Cattle Market Pulse

Winter Livestock (Tuesday) Market Report

La Junta, Colorado · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, October 22, 2024

843 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $234.35/cwt -12.55 vs last sale · ≈ $1,556/hd at 664 lb · 52 head
heavy 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $219.88/cwt -5.65 vs last sale · ≈ $1,744/hd at 793 lb · 20 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 heifers $219.28/cwt -2.13 vs last sale · ≈ $1,770/hd at 807 lb · 20 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 843 3,582 1,741
Feeder cattle 348 2,658 1,118
Slaughter cattle 330 650 418
Replacement cattle 165 274 205

Market comments — USDA reporter

Trade activity and demand was moderate to good. Feeder steers and heifers were both too light for an accurate trend due to the special sales on Mondays but a lower trend was noticed. Breaker cows of average dressing sold 1.00 lower. Boner cows of average dressing sold 2.00 higher and lean cows sold 2.00 higher. Slaughter bulls of average dressing sold 2.00 lower. The next slaughter cow sale will be next Tuesday October 29, 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
377 377 4 335.00 $335.00 $1,263 -28.72
425 425 2 312.50 $312.50 $1,328 -27.13
511–536 524 8 275.00–284.00 $279.39 $1,464 -22.39
560 560 2 264.00 $264.00 $1,478 -5.02
651–672 664 52 232.00–236.00 $234.35 $1,556 -12.55
789–793 792 18 232.50–235.00 $234.31 $1,856 -12.53
895 895 7 211.00–227.50 $215.71 $1,931 -19.79

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
342 342 2 300.00 $300.00 $1,026 -59.18
372 372 2 280.00 $280.00 $1,042 -35.03
440 440 5 241.00 $241.00 $1,060 -68.68
455 455 5 256.00 $256.00 $1,165 -26.71
523–529 526 11 240.00–247.00 $243.80 $1,282 -32.25
596 596 3 232.00 $232.00 $1,383 -22.73
605–619 617 18 230.00 $230.00 $1,419 -6.79
671–680 673 19 232.00 $232.00 $1,561 -4.85
740 740 6 226.00 $226.00 $1,672 -9.69
760–798 793 20 219.00–224.00 $219.88 $1,744 -5.65
802–813 807 20 215.00–224.00 $219.28 $1,770 -2.13
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
671 671 3 191.00 $191.00 $1,282 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
490 490 3 262.00 $262.00 $1,284 —
590 590 2 237.50 $237.50 $1,401 —
633 633 2 232.50 $232.50 $1,472 -6.50
668 668 3 200.00 $200.00 $1,336 —
740 740 2 220.00 $220.00 $1,628 —
813–843 825 5 182.50–192.50 $186.59 $1,539 -23.41

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
829–1260 1002 85-90% 25 77.00–109.00 $95.39 $956 —
974–1290 1115 85-90% 31 120.00–148.00 $125.56 $1,400 +20.17
1105–1144 1123 85-90% 46 111.00–119.00 $115.61 $1,298 +10.22
815–1295 1135 85-90% 106 110.00–119.50 $116.54 $1,323 -17.04
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1305–1470 1354 80-85% 49 110.00–119.00 $116.08 $1,572 -7.35
1366 1366 80-85% 8 112.50 $112.50 $1,537 -10.93
1300–1420 1368 80-85% 6 102.00–109.00 $105.47 $1,443 -17.96
1365–1494 1452 80-85% 19 121.00–126.00 $122.34 $1,776 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1505–1670 1562 75-80% 18 110.00–119.00 $116.24 $1,816 -6.89
1585 1585 75-80% 1 108.00 $108.00 $1,712 -15.13

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1485 1485 1 127.00 $127.00 $1,886 —
985–2075 1629 12 130.00–154.00 $143.85 $2,343 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
865–1050 935 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 12 170.00–197.00 $187.72 $1,755
945–948 thin fleshed 947 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 3 200.00–202.50 $201.67 $1,910
1184 fancy 1184 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 7 115.00 $115.00 $1,362
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
690–1220 1006 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 18 142.50–165.00 $159.36 $1,603
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
863 863 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 130.00 $130.00 $1,122

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1095–1305 1144 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 12 1,825.00–2,350.00 $2,043.72
1165–1200 1183 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,875.00–1,950.00 $1,911.95
1275 1275 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,875.00 $1,875.00
1231–1377 1306 Aged (>8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 38 1,475.00–1,600.00 $1,556.57
1108–1410 1338 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 21 1,550.00–1,675.00 $1,650.36
1381 1381 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 7 1,875.00 $1,875.00
1355–1530 1443 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,535.00–1,750.00 $1,649.02
1550 1550 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,825.00 $1,825.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
990 990 Aged (>8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 6 1,125.00 $1,125.00
1118 1118 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 13 1,460.00 $1,460.00
1160–1190 1181 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 4 1,350.00–1,425.00 $1,381.17
1110–1260 1185 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,175.00–1,325.00 $1,254.75
Medium and Large 2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
930 930 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 825.00 $825.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1245 1245 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 2,150.00 $2,150.00 —
1425 1425 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,150.00 $2,150.00 +100.00
1415–1475 1435 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 3 1,900.00–2,250.00 $2,019.92 -30.08
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1010 1010 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 1,425.00 $1,425.00 —

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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.