Sale reports / Colorado / La Junta / 2025-02-12

La Junta

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · La Junta, Colorado · Wed, Feb 12
● Final67 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1903
Feeder Cattle receipts
633 head
▼ 928 vs last sale 1,561▼ 661 vs year ago 1,294 · −51.1%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
67 head
▼ 134 vs last sale 201▼ 49 vs year ago 116 · −42.2%
Replacement Cattle receipts
55 head
▲ 6 vs last sale 49▼ 64 vs year ago 119 · −53.8%
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Trade activity and demand was moderate to good. Feeder steers under 450lbs sold mostly 8.00 to 10.00 higher. Steers over 450lbs sold 2.00 to 6.00 lower with instances of sharply lower. Feeder heifers sold unevenly steady on a light test across all weight classes. Breaker cows of average dressing sold 1.00 higher. Boner cows sold 2.00 higher and lean cows sold 3.00 higher. Slaughter bulls were too light for an accurate test. The next feeder calf and replacement cow sale will be next Wednesday February 19, 2025.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb heifers averaged $278.84/cwt on 42 head. That ranks 1 of 8 comparable sales and sits −64.22 against this barn's trailing median of $343.06.
Average price
$278.84
42 head · 543 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,514
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$218
per head · Medium and Large 1-2 over Large 1-2
$28.49/cwt at this weight
vs the market
−33.15
vs CO average
−18.16 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1-2539285.991,54129
Medium and Large 1576266.271,5348thin
Large 1-2514257.501,3245thin
One grade step is worth $28.49/cwt here — about $218 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 400–500 lb. USDA reports each grade on its own line and never publishes the spread.

How it compared 500–600 lb

Same class and week · spot auction only
This sale42 hd
278.84
—
CO average4 barns · 794 hd
311.99
−33.15
National average157 barns · 11,394 hd
297.00
−18.16
This barn, trailing median8 sales
343.06
−64.22
A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

8 sales
437396355314median 343.0603/0403/2510/0710/2110/28
Heifers 500–600 lb: high $422.95, low $327.75, median $343.06 across 8 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

Slaughter cattle

By class and quality grade · $/cwt
Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.
ClassGradeDressingAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Bulls—High1,396146.712,04815
CowsBoner 80-85%High1,392144.112,00611
CowsLean 85-90%Very Low1,067129.441,38237
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,575111.001,7481thin

Replacement cattle Per head

By class, stage and age
Bred stock and pairs are reported per head, not per hundredweight — these prices are never mixed with the $/cwt figures above.
ClassStageAgeAvg wt$/headHead
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)955$2,3001thin
Bred Cows1st Stage (1-3 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)960$1,9251thin
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Aged (>8 yrs)1,122$1,7899

Every lot

67 lots · USDA AMS · La Junta Livestock Commision - La Junta, CO
Nothing removed and nothing rounded — the same lots as the USDA report, with per-head values added. Grouped by class and set lightest first; USDA files them in sale-ring order.
ClassWeightGrade / descriptionAvg wtPriceRangePer headHead
Feeder Cattle · Steers26 lots · lightest first
Steers200–250Medium and Large 1213775.00/head775.00–775.007752
Steers250–300Medium and Large 1274450.00/cwt450.00–450.001,2334
Steers250–300Medium and Large 1-2291415.00/cwt415.00–415.001,2084
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1348435.00/cwt435.00–435.001,5142
Steers350–400Large 1-2353380.00/cwt380.00–380.001,3413
Steers350–400Large 2371325.00/cwt325.00–325.001,2066
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1391408.33/cwt405.00–415.001,5976
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1-2393389.03/cwt380.00–393.001,52913
Steers400–450Medium and Large 2413352.50/cwt352.50–352.501,4563
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1428417.08/cwt415.00–425.001,78514
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1-2428380.32/cwt380.00–381.001,6286
Steers400–450Large 1-2429376.68/cwt365.00–385.001,61610
Steers450–500Large 1466362.50/cwt362.50–362.501,6895
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1483345.96/cwt340.00–350.001,6715
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1-2493330.00/cwt330.00–330.001,6272
Steers450–500Large 2496235.00/cwt235.00–235.001,1668
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1505370.00/cwt370.00–370.001,86910
Steers500–550Large 1-2514317.00/cwt317.00–317.001,6294
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1-2524315.00/cwt315.00–315.001,6515
Steers500–550Medium and Large 2540302.50/cwt302.50–302.501,6342
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1557352.50/cwt352.50–352.501,9639
Steers550–600Large 1-2557307.50/cwt307.50–307.501,7133
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1633291.72/cwt285.00–309.001,8477
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1687274.90/cwt271.50–276.001,88929
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1-2730239.00/cwt239.00–239.001,7452
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1767257.00/cwt257.00–257.001,9716
Feeder Cattle · Heifers18 lots · lightest first
Heifers150–200Medium and Large 1190825.00/head825.00–825.008252
Heifers200–250Medium and Large 1224825.00/head825.00–825.0082521
Heifers250–300Medium and Large 1250375.00/cwt375.00–375.009384
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1304386.72/cwt380.00–387.501,17631
Heifers300–350Large 1-2317300.00/cwt300.00–300.009516
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1371370.81/cwt370.00–375.001,37618
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1-2382350.17/cwt347.50–360.001,33844
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 2408255.00/cwt255.00–255.001,0409
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1412367.65/cwt360.00–375.001,5158
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 2455235.00/cwt235.00–235.001,0692
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1-2485301.05/cwt292.00–305.001,46020
Heifers500–550Large 1-2514257.50/cwt257.50–257.501,3245
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2539285.99/cwt270.00–293.001,54129
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1576266.27/cwt265.00–267.501,5348
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1601268.00/cwt268.00–268.001,6117
Heifers650–700Large 1-2658231.00/cwt231.00–231.001,5203
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1667267.20/cwt255.00–272.001,78254
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1785234.61/cwt233.00–237.501,8428
Feeder Cattle · Bulls6 lots · lightest first
Bulls250–300Medium and Large 1251445.00/cwt445.00–445.001,1174
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 1-2394393.00/cwt393.00–393.001,5489
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1488340.00/cwt340.00–340.001,6592
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 1-2525312.49/cwt310.00–320.001,6418
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 1-2560271.00/cwt271.00–271.001,5184
Bulls1000–1050Medium and Large 11,011199.00/cwt199.00–199.002,0124
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls2 lots · lightest first
Bulls——1,068131.00/cwt131.00–131.001,3996
Bulls——1,615157.18/cwt140.00–176.002,5389
Slaughter Cattle · Cows7 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%84081.00/cwt81.00–81.006801
Cows—Lean 85-90%885121.00/cwt121.00–121.001,0711
Cows—Lean 85-90%92698.05/cwt91.00–103.009085
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,083138.20/cwt126.00–146.001,49726
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,244126.00/cwt126.00–126.001,5674
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,392144.11/cwt140.00–147.002,00611
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,575111.00/cwt111.00–111.001,7481
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows4 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed749220.63/cwt220.00–221.001,6533
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-2915166.00/cwt166.00–166.001,5191
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 2925137.68/cwt117.50–146.001,2743
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1990195.95/cwt181.00–211.001,94033
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows4 lots · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 19552,300.00/head2,300.00–2,300.002,3001
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 19601,925.00/head1,925.00–1,925.001,9251
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-29851,225.00/head1,225.00–1,225.001,2251
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,1391,860.00/head1,860.00–1,860.001,8608

This sale against other markets

Colorado weighted averages
One sale is one barn on one day. The state ladder is every Colorado auction USDA reported that week, weighted by head — the fairer test of whether a lot sold well.