Sale reports / Colorado / Winter - La Junta / 2025-12-16

Winter - La Junta

Feeder Cattle · La Junta, Colorado · Tue, Dec 16
● Final90 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1901
Receipts
4,282 head
▼ 263 vs last sale 4,545▼ 1,460 vs year ago 5,742 · −25.4%
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Trade activity and demand was good. Feeder steers sold 3.00 to 6.00 higher with instances of sharply higher. Feeder heifers under 550lbs sold sharply higher while heifers over 550lbs sold unevenly steady with instances of sharply higher. The next slaughter cow and feeder calf sale will be January 6, 2026 after the Christmas and New Year's break.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb steers averaged $446.57/cwt on 279 head. That ranks 7 of 10 comparable sales and sits +34.07 against this barn's trailing median of $412.50.
Average price
$446.57
279 head · 549 lb average
Value per head Derived
$2,450
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$351
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Medium and Large 1-2
$82.42/cwt at this weight
vs the market
−0.87
vs CO average
+2.47 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1539463.242,496186
Large 1571427.192,43865
Medium and Large 1-2563380.822,14528
One grade step is worth $82.42/cwt here — about $351 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 sale279 hd
446.57
—
CO average4 barns · 994 hd
447.44
−0.87
National average163 barns · 16,063 hd
444.10
+2.47
This barn, trailing median10 sales
412.50
+34.07
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.

Every lot

90 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 · Steers44 lots · lightest first
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1Fancy360625.00/cwt625.00–625.002,2503
Steers350–400Medium and Large 1376597.84/cwt595.00–600.002,24823
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1Unweaned400535.00/cwt535.00–535.002,1404
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1424558.20/cwt552.50–560.002,36746
Steers400–450Large 1Unweaned433519.00/cwt519.00–519.002,24731
Steers450–500Large 1Unweaned454470.00/cwt470.00–470.002,1347
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1Fancy466545.00/cwt545.00–545.002,5407
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1Unweaned470498.57/cwt489.00–509.002,34348
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1474533.86/cwt527.50–535.002,53063
Steers450–500Large 1Fancy479466.00/cwt466.00–466.002,23219
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned491450.00/cwt450.00–450.002,2105
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1Fancy518494.68/cwt492.50–496.002,56221
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned518410.00/cwt410.00–410.002,1246
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1525473.80/cwt467.50–479.002,48786
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1Unweaned527451.21/cwt450.00–457.502,37819
Steers500–550Large 1Unweaned527419.00/cwt419.00–419.002,2085
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1Fancy565449.38/cwt446.00–451.002,53942
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned567350.00/cwt350.00–350.001,9856
Steers550–600Large 1569442.50/cwt442.50–442.502,51815
Steers550–600Large 1Unweaned576423.00/cwt423.00–423.002,43645
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1579428.23/cwt424.00–437.002,47912
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1-2579381.43/cwt380.00–386.002,20816
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1Unweaned583407.00/cwt407.00–407.002,3736
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1608422.76/cwt414.00–428.002,570118
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned628377.56/cwt369.00–382.502,37154
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1Unweaned630400.70/cwt391.00–409.002,52486
Steers600–650Large 1Unweaned646376.00/cwt376.00–376.002,42937
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1Fancy655399.87/cwt399.00–405.002,61990
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1Unweaned669361.50/cwt360.00–362.002,41856
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1675377.60/cwt370.00–390.002,54991
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1-2680342.00/cwt342.00–342.002,3268
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned688319.34/cwt318.50–322.502,19719
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1724357.42/cwt351.00–366.502,588157
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1Fancy732369.75/cwt369.00–373.002,70788
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1Unweaned745340.07/cwt339.00–342.502,53446
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1Fancy752363.00/cwt363.00–363.002,73056
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1774338.50/cwt335.00–343.502,620177
Steers800–850Medium and Large 1Unweaned815323.69/cwt323.00–327.002,63875
Steers800–850Medium and Large 1819341.94/cwt337.00–343.002,800144
Steers850–900Medium and Large 1Fancy851339.00/cwt339.00–339.002,88565
Steers850–900Medium and Large 1876315.83/cwt313.00–326.002,76781
Steers850–900Medium and Large 1Unweaned895301.63/cwt292.50–309.002,700107
Steers900–950Medium and Large 1921309.88/cwt309.00–313.002,854124
Steers950–1000Medium and Large 1961313.84/cwt311.00–315.003,01682
Feeder Cattle · Heifers38 lots · lightest first
Heifers250–300Medium and Large 1273570.00/cwt570.00–570.001,5564
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1Unweaned335520.00/cwt520.00–520.001,7422
Heifers300–350Medium and Large 1337549.17/cwt540.00–555.001,85115
Heifers350–400Large 1Fancy353550.00/cwt550.00–550.001,9425
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1Fancy361558.04/cwt550.00–560.002,01525
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1383478.87/cwt475.00–480.001,8349
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1Unweaned398465.00/cwt465.00–465.001,8512
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1Fancy403505.00/cwt505.00–505.002,0356
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1430475.88/cwt470.00–485.002,046128
Heifers400–450Large 1431470.00/cwt470.00–470.002,02610
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1Unweaned432462.35/cwt452.50–465.001,99737
Heifers400–450Large 1Unweaned447427.50/cwt427.50–427.501,91111
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1Fancy475436.44/cwt425.00–455.002,07325
Heifers450–500Large 1Unweaned476395.00/cwt395.00–395.001,8808
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1Unweaned479424.38/cwt422.50–425.002,03312
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1482435.02/cwt432.50–445.002,09739
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1Fancy513422.50/cwt422.50–422.502,16717
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1513410.59/cwt400.00–415.002,10637
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1Unweaned540388.86/cwt370.00–396.002,10048
Heifers550–600Large 1557381.00/cwt381.00–381.002,12259
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1Fancy567377.68/cwt377.00–378.002,14131
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1571356.36/cwt352.50–359.002,03525
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1Unweaned588341.82/cwt340.00–345.002,01019
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1Fancy603359.00/cwt359.00–359.002,16513
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1Unweaned608336.00/cwt336.00–336.002,0434
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1628347.62/cwt342.00–352.002,18368
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1674338.55/cwt330.00–344.002,282153
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1Unweaned676324.13/cwt319.00–326.002,19120
Heifers650–700Large 1681330.00/cwt330.00–330.002,24714
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1Unweaned708306.00/cwt306.00–306.002,1668
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1736320.00/cwt320.00–320.002,35514
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1Unweaned756312.00/cwt312.00–312.002,35940
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1773321.23/cwt320.00–326.002,483135
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 1809309.00/cwt309.00–309.002,5009
Heifers800–850Large 1Unweaned823280.00/cwt280.00–280.002,3043
Heifers850–900Medium and Large 1878294.32/cwt290.50–296.002,58463
Heifers900–950Medium and Large 1920297.50/cwt297.50–297.502,73756
Heifers1000–1050Medium and Large 11,030280.00/cwt280.00–280.002,8845
Feeder Cattle · Bulls8 lots · lightest first
Bulls450–500Large 1468442.50/cwt442.50–442.502,0716
Bulls450–500Medium and Large 1482500.00/cwt500.00–500.002,4104
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 1569402.51/cwt400.00–405.002,2906
Bulls550–600Medium and Large 1Unweaned579374.00/cwt374.00–374.002,1655
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 1605334.00/cwt334.00–334.002,02110
Bulls600–650Medium and Large 1Unweaned605305.00/cwt305.00–305.001,84510
Bulls650–700Medium and Large 1681324.64/cwt321.00–328.002,21117
Bulls900–950Medium and Large 1Unweaned947260.00/cwt260.00–260.002,4629

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.