Sale reports / Colorado / Winter - La Junta / 2026-02-24

Winter - La Junta

Feeder Cattle · Slaughter Cattle · Replacement Cattle · La Junta, Colorado · Tue, Feb 24
● Final67 lots reportedUSDA AMS · slug 1901
Feeder Cattle receipts
1,389 head
▲ 596 vs last sale 793▲ 238 vs year ago 1,151 · +20.7%
Slaughter Cattle receipts
95 head
▼ 149 vs last sale 244▼ 69 vs year ago 164 · −42.1%
Replacement Cattle receipts
27 head
▼ 517 vs last sale 544▼ 60 vs year ago 87 · −69.0%
View

Reporter comment USDA

As filed

Trade activity and demand was good. Feeder steers under 600 sold 5.00 to 6.00 lower. Feeder steers over 600 sold 5.00 to 7.00 higher with instances of sharply higher. Feeder heifers sold mostly 7.00 to 8.00 higher with instances of sharply higher across all weight classes. Breaker slaughter cows of average dressing sold 4.00 higher. Boner cows of average dressing sold 1.00 higher and lean cows sold 1.00 higher. Slaughter bulls of average dressing sold 1.00 lower. The next feeder calf and slaughter cow sale will be next Tuesday March 3, 2026.

Weight classPick one — the panels below update

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot
500–600 lb steers averaged $483.47/cwt on 123 head. That ranks 10 of 10 comparable sales and sits +70.97 against this barn's trailing median of $412.50.
Average price
$483.47
123 head · 572 lb average
Value per head Derived
$2,763
Price × average weight ÷ 100
Grade differential Derived
$391
per head · Medium and Large 1 over Large 1
$51.81/cwt at this weight
vs the market
+0.95
vs CO average
−3.55 vs national

Price by quality 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade
Frame / muscleAvg wt$/cwt$/headHead
Medium and Large 1572484.312,770121
Large 1550432.502,3792thin
One grade step is worth $51.81/cwt here — about $391 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 sale123 hd
483.47
—
CO average2 barns · 219 hd
482.52
+0.95
National average172 barns · 11,832 hd
487.02
−3.55
This barn, trailing median10 sales
412.50
+70.97
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—High1,700191.233,25118
CowsBreaker 75-80%Average1,690167.002,8221thin
CowsPremium White 65-75%Average1,774166.292,9507thin
CowsBoner 80-85%Average1,339165.772,22027
CowsLean 85-90%Low1,249162.272,02636

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)1,168$3,5162thin
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)1,280$3,2501thin
Bred Cows3rd Stage (7-9 mo)Aged (>8 yrs)1,345$2,9268
Cow-Calf PairsOpenYoung (2-4 yrs)1,095$3,5751thin
Cow-Calf PairsOpenAged (>8 yrs)1,120$2,9001thin

Every lot

67 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 · Steers26 lots · lightest first
Steers300–350Medium and Large 1Unweaned313632.50/cwt632.50–632.501,9804
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned433535.00/cwt535.00–535.002,31723
Steers400–450Medium and Large 1Unweaned436560.94/cwt557.50–570.002,4467
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1452535.00/cwt535.00–535.002,4183
Steers450–500Medium and Large 1Unweaned480520.45/cwt512.50–522.502,49810
Steers500–550Medium and Large 1524528.96/cwt525.00–530.002,77223
Steers550–600Large 1Unweaned550432.50/cwt432.50–432.502,3792
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1Fancy562492.50/cwt492.50–492.502,76815
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1587473.33/cwt465.00–488.002,77873
Steers550–600Medium and Large 1Unweaned587449.47/cwt442.00–457.002,63810
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1615450.00/cwt450.00–450.002,76828
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1Unweaned620427.20/cwt427.00–427.502,64920
Steers600–650Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned638415.00/cwt415.00–415.002,6485
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1Unweaned674392.33/cwt387.50–397.002,6446
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1Fancy677421.00/cwt421.00–421.002,85088
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1683410.84/cwt407.00–412.502,80657
Steers650–700Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned690372.50/cwt372.50–372.502,5702
Steers700–750Large 1723382.95/cwt381.00–385.002,76912
Steers700–750Medium and Large 1730390.96/cwt388.00–400.002,85456
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1780375.00/cwt375.00–375.002,92547
Steers750–800Medium and Large 1-2780360.00/cwt360.00–360.002,80815
Steers800–850Medium and Large 1830362.50/cwt362.50–362.503,00946
Steers850–900Medium and Large 1-2873320.00/cwt320.00–320.002,7942
Steers850–900Medium and Large 1882350.00/cwt350.00–350.003,08754
Steers900–950Medium and Large 1905344.37/cwt333.00–347.003,11760
Steers1000–1050Medium and Large 11,020323.00/cwt323.00–323.003,29512
Feeder Cattle · Heifers24 lots · lightest first
Heifers350–400Large 1Unweaned358515.00/cwt515.00–515.001,8443
Heifers350–400Medium and Large 1Unweaned359515.00/cwt515.00–515.001,84911
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1Fancy420504.43/cwt502.50–507.502,11925
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1421481.90/cwt480.00–483.002,02926
Heifers400–450Medium and Large 1Unweaned435471.79/cwt465.00–475.002,05210
Heifers450–500Large 1467470.00/cwt470.00–470.002,1957
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1485487.00/cwt487.00–487.002,36212
Heifers450–500Medium and Large 1Unweaned489449.95/cwt447.50–455.002,20018
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned503402.50/cwt402.50–402.502,0252
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1Unweaned507430.00/cwt430.00–430.002,1809
Heifers500–550Medium and Large 1528447.67/cwt442.50–452.502,36468
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1Unweaned557434.88/cwt430.00–437.002,42225
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1566456.44/cwt452.50–459.002,58391
Heifers550–600Large 1Unweaned595400.00/cwt400.00–400.002,3804
Heifers550–600Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned598407.50/cwt407.50–407.502,4372
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1Fancy612436.00/cwt436.00–436.002,66864
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1620424.00/cwt424.00–424.002,62951
Heifers600–650Large 1Unweaned621395.00/cwt395.00–395.002,4538
Heifers600–650Medium and Large 1Unweaned627402.26/cwt395.00–406.002,52243
Heifers650–700Medium and Large 1678391.49/cwt387.00–393.002,65446
Heifers700–750Medium and Large 1708375.00/cwt375.00–375.002,65516
Heifers750–800Medium and Large 1784340.00/cwt340.00–340.002,6664
Heifers800–850Medium and Large 1832345.97/cwt339.00–347.252,87872
Heifers900–950Medium and Large 1928307.50/cwt307.50–307.502,8542
Slaughter Cattle · Bulls3 lots · lightest first
Bulls——1,345170.24/cwt159.00–174.002,2904
Bulls——1,743182.03/cwt178.00–185.003,1734
Bulls——1,825203.30/cwt195.00–209.003,71010
Slaughter Cattle · Cows9 lots · lightest first
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,158151.43/cwt140.00–159.001,7549
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,277165.37/cwt161.00–169.002,11224
Cows—Lean 85-90%1,293170.00/cwt170.00–170.002,1983
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,331174.16/cwt172.00–177.502,3185
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,337164.49/cwt160.00–169.002,19920
Cows—Boner 80-85%1,383157.53/cwt156.00–159.002,1792
Cows—Breaker 75-80%1,690167.00/cwt167.00–167.002,8221
Cows—Premium White 65-75%1,769169.00/cwt169.00–169.002,9906
Cows—Premium White 65-75%1,805150.00/cwt150.00–150.002,7081
Replacement Cattle · Bred Cows3 lots · lightest first
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,1683,516.33/head3,375.00–3,625.003,5162
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,2803,250.00/head3,250.00–3,250.003,2501
Bred Cows—Medium and Large 11,3452,925.92/head2,650.00–2,975.002,9268
Replacement Cattle · Cow-Calf Pairs2 lots · lightest first
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 11,0953,575.00/head3,575.00–3,575.003,5751
Cow-Calf Pairs—Medium and Large 11,1202,900.00/head2,900.00–2,900.002,9001

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.