Cattle Market Pulse

Winter Livestock (Tuesday) Market Report

La Junta, Colorado · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, December 17, 2024

6,380 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $317.56/cwt +3.48 vs last sale · ≈ $1,816/hd at 572 lb · 348 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $280.59/cwt -2.52 vs last sale · ≈ $1,891/hd at 674 lb · 338 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $255.87/cwt -7.45 vs last sale · ≈ $1,602/hd at 626 lb · 299 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 6,380 7,746 1,721
Feeder cattle 5,742 6,927 1,400
Slaughter cattle 475 419 266
Replacement cattle 163 400 55

Market comments — USDA reporter

Trade activity and demand was good. Feeder steers under 600lbs sold 4.00 to 9.00 higher with instances of sharply higher. Feeder steers over 600lbs sold 2.00 to 5.00 lower. Feeder heifers sold unevenly steady across all weight classes. Breaker slaughter cows of average dressing sold 2.00 higher. Boner cows sold 4.00 higher and lean cows sold 3.00 higher. Slaughter bulls of average dressing sold 1.00 higher. The next feeder calf and slaughter cow sale will be January 7, 2025.

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
250–273 265 3 430.00–435.00 $433.43 $1,149 —
334–349 339 27 410.00–427.50 $419.63 $1,423 +1.71
375–393 386 63 412.50–426.00 $420.92 $1,625 +8.56
412–449 428 53 390.00–417.50 $399.22 $1,709 —
459 fancy 459 51 401.00 $401.00 $1,841 +12.51
451–498 476 144 342.50–386.00 $364.42 $1,735 +1.89
500–548 515 184 321.00–369.00 $343.69 $1,770 +17.45
551–599 572 348 292.50–332.00 $317.56 $1,816 +3.48
600–644 624 266 285.00–316.00 $294.68 $1,839 -7.01
653–686 674 338 270.00–292.00 $280.59 $1,891 -2.31
709–746 730 225 254.00–273.50 $265.82 $1,940 -3.26
752 thin fleshed 752 54 271.00 $271.00 $2,038 —
750–799 772 207 240.00–263.75 $257.07 $1,985 -5.15
802–841 823 134 247.00–254.50 $250.99 $2,066 -1.40
867 867 83 251.75 $251.75 $2,183 +15.75
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
413 413 2 392.50 $392.50 $1,621 +2.50
461–496 481 84 330.00–369.00 $341.30 $1,642 -4.58
508–528 521 38 322.00–344.00 $329.91 $1,719 +24.91
551 551 30 315.00 $315.00 $1,736 +7.67
629 629 57 295.00 $295.00 $1,856 +15.92
712–746 738 20 251.00–258.50 $256.69 $1,894 —
844 844 62 254.50 $254.50 $2,148 —
972 972 96 233.75 $233.75 $2,272 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320–338 330 11 397.50–406.00 $402.25 $1,327 —
357–399 386 26 400.00–409.00 $405.60 $1,566 +18.10
403–447 435 56 339.00–387.50 $370.04 $1,610 +1.38
490–493 492 7 320.00–323.00 $321.72 $1,583 —
509–523 515 13 294.00–307.50 $301.18 $1,551 -1.05
570 570 5 265.00 $265.00 $1,510 -14.97
640–645 642 10 262.50–278.00 $275.85 $1,771 +0.85
665–698 687 76 250.00–262.50 $259.49 $1,783 -1.03
718 718 4 252.00 $252.00 $1,809 +9.86
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
397 397 12 382.50 $382.50 $1,519 —
430 430 3 320.00 $320.00 $1,376 -52.50
542 542 15 305.00 $305.00 $1,653 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350–383 369 7 362.50–377.50 $365.48 $1,349 +11.98
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
215 215 1 1,025.00 $1,025.00 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
327 327 3 375.00 $375.00 $1,226 ±0.00
374–398 387 40 336.00–362.00 $351.87 $1,362 +2.41
401–446 418 167 310.00–347.50 $327.31 $1,368 +4.13
450–496 473 258 295.00–336.00 $309.69 $1,465 -9.48
502–547 524 256 266.00–312.00 $293.18 $1,536 +10.47
550–599 580 247 250.00–285.00 $268.51 $1,557 -9.12
603–649 626 299 244.00–264.00 $255.87 $1,602 -2.65
656–698 679 168 236.00–255.00 $241.07 $1,637 -0.52
716–749 727 212 227.00–245.00 $240.40 $1,748 -3.50
764–790 781 28 232.00–237.00 $235.25 $1,837 +2.35
805–832 809 163 212.00–233.00 $231.04 $1,869 +5.15
995 995 3 202.50 $202.50 $2,015 -0.50
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
378–387 380 13 344.00–347.50 $346.68 $1,317 +6.68
460–497 469 51 287.50–309.00 $302.27 $1,418 -12.73
517–536 524 81 260.00–302.00 $292.24 $1,531 +17.94
569 569 4 252.00 $252.00 $1,434 +2.06
642 642 9 244.00 $244.00 $1,566 -7.00
683 683 7 245.00 $245.00 $1,673 —
703 703 2 236.00 $236.00 $1,659 —
798 798 57 236.50 $236.50 $1,887 —
823 823 57 236.50 $236.50 $1,946 —
910–918 914 109 225.60 $225.60 $2,062 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305–335 327 35 360.00–365.00 $362.56 $1,186 +8.05
369–395 378 6 317.50–335.00 $328.90 $1,243 -0.02
430–443 434 7 296.00 $296.00 $1,285 —
468–497 488 22 271.00–292.50 $285.86 $1,395 -3.27
595 595 2 245.00 $245.00 $1,458 +2.50
600–642 617 25 236.00–241.00 $238.56 $1,472 +7.56
675–690 687 5 227.50–232.50 $228.50 $1,570 —
712–745 720 4 220.00–226.00 $224.45 $1,616 —
754 754 4 221.00 $221.00 $1,666 —
Medium 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
308 308 8 302.50 $302.50 $932 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
465–490 487 8 260.00–275.00 $267.15 $1,301 +11.15
Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
395 395 4 327.50 $327.50 $1,294 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
304–330 309 10 385.00–400.00 $388.20 $1,200 —
376 376 6 374.00 $374.00 $1,406 -10.00
434 434 4 361.00 $361.00 $1,567 +6.00
481 481 7 332.50 $332.50 $1,599 -14.50
554 554 11 302.50 $302.50 $1,676 —
611–614 611 40 269.00–288.00 $285.61 $1,745 +33.11
712 712 41 255.00 $255.00 $1,816 —
844 844 5 215.00 $215.00 $1,815 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
435 435 3 322.50 $322.50 $1,403 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
875 875 85-90% 4 121.00 $121.00 $1,059 —
653–1125 912 85-90% 13 45.00–88.00 $71.73 $654 —
1001 1001 85-90% 6 109.00 $109.00 $1,091 ±0.00
810–1250 1004 85-90% 52 91.00–108.00 $100.05 $1,005 -8.95
1079 1079 85-90% 8 118.00 $118.00 $1,273 +34.24
955–1295 1137 85-90% 139 111.00–119.50 $117.63 $1,337 +14.74
1000–1288 1170 85-90% 103 120.00–125.00 $121.24 $1,419 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1200–1495 1292 80-85% 50 114.00–120.00 $118.62 $1,533 —
1308–1515 1362 80-85% 24 121.00–127.00 $122.56 $1,669 +21.99
1325–1555 1409 80-85% 4 93.00–112.00 $102.84 $1,449 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1575–1660 1611 75-80% 8 120.00–124.00 $122.14 $1,968 —
1553–1930 1643 75-80% 10 117.00–118.00 $117.40 $1,929 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1710 1710 65-75% 1 114.00 $114.00 $1,949 -4.00
1745 1745 65-75% 1 120.00 $120.00 $2,094 +2.00
1745 1745 65-75% 1 100.00 $100.00 $1,745 -18.00

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1025–1085 1055 2 162.50–165.00 $163.79 $1,728 —
1245–1705 1510 9 122.00–134.00 $127.90 $1,931 —
1010–2350 1846 24 136.00–159.00 $146.61 $2,706 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
691–1163 871 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 61 172.50–207.50 $194.80 $1,697
800–1019 thin fleshed 895 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 26 210.00–225.00 $218.74 $1,958
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
695–975 789 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 32 122.00–140.00 $125.02 $986
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1035–1170 1111 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 4 145.00–157.50 $152.17 $1,691

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1145 1145 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,275.00 $1,275.00
1153–1274 1234 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 6 2,000.00–2,225.00 $2,070.10
1163–1452 1306 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 19 1,625.00–1,925.00 $1,764.00
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1095 1095 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,600.00 $1,600.00

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1263 1263 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 2 2,550.00 $2,550.00 —

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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.