Sale reports / Colorado / Winter - La Junta / 2024-12-17

Winter - La Junta

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · La Junta, Colorado · Tue, Dec 17
● Final107 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1901
Feeder Cattle receipts
5,742 head
▼ 1,185 vs last sale 6,927▲ 4,342 vs year ago 1,400 · +310.1%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
475 head
▲ 56 vs last sale 419▲ 209 vs year ago 266 · +78.6%
Replacement Cattle receipts
163 head
▼ 237 vs last sale 400▲ 108 vs year ago 55 · +196.4%
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Reporter comment USDA

As filed

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.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb steers averaged $324.73/cwt on 633 head. That ranks 1 of 10 comparable sales and sits −87.77 against this barn's trailing median of $412.50.
Average price
$324.73
633 head · 549 lb average
Value per head Derived
$1,784
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$260
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 1-2
$35.47/cwt at this weight
vs the market
+3.32
vs CO average
−1.90 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1552326.601,804532
Large 1534323.331,72768
Large 1-2542305.001,65315thin
Medium and Large 1-2530291.131,54418thin
One grade step is worth $35.47/cwt here — about $260 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 sale633 hd
324.73
—
CO average4 barns · 1,677 hd
321.40
+3.32
National average173 barns · 17,754 hd
326.63
−1.90
This barn, trailing median10 sales
412.50
−87.77
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

10 sales
499444388333median 412.5003/0303/1710/0610/2011/03
Steers 500–600 lb: high $485.36, low $346.70, median $412.50 across 10 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—Average1,714142.782,44835
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,629119.511,94618
CowsBoner 80-85%Low1,320119.021,57178
CowsLean 85-90%High1,110114.021,266325
CowsPremium White 65-75%High1,733111.331,9303thin

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 Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Young (2-4 yrs)1,214$2,0037
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,306$1,76419
Bred Cows2nd Stage (4-6 mo)Aged (>8 yrs)1,145$1,2751thin
Cow-Calf PairsOpenMiddle Aged (5-8 yrs)1,263$2,5502thin

Every lot

107 lots · USDA AMS · Winter Livestock (Tuesday) - 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 · Steers37 lots · lightest first
Steers200–250Medium and Large 12151,025.00/head1,025.00–1,025.001,0251
Steers250–300Medium and Large 1265433.43/cwt430.00–435.001,1493
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1-2330402.25/cwt397.50–406.001,32711
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1339419.63/cwt410.00–427.501,42327
Steers350–400Medium and Large 2369365.48/cwt362.50–377.501,3497
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1386420.92/cwt412.50–426.001,62563
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1-2386405.60/cwt400.00–409.001,56626
Steers350–400Large 1-2397382.50/cwt382.50–382.501,51912
Steers400–450Large 1413392.50/cwt392.50–392.501,6212
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1428399.22/cwt390.00–417.501,70953
Steers400–450Large 1-2430320.00/cwt320.00–320.001,3763
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1-2435370.04/cwt339.00–387.501,61056
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1Fancy459401.00/cwt401.00–401.001,84151
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1476364.42/cwt342.50–386.001,735144
Steers450–500Large 1481341.30/cwt330.00–369.001,64284
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1-2492321.72/cwt320.00–323.001,5837
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1515343.69/cwt321.00–369.001,770184
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1-2515301.18/cwt294.00–307.501,55113
Steers500–550Large 1521329.91/cwt322.00–344.001,71938
Steers500–550Large 1-2542305.00/cwt305.00–305.001,65315
Steers550–600Large 1551315.00/cwt315.00–315.001,73630
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1-2570265.00/cwt265.00–265.001,5115
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1572317.56/cwt292.50–332.001,816348
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1624294.68/cwt285.00–316.001,839266
Steers600–650Large 1629295.00/cwt295.00–295.001,85657
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1-2642275.85/cwt262.50–278.001,77110
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1674280.59/cwt270.00–292.001,891338
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1-2687259.49/cwt250.00–262.501,78376
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1-2718252.00/cwt252.00–252.001,8094
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1730265.82/cwt254.00–273.501,940225
Steers700–750Large 1738256.69/cwt251.00–258.501,89420
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed752271.00/cwt271.00–271.002,03854
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1772257.07/cwt240.00–263.751,985207
Steers800–850Medium and Large 1823250.99/cwt247.00–254.502,066134
Steers800–850Large 1844254.50/cwt254.50–254.502,14862
Steers850–900Medium and Large 1867251.75/cwt251.75–251.752,18383
Steers950–1000Large 1972233.75/cwt233.75–233.752,27296
Feeder Cattle · Heifers34 lots · lightest first
Heifers300–350Medium 1-2308302.50/cwt302.50–302.509328
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1327375.00/cwt375.00–375.001,2263
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1-2327362.56/cwt360.00–365.001,18635
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1-2378328.90/cwt317.50–335.001,2436
Heifers350–400Large 1380346.68/cwt344.00–347.501,31713
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1387351.87/cwt336.00–362.001,36240
Heifers350–400Large 1-2395327.50/cwt327.50–327.501,2944
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1418327.31/cwt310.00–347.501,368167
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1-2434296.00/cwt296.00–296.001,2857
Heifers450–500Large 1469302.27/cwt287.50–309.001,41851
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1473309.69/cwt295.00–336.001,465258
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 2487267.15/cwt260.00–275.001,3018
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1-2488285.86/cwt271.00–292.501,39522
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1524293.18/cwt266.00–312.001,536256
Heifers500–550Large 1524292.24/cwt260.00–302.001,53181
Heifers550–600Large 1569252.00/cwt252.00–252.001,4344
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1580268.51/cwt250.00–285.001,557247
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2595245.00/cwt245.00–245.001,4582
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1-2617238.56/cwt236.00–241.001,47225
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1626255.87/cwt244.00–264.001,602299
Heifers600–650Large 1642244.00/cwt244.00–244.001,5669
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1679241.07/cwt236.00–255.001,637168
Heifers650–700Large 1683245.00/cwt245.00–245.001,6737
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1-2687228.50/cwt227.50–232.501,5705
Heifers700–750Large 1703236.00/cwt236.00–236.001,6592
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1-2720224.45/cwt220.00–226.001,6164
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1727240.40/cwt227.00–245.001,748212
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1-2754221.00/cwt221.00–221.001,6664
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1781235.25/cwt232.00–237.001,83728
Heifers750–800Large 1798236.50/cwt236.50–236.501,88757
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 1809231.04/cwt212.00–233.001,869163
Heifers800–850Large 1823236.50/cwt236.50–236.501,94657
Heifers900–950Large 1914225.60/cwt225.60–225.602,062109
Heifers950–1000Medium and Large 1995202.50/cwt202.50–202.502,0153
Feeder Cattle · Bulls9 lots · lightest first
Bulls300–350Medium and Large 1309388.20/cwt385.00–400.001,20010
Bulls350–400Medium and Large 1376374.00/cwt374.00–374.001,4066
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 1434361.00/cwt361.00–361.001,5674
Bulls400–450Medium and Large 1-2435322.50/cwt322.50–322.501,4033
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1481332.50/cwt332.50–332.501,5997
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 1554302.50/cwt302.50–302.501,67611
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 1611285.61/cwt269.00–288.001,74540
Bulls700–750Medium and Large 1712255.00/cwt255.00–255.001,81641
Bulls800–850Medium and Large 1844215.00/cwt215.00–215.001,8155
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls3 lots · lightest first
Bulls——Return to Feed1,055163.79/cwt162.50–165.001,7282
Bulls——1,510127.90/cwt122.00–134.001,9319
Bulls——1,846146.61/cwt136.00–159.002,70624
Slaughter Cattle · Cows15 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed875121.00/cwt121.00–121.001,0594
Cows—Lean 85-90%91271.73/cwt45.00–88.0065413
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,001109.00/cwt109.00–109.001,0916
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,004100.05/cwt91.00–108.001,00552
Cows—Lean 85-90%Return to Feed1,079118.00/cwt118.00–118.001,2738
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,137117.63/cwt111.00–119.501,337139
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,170121.24/cwt120.00–125.001,419103
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,292118.62/cwt114.00–120.001,53350
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,362122.56/cwt121.00–127.001,66924
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,409102.84/cwt93.00–112.001,4494
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,611122.14/cwt120.00–124.001,9688
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,643117.40/cwt117.00–118.001,92910
Cows—Premium White 65-75%1,710114.00/cwt114.00–114.001,9491
Cows—Premium White 65-75%1,745120.00/cwt120.00–120.002,0941
Cows—Premium White 65-75%1,745100.00/cwt100.00–100.001,7451
Replacement Cattle · Stock Cows4 lots · lightest first
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 2789125.02/cwt122.00–140.0098632
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1871194.80/cwt172.50–207.501,69761
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1Thin Fleshed895218.74/cwt210.00–225.001,95826
Stock Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,111152.17/cwt145.00–157.501,6914
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows4 lots · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,0951,600.00/head1,600.00–1,600.001,6001
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,1451,275.00/head1,275.00–1,275.001,2751
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,2342,070.10/head2,000.00–2,225.002,0706
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 1-21,3061,764.00/head1,625.00–1,925.001,76419
Replacement Cattle · Cow-Calf Pairs1 lot · lightest first
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 1-21,2632,550.00/head2,550.00–2,550.002,5502

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.