Sale reports / Colorado / La Junta / 2025-03-05

La Junta

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · La Junta, Colorado · Wed, Mar 5
● Final67 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1903
Feeder Cattle receipts
1,189 head
▲ 212 vs last sale 977▼ 1,010 vs year ago 2,199 · −45.9%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
115 head
▼ 9 vs last sale 124▲ 27 vs year ago 88 · +30.7%
Replacement Cattle receipts
52 head
▼ 76 vs last sale 128▼ 115 vs year ago 167 · −68.9%
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Trade activity and demand was moderate to good. Feeder steers under 550lbs sold 2.00 to 8.00 lower. Steers over 550lbs sold mostly 6.00 to 8.00 higher. Feeder heifers under 550lbs sold 3.00 to 4.00 lower. Feeder heifers over 550lbs sold 6.00 to 9.00 higher. Boner slaughter cows sold steady while lean cows of average dressing sold 2.00 higher. Slaughter bulls sold 1.00 lower. The next feeder calf and slaughter cow sale will be next Wednesday March 12, 2025.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb heifers averaged $315.81/cwt on 222 head. That ranks 1 of 8 comparable sales and sits −27.25 against this barn's trailing median of $343.06.
Average price
$315.81
222 head · 548 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,731
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$362
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Large 1-2
$81.85/cwt at this weight
vs the market
−3.06
vs CO average
+10.79 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1548326.851,792152
Large 1564320.001,8058thin
Medium and Large 1-2543291.181,58158
Large 1-2584245.001,4314thin
One grade step is worth $81.85/cwt here — about $362 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 500–600 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 sale222 hd
315.81
—
CO average3 barns · 438 hd
318.87
−3.06
National average185 barns · 16,988 hd
305.02
+10.79
This barn, trailing median8 sales
343.06
−27.25
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—Average1,759162.012,85133
CowsBoner 80-85%High1,354141.541,9169thin
CowsLean 85-90%High1,115138.481,54470

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 Heifers2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)658$1,5102thin
Cow-Calf PairsOpenMiddle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,412$2,5235

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 · Steers19 lots · lightest first
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1349405.00/cwt405.00–405.001,4132
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1364423.26/cwt420.00–432.501,5418
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1-2383401.36/cwt382.50–412.501,53711
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1430404.54/cwt400.00–415.001,74027
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1-2433373.86/cwt371.00–380.001,6196
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1454385.00/cwt385.00–385.001,7487
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1-2480360.81/cwt356.00–375.001,73238
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1-2520317.50/cwt317.50–317.501,6514
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1522357.21/cwt341.00–367.001,86540
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1568348.90/cwt334.00–354.001,98264
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1-2581309.41/cwt305.00–315.001,7989
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1-2625293.00/cwt293.00–293.001,8319
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1626323.42/cwt309.00–334.002,02537
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1706267.39/cwt265.00–267.501,88846
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1-2718248.00/cwt248.00–248.001,7812
Steers700–750Large 1723252.50/cwt252.50–252.501,8266
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1772264.96/cwt263.00–266.002,04556
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1-2773258.00/cwt258.00–258.001,9944
Steers800–850Medium and Large 1813253.02/cwt248.00–264.002,05729
Feeder Cattle · Heifers29 lots · lightest first
Heifers250–300Large 1280950.00/head950.00–950.009502
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1340375.00/cwt375.00–375.001,2757
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1350380.00/cwt380.00–380.001,3303
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1-2368341.53/cwt340.00–345.001,2577
Heifers350–400Large 1Replacement373365.00/cwt365.00–365.001,3613
Heifers350–400Large 1-2373335.00/cwt335.00–335.001,2502
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1Fancy417381.00/cwt381.00–381.001,58911
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1442340.57/cwt335.00–345.001,50527
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 2472292.51/cwt287.00–302.501,38111
Heifers450–500Large 1Replacement474360.00/cwt360.00–360.001,7067
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1-2475303.12/cwt295.00–320.001,44015
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1479351.24/cwt350.00–352.501,6826
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1516329.47/cwt320.00–341.001,70070
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2535297.35/cwt272.50–319.001,59143
Heifers550–600Large 1Replacement564320.00/cwt320.00–320.001,8058
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2566273.49/cwt266.00–282.001,54815
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1576324.62/cwt315.00–333.001,87082
Heifers550–600Large 1-2584245.00/cwt245.00–245.001,4314
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1Replacement635304.59/cwt300.00–320.001,93497
Heifers600–650Large 1646280.00/cwt280.00–280.001,8094
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1660272.07/cwt266.00–281.001,7965
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1Replacement681280.67/cwt260.00–293.001,91164
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1705250.00/cwt250.00–250.001,7632
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1Replacement718279.57/cwt255.00–291.002,00743
Heifers700–750Large 1Replacement728255.00/cwt255.00–255.001,8564
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1764253.51/cwt253.00–255.001,9378
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1Replacement765266.58/cwt245.00–272.502,03937
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 1805245.00/cwt245.00–245.001,9722
Heifers900–950Medium and Large 1925238.00/cwt238.00–238.002,2022
Feeder Cattle · Bulls3 lots · lightest first
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1459347.60/cwt340.00–355.001,5954
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 1562307.50/cwt307.50–307.501,7283
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 1632279.91/cwt272.50–285.001,7695
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls3 lots · lightest first
Bulls——1,300135.00/cwt135.00–135.001,7551
Bulls——1,773164.53/cwt136.00–171.002,91731
Bulls——1,800111.00/cwt111.00–111.001,9981
Slaughter Cattle · Cows4 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%810119.46/cwt116.00–121.009683
Cows—Lean 85-90%914106.37/cwt99.00–111.009724
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,142141.43/cwt126.00–152.001,61563
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,354141.54/cwt139.00–150.001,9169
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows5 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1675202.50/cwt202.50–202.501,3671
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 2675145.00/cwt145.00–145.009791
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed924222.67/cwt216.00–249.002,05726
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1936198.36/cwt187.50–211.001,8578
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,133170.10/cwt162.50–175.001,9277
Replacement Cattle · Bred Heifers2 lots · lightest first
Bred Heifers—Medium and Large 1-26251,345.00/head1,345.00–1,345.001,3451
Bred Heifers—Medium and Large 16901,675.00/head1,675.00–1,675.001,6751
Replacement Cattle · Cow-Calf Pairs2 lots · lightest first
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 19801,725.00/head1,725.00–1,725.001,7251
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 11,5202,722.63/head2,325.00–2,825.002,7234

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.