Cattle Market Pulse

Winter Livestock (Tuesday) Market Report

La Junta, Colorado · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, September 17, 2024

1,226 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $262.29/cwt -10.54 vs last sale · ≈ $1,621/hd at 618 lb · 83 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $278.77/cwt -2.22 vs last sale · ≈ $1,491/hd at 535 lb · 64 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $241.22/cwt -7.71 vs last sale · ≈ $1,409/hd at 584 lb · 61 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,226 1,755 1,728
Feeder cattle 1,022 1,489 1,477
Slaughter cattle 85 148 180
Replacement cattle 119 118 71

Market comments — USDA reporter

Trade activity and demand was moderate. Feeder steers sold mostly 2.00 to 19.00 lower across all weight classes. Feeder heifers sold unevenly steady across all weight classes. Boner slaughter cows of average dressing sold 1.00 lower while lean cows of average dressing sold 4.00 lower. Slaughter bulls of average dressing sold 1.00 lower. The next feeder calf and slaughter cow sale will be next Tuesday September 25, 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
357 357 11 336.00 $336.00 $1,200 -19.00
417–434 430 57 315.00–324.00 $321.84 $1,384 +1.27
450–496 480 33 290.00–304.50 $294.65 $1,414 -21.35
513–547 535 64 271.00–285.00 $278.77 $1,491 -2.22
561–599 583 39 260.00–264.50 $261.97 $1,527 -14.21
603–624 618 83 251.00–265.00 $262.29 $1,621 -10.54
669–694 684 30 248.00–260.00 $250.73 $1,715 -5.62
736 736 13 243.00 $243.00 $1,788 -5.22
752 752 19 245.00 $245.00 $1,842 -2.08
803–848 819 12 233.00–240.00 $236.68 $1,938 -2.23
962 962 15 220.00 $220.00 $2,116 +4.76
1021 1021 94 223.50 $223.50 $2,282 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
392 392 2 277.50 $277.50 $1,088 —
506–546 525 29 261.00–267.50 $263.73 $1,385 —
617 617 7 232.50 $232.50 $1,435 -16.12
698 698 2 236.00 $236.00 $1,647 -2.83
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
559 559 5 252.50 $252.50 $1,411 —
788 788 3 240.00 $240.00 $1,891 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
277 277 2 322.50 $322.50 $893 —
330 330 2 307.50 $307.50 $1,015 -20.00
351–387 372 26 297.00–306.00 $300.47 $1,118 -2.03
420 420 18 287.00 $287.00 $1,205 +6.52
452–489 463 33 252.00–267.00 $265.08 $1,227 +2.74
503–549 526 54 242.50–258.00 $252.38 $1,328 +0.87
565–598 584 61 235.00–249.00 $241.22 $1,409 -7.71
629 629 10 263.00 $263.00 $1,654 —
652–699 679 19 221.00–236.25 $230.68 $1,566 -7.53
715–738 724 39 216.00–231.00 $219.20 $1,587 -8.80
763 763 32 229.50 $229.50 $1,751 +2.27
813–844 831 41 221.50–222.50 $222.10 $1,846 -4.40
880 880 2 211.00 $211.00 $1,857 -7.00
950 950 6 190.50 $190.50 $1,810 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
598 598 11 217.00 $217.00 $1,298 —
600 600 27 240.00 $240.00 $1,440 —
689 689 10 202.00 $202.00 $1,392 -22.27
743 743 2 194.00 $194.00 $1,441 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
662 662 5 235.00 $235.00 $1,556 ±0.00
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
278 278 3 850.00 $850.00 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
397 397 4 304.00 $304.00 $1,207 —
668 668 3 220.00 $220.00 $1,470 —
743 743 4 201.00 $201.00 $1,493 —
810 810 5 197.50 $197.50 $1,600 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
830–1060 945 85-90% 2 131.00–140.00 $136.05 $1,286 —
1055–1100 1078 85-90% 2 96.00–101.00 $98.55 $1,062 —
990–1263 1193 85-90% 21 106.00–117.00 $111.97 $1,336 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1304–1440 1357 80-85% 24 108.00–118.00 $112.52 $1,527 -17.43
1450 1450 80-85% 1 125.00 $125.00 $1,812 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1580–1595 1588 75-80% 2 120.00–120.50 $120.25 $1,910 -8.01

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1288–2300 1655 21 140.00–159.00 $147.13 $2,435 —
1600–1880 1752 3 132.00–136.00 $134.65 $2,359 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
771–855 785 (<2 yrs)Open 6 161.00–167.50 $166.32 $1,306
925–973 thin fleshed 941 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 17 181.00–191.00 $187.45 $1,764
760–1068 998 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 20 160.00–175.00 $170.87 $1,705
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
880 880 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 151.00 $151.00 $1,329

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
980 980 Young (2-4 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 7 2,400.00 $2,400.00
1000 1000 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 1,875.00 $1,875.00
1055 1055 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,100.00 $2,100.00
1217–1305 1231 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 9 2,200.00–2,575.00 $2,500.13
1332 1332 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 4 1,925.00 $1,925.00
1386 1386 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 2,150.00 $2,150.00
1431 1431 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 2,350.00 $2,350.00
1550 1550 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,250.00 $2,250.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1135 1135 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 3 1,325.00 $1,325.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
960 960 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 975.00 $975.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1255 1255 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 3,000.00 $3,000.00 —
1365 1365 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 3,100.00 $3,100.00 —
1461 1461 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 4 3,000.00 $3,000.00 —
1511 1511 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 3 2,550.00 $2,550.00 —
1517 1517 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 7 2,700.00 $2,700.00 —
1532 1532 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 7 3,150.00 $3,150.00 —
1567 1567 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 2 2,600.00 $2,600.00 —
1615 1615 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 4 2,900.00 $2,900.00 —
1645–1715 fancy 1657 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 6 3,050.00–3,300.00 $3,256.87 —

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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.