Sale reports / Colorado / La Junta / 2026-03-04

La Junta

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · La Junta, Colorado · Wed, Mar 4
● Final90 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1903
Feeder Cattle receipts
1,536 head
▲ 427 vs last sale 1,109▲ 347 vs year ago 1,189 · +29.2%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
137 head
▼ 21 vs last sale 158▲ 22 vs year ago 115 · +19.1%
Replacement Cattle receipts
30 head
▼ 25 vs last sale 55▼ 22 vs year ago 52 · −42.3%
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Trade activity and demand was good. Feeder steers under 450 sold mostly sharply higher. Steers between 450 and 600 sold mostly sharply lower while steers over 600 sold sharply higher. Feeder heifers sold 2.00 to 5.00 higher with instances of sharply higher. Boner slaughter cows of average dressing sold 4.00 lower. Lean cows sold 4.00 lower and slaughter bulls of average dressing sold 3.00 lower. The next feeder and slaughter cow sale will be next Wednesday March 11, 2026.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Heifers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb heifers averaged $422.95/cwt on 169 head. That ranks 9 of 8 comparable sales and sits +79.88 against this barn's trailing median of $343.06.
Average price
$422.95
169 head · 558 lb average
Value per head Derived
$2,362
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$384
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 1-2
$74.81/cwt at this weight
vs the market
−4.35
vs CO average
+1.99 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1562438.462,464120
Large 1542392.652,12736
Medium and Large 1-2572363.652,08013thin
One grade step is worth $74.81/cwt here — about $384 a head. Across this sale the premium is widest at 300–400 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 sale169 hd
422.95
—
CO average2 barns · 296 hd
427.30
−4.35
National average181 barns · 13,944 hd
420.96
+1.99
This barn, trailing median8 sales
343.06
+79.88
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—Average1,744184.223,21210
CowsBoner 80-85%Low1,411171.102,41434
CowsLean 85-90%Low1,123166.641,87181
CowsPremium White 65-75%Low1,725156.002,6911thin

Every lot

90 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 · Steers27 lots · lightest first
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1308637.00/cwt635.00–642.501,9628
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned328620.00/cwt620.00–620.002,0342
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1Unweaned338600.00/cwt600.00–600.002,0282
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned390462.50/cwt462.50–462.501,8043
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1Unweaned399584.68/cwt580.00–592.502,3338
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1Unweaned422558.87/cwt557.50–560.002,3587
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1427607.15/cwt590.00–610.002,59342
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned437535.00/cwt535.00–535.002,3383
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1459533.74/cwt532.50–535.002,45010
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1Unweaned476510.00/cwt510.00–510.002,4285
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned493480.00/cwt480.00–480.002,3662
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1Unweaned513514.25/cwt514.00–515.002,63831
Steers500–550Large 1Unweaned546477.50/cwt477.50–477.502,6079
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned548470.00/cwt470.00–470.002,5765
Steers550–600Large 1570432.89/cwt425.00–437.502,46723
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1580457.24/cwt455.00–460.002,65229
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1Unweaned593420.00/cwt420.00–420.002,4916
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned602365.00/cwt365.00–365.002,1973
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1606441.98/cwt437.50–445.002,67841
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1Unweaned636425.44/cwt425.00–427.502,70628
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1733377.78/cwt365.00–380.502,769128
Steers800–850Medium and Large 1828346.36/cwt343.00–349.502,86897
Steers850–900Medium and Large 1872338.24/cwt332.50–342.502,9497
Steers850–900Large 1878325.00/cwt325.00–325.002,85416
Steers900–950Medium and Large 1Fancy912331.50/cwt331.50–331.503,02313
Steers900–950Medium and Large 1934308.00/cwt308.00–308.002,8774
Steers1000–1050Medium and Large 11,012290.00/cwt290.00–290.002,9353
Feeder Cattle · Heifers47 lots · lightest first
Heifers200–250Medium and Large 12251,433.33/head1,375.00–1,500.001,4334
Heifers250–300Medium and Large 1270630.00/cwt630.00–630.001,7012
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1Fancy321590.00/cwt590.00–590.001,89418
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1341570.00/cwt570.00–570.001,9448
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned353440.00/cwt440.00–440.001,5532
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1375549.80/cwt540.00–555.002,06213
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1Unweaned387505.00/cwt505.00–505.001,9543
Heifers400–450Large 1Unweaned419500.00/cwt500.00–500.002,09510
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1424525.00/cwt525.00–525.002,22628
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1Unweaned431502.76/cwt502.00–505.002,16711
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned441485.00/cwt485.00–485.002,1394
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1Unweaned455460.00/cwt460.00–460.002,0932
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1464477.85/cwt477.50–480.002,21714
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned468405.00/cwt405.00–405.001,8952
Heifers450–500Large 1473462.50/cwt462.50–462.502,1882
Heifers450–500Large 1Unweaned475435.00/cwt435.00–435.002,0662
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1506472.27/cwt470.00–472.502,39022
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned511422.50/cwt422.50–422.502,1594
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1Unweaned522439.36/cwt435.00–445.002,2939
Heifers500–550Large 1Unweaned530398.07/cwt392.50–400.002,11018
Heifers500–550Large 1533430.00/cwt430.00–430.002,2924
Heifers550–600Large 1Unweaned559375.00/cwt375.00–375.002,09614
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1Unweaned569393.40/cwt380.00–397.502,23819
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1571421.44/cwt417.50–425.002,40615
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1Fancy586445.00/cwt445.00–445.002,60855
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned599337.50/cwt337.50–337.502,0229
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1Unweaned608406.38/cwt406.00–407.502,47128
Heifers600–650Large 1617394.14/cwt392.50–395.002,43224
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1-2617363.97/cwt355.00–365.002,24619
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned645345.00/cwt345.00–345.002,2252
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1668412.50/cwt412.50–412.502,75611
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1-2680362.75/cwt360.00–363.002,46753
Heifers650–700Large 1Unweaned681365.00/cwt365.00–365.002,48624
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1Unweaned687385.98/cwt377.50–391.002,65280
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned693345.00/cwt345.00–345.002,3915
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1713390.69/cwt372.50–393.002,78651
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned732315.00/cwt315.00–315.002,30613
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1Unweaned738348.00/cwt348.00–348.002,56818
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1Fancy751360.00/cwt360.00–360.002,7044
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1-2783305.00/cwt305.00–305.002,3883
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1794326.93/cwt323.00–342.002,59646
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 1828326.01/cwt320.00–332.502,69917
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 1898302.50/cwt302.50–302.502,7162
Heifers950–1000Medium and Large 1993293.79/cwt293.00–295.002,9175
Heifers1050–1100Medium and Large 11,086265.00/cwt265.00–265.002,8785
Heifers1100–1150Medium and Large 11,135267.50/cwt267.50–267.503,0362
Heifers1150–1200Medium and Large 11,165278.00/cwt278.00–278.003,2397
Feeder Cattle · Bulls3 lots · lightest first
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 1313627.54/cwt625.00–630.001,9644
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 1388625.00/cwt625.00–625.002,4253
Bulls500–550Medium and Large 1548500.00/cwt500.00–500.002,7406
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls3 lots · lightest first
Bulls——1,713181.59/cwt176.00–188.003,1114
Bulls——1,715141.00/cwt141.00–141.002,4181
Bulls——1,774194.97/cwt191.00–202.003,4595
Slaughter Cattle · Cows7 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,015150.78/cwt141.00–158.001,5309
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,124166.30/cwt161.00–169.001,86944
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,156172.26/cwt170.00–176.001,99128
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,350151.00/cwt151.00–151.002,0391
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,399172.46/cwt170.00–174.002,41327
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,475168.33/cwt168.00–169.002,4836
Cows—Premium White 65-75%1,725156.00/cwt156.00–156.002,6911
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows3 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 11,071212.41/cwt205.00–227.502,2755
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed1,077247.21/cwt237.00–255.002,6629
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,234197.50/cwt197.50–197.502,4377

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.