56
464–499 481 63 285.00–311.00 $297.08 $1,429 +10.87
509–547 529 64 281.00–296.00 $290.39 $1,536 +17.83
550–582 570 59 257.00–270.00 $263.28 $1,501 +4.76
603–633 620 88 238.00–256.00 $248.92 $1,543 +3.95
650–687 675 53 231.50–236.00 $232.64 $1,570 -5.50
703–748 712 113 223.00–233.00 $231.62 $1,649 +6.84
755–771 766 38 215.00–222.50 $218.22 $1,672 +5.59
811–841 826 128 206.50–215.50 $214.16 $1,769 +11.66
852 852 9 210.00 $210.00 $1,789 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310–317 315 9 317.50–322.50 $318.59 $1,004 —
410–443 428 11 277.00–282.50 $280.26 $1,200 -2.24
513–543 528 32 266.00–272.50 $271.04 $1,431 +19.04
562–599 594 104 239.00–253.00 $249.64 $1,483 +17.12
645 645 4 234.00 $234.00 $1,509 —
708–745 731 21 222.50–228.00 $224.53 $1,641 +5.37
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
440 440 7 302.00 $302.00 $1,329 —
529 fancy 529 13 296.50 $296.50 $1,568 —
731 731 7 223.00 $223.00 $1,630 +8.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
535–547 544 23 235.00–257.50 $251.65 $1,369 +9.65
716 716 4 177.50 $177.50 $1,271 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
590 590 15 270.00 $270.00 $1,593 —
745 745 9 206.00 $206.00 $1,535 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
453 453 8 327.50 $327.50 $1,484 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
745–1150 916 85-90% 4 56.00–79.00 $71.03 $651 -3.01
940–1260 1088 85-90% 15 84.00–93.00 $89.85 $978 —
880–1260 1091 85-90% 23 95.00–99.50 $96.02 $1,048 —
1045–1251 1202 85-90% 9 100.00–105.00 $101.18 $1,216 -2.01
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1315 1315 80-85% 1 71.00 $71.00 $934 -13.52
1318–1385 1337 80-85% 4 86.00–95.00 $92.25 $1,233 +7.73
1355–1425 1408 80-85% 25 103.00–108.00 $104.47 $1,471 -2.01

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1220 1220 1 97.00 $97.00 $1,183 —
1355–1970 1680 11 107.00–110.00 $108.32 $1,820 —
1173–2190 1771 12 113.00–124.00 $120.40 $2,132 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
825–934 876 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 39 193.00–197.50 $193.68 $1,697
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
800–1125 944 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 26 122.50–147.00 $137.18 $1,295
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
750–1025 941 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 8 152.50–170.00 $156.92 $1,477

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
945–1373 1230 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,725.00–1,825.00 $1,799.40
1180–1270 1255 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 26 1,550.00–1,725.00 $1,563.01
1272 1272 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 2,100.00 $2,100.00
1485–1555 1520 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 2 1,525.00–1,625.00 $1,576.15
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
968–1480 1106 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 18 1,200.00–1,375.00 $1,301.18
1108–1189 1162 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 6 1,400.00–1,450.00 $1,434.11
1260 1260 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,600.00 $1,600.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
875 875 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,210.00 $1,210.00
923–1105 944 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 11 1,010.00–1,075.00 $1,035.03
914–1100 951 Aged (>8 yrs)All Stages (1-9 mo) 9 885.00–1,025.00 $907.96

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
806 806 Young (2-4 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 9 1,700.00 $1,700.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1147–1170 1155 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 3 1,800.00–2,225.00 $2,081.45 —
1390 1390 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 1,750.00 $1,750.00 -225.00

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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.