Name: Winter - La Junta livestock auction prices — 2026-02-24
Creator: RaisedBeef
Published: 2026-02-24

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 class

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

Weighted average of every reported lot

500–600 lb steers averaged $483.47/cwt on 123 head, down $15.35 from the prior sale. That ranks 11 of 13 comparable sales and sits +20.09 against this barn's trailing median of $463.38.

Average price

$483.47

▼ 15.35 vs prior sale

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

What quality paid 500–600 lb

Frame and muscle grade

Frame / muscle	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Medium and Large 1	572	484.31	2,770	121
Large 1	550	432.50	2,379	2thin

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.

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

13 sales

Steers 500–600 lb: high $498.81, low $446.57, median $463.38 across 13 sales. Sales under 10 head in this class are excluded, so a thin day cannot swing the median or the ranking.

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 median13 sales

463.38

+20.09

A barn can sit above the state average at one weight and below it at another — check the class you actually sell.

Slaughter cattle

By class and quality grade · $/cwt

Cull cows and bulls are graded, not weight-classed — grade is what moves the money here.

Class	Grade	Dressing	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	Head
Bulls	—	High	1,700	191.23	3,251	18
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	Average	1,690	167.00	2,822	1thin
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	Average	1,774	166.29	2,950	7thin
Cows	Boner 80-85%	Average	1,339	165.77	2,220	27
Cows	Lean 85-90%	Low	1,249	162.27	2,026	36

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.

Class	Stage	Age	Avg wt	$/head	Head
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,168	$3,516	2thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	1,280	$3,250	1thin
Bred Cows	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,345	$2,926	8
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Young (2-4 yrs)	1,095	$3,575	1thin
Cow-Calf Pairs	Open	Aged (>8 yrs)	1,120	$2,900	1thin

Every lot, as filed

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.

Class	Grade / description	Weight	Avg wt	Price	Range	Per head	Head
Steers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	615	450.00/cwt	450.00–450.00	2,768	28
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	566	456.44/cwt	452.50–459.00	2,583	91
Steers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	452	535.00/cwt	535.00–535.00	2,418	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	650–700	677	421.00/cwt	421.00–421.00	2,850	88
Steers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	730	390.96/cwt	388.00–400.00	2,854	56
Steers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	524	528.96/cwt	525.00–530.00	2,772	23
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,280	3,250.00/head	3,250.00–3,250.00	3,250	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	830	362.50/cwt	362.50–362.50	3,009	46
Steers	Medium and Large 1	1000–1050	1,020	323.00/cwt	323.00–323.00	3,295	12
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	587	449.47/cwt	442.00–457.00	2,638	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1	850–900	882	350.00/cwt	350.00–350.00	3,087	54
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	400–450	421	481.90/cwt	480.00–483.00	2,029	26
Steers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	905	344.37/cwt	333.00–347.00	3,117	60
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	620	427.20/cwt	427.00–427.50	2,649	20
Steers	Medium and Large 1	550–600	587	473.33/cwt	465.00–488.00	2,778	73
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	489	449.95/cwt	447.50–455.00	2,200	18
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	900–950	928	307.50/cwt	307.50–307.50	2,854	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	500–550	507	430.00/cwt	430.00–430.00	2,180	9
Steers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	683	410.84/cwt	407.00–412.50	2,806	57
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	600–650	627	402.26/cwt	395.00–406.00	2,522	43
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	784	340.00/cwt	340.00–340.00	2,666	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	800–850	832	345.97/cwt	339.00–347.25	2,878	72
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	550–600	557	434.88/cwt	430.00–437.00	2,422	25
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	650–700	674	392.33/cwt	387.50–397.00	2,644	6
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	500–550	528	447.67/cwt	442.50–452.50	2,364	68
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	300–350	313	632.50/cwt	632.50–632.50	1,980	4
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	350–400	359	515.00/cwt	515.00–515.00	1,849	11
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	435	471.79/cwt	465.00–475.00	2,052	10
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	450–500	480	520.45/cwt	512.50–522.50	2,498	10
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	550–600	598	407.50/cwt	407.50–407.50	2,437	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	650–700	678	391.49/cwt	387.00–393.00	2,654	46
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	450–500	485	487.00/cwt	487.00–487.00	2,362	12
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,337	164.49/cwt	160.00–169.00	2,199	20
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,331	174.16/cwt	172.00–177.50	2,318	5
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,158	151.43/cwt	140.00–159.00	1,754	9
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,293	170.00/cwt	170.00–170.00	2,198	3
Cows	Boner 80-85%	—	1,383	157.53/cwt	156.00–159.00	2,179	2
Bulls	—	—	1,825	203.30/cwt	195.00–209.00	3,710	10
Cows	Lean 85-90%	—	1,277	165.37/cwt	161.00–169.00	2,112	24
Cows	Breaker 75-80%	—	1,690	167.00/cwt	167.00–167.00	2,822	1
Bulls	—	—	1,743	182.03/cwt	178.00–185.00	3,173	4
Bulls	—	—	1,345	170.24/cwt	159.00–174.00	2,290	4
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	—	1,769	169.00/cwt	169.00–169.00	2,990	6
Cows	Premium White 65-75%	—	1,805	150.00/cwt	150.00–150.00	2,708	1
Steers	Large 1Unweaned	550–600	550	432.50/cwt	432.50–432.50	2,379	2
Heifers	Large 1	450–500	467	470.00/cwt	470.00–470.00	2,195	7
Steers	Large 1	700–750	723	382.95/cwt	381.00–385.00	2,769	12
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	600–650	621	395.00/cwt	395.00–395.00	2,453	8
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	550–600	595	400.00/cwt	400.00–400.00	2,380	4
Heifers	Large 1Unweaned	350–400	358	515.00/cwt	515.00–515.00	1,844	3
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	850–900	873	320.00/cwt	320.00–320.00	2,794	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	600–650	638	415.00/cwt	415.00–415.00	2,648	5
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	650–700	690	372.50/cwt	372.50–372.50	2,570	2
Heifers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	500–550	503	402.50/cwt	402.50–402.50	2,025	2
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2Unweaned	400–450	433	535.00/cwt	535.00–535.00	2,317	23
Steers	Medium and Large 1-2	750–800	780	360.00/cwt	360.00–360.00	2,808	15
Steers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	550–600	562	492.50/cwt	492.50–492.50	2,768	15
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	600–650	612	436.00/cwt	436.00–436.00	2,668	64
Heifers	Medium and Large 1Fancy	400–450	420	504.43/cwt	502.50–507.50	2,119	25
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,168	3,516.33/head	3,375.00–3,625.00	3,516	2
Bred Cows	Medium and Large 1	—	1,345	2,925.92/head	2,650.00–2,975.00	2,926	8
Steers	Medium and Large 1Unweaned	400–450	436	560.94/cwt	557.50–570.00	2,446	7
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,120	2,900.00/head	2,900.00–2,900.00	2,900	1
Cow-Calf Pairs	Medium and Large 1	—	1,095	3,575.00/head	3,575.00–3,575.00	3,575	1
Steers	Medium and Large 1	750–800	780	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	2,925	47
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	600–650	620	424.00/cwt	424.00–424.00	2,629	51
Heifers	Medium and Large 1	700–750	708	375.00/cwt	375.00–375.00	2,655	16

How this sale compares

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.

Colorado feeder prices, every weight →Every state and region →

Winter Livestock (Tuesday) - La Junta, CO

Tue Feb 24, 2026

USDA Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News · Federal-State Market News Service, Greeley, CO (LS-GL)

Feeder CattleReceipts 1,389Last week 793Year ago 1,151

Slaughter CattleReceipts 95Last week 244Year ago 164

Replacement CattleReceipts 27Last week 544Year ago 87

Feeder Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Steers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
3	450–500	452	535.00	535.00
23	500–550	524	525.00–530.00	528.96
73	550–600	587	465.00–488.00	473.33
28	600–650	615	450.00	450.00
57	650–700	683	407.00–412.50	410.84
56	700–750	730	388.00–400.00	390.96
47	750–800	780	375.00	375.00
46	800–850	830	362.50	362.50
54	850–900	882	350.00	350.00
60	900–950	905	333.00–347.00	344.37
12	1000–1050	1,020	323.00	323.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
15	550–600	562	492.50	492.50
88	650–700	677	421.00	421.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
4	300–350	313	632.50	632.50
7	400–450	436	557.50–570.00	560.94
10	450–500	480	512.50–522.50	520.45
10	550–600	587	442.00–457.00	449.47
20	600–650	620	427.00–427.50	427.20
6	650–700	674	387.50–397.00	392.33
Steers — Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
2	550–600	550	432.50	432.50
Steers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
12	700–750	723	381.00–385.00	382.95
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2$ per cwt · actual wt
15	750–800	780	360.00	360.00
2	850–900	873	320.00	320.00
Steers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
23	400–450	433	535.00	535.00
5	600–650	638	415.00	415.00
2	650–700	690	372.50	372.50
Heifers — Medium and Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
26	400–450	421	480.00–483.00	481.90
12	450–500	485	487.00	487.00
68	500–550	528	442.50–452.50	447.67
91	550–600	566	452.50–459.00	456.44
51	600–650	620	424.00	424.00
46	650–700	678	387.00–393.00	391.49
16	700–750	708	375.00	375.00
4	750–800	784	340.00	340.00
72	800–850	832	339.00–347.25	345.97
2	900–950	928	307.50	307.50
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
11	350–400	359	515.00	515.00
10	400–450	435	465.00–475.00	471.79
18	450–500	489	447.50–455.00	449.95
9	500–550	507	430.00	430.00
25	550–600	557	430.00–437.00	434.88
43	600–650	627	395.00–406.00	402.26
Heifers — Medium and Large 1-2 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
2	500–550	503	402.50	402.50
2	550–600	598	407.50	407.50
Heifers — Large 1$ per cwt · actual wt
7	450–500	467	470.00	470.00
Heifers — Large 1 · Unweaned$ per cwt · actual wt
3	350–400	358	515.00	515.00
4	550–600	595	400.00	400.00
8	600–650	621	395.00	395.00
Heifers — Medium and Large 1 · Fancy$ per cwt · actual wt
25	400–450	420	502.50–507.50	504.43
64	600–650	612	436.00	436.00

Replacement Cattle

As reported

Age	Stage	Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Bred Cows — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	1	—	1,280	3,250.00	3,250.00
Young (2-4 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	2	—	1,168	3,375.00–3,625.00	3,516.33
Aged (>8 yrs)	3rd Stage (7-9 mo)	8	—	1,345	2,650.00–2,975.00	2,925.92
Cow-Calf Pairs — Medium and Large 1$ per head · actual wt
Aged (>8 yrs)	Open	1	—	1,120	2,900.00	2,900.00
Young (2-4 yrs)	Open	1	—	1,095	3,575.00	3,575.00

Slaughter Cattle

As reported

Head	Wt range	Avg wt	Price range	Avg price
Cows — Boner 80-85%$ per cwt · actual wt
20	—	1,337	160.00–169.00	164.49
5	—	1,331	172.00–177.50	174.16
2	—	1,383	156.00–159.00	157.53
Cows — Lean 85-90%$ per cwt · actual wt
9	—	1,158	140.00–159.00	151.43
3	—	1,293	170.00	170.00
24	—	1,277	161.00–169.00	165.37
Cows — Breaker 75-80%$ per cwt · actual wt
1	—	1,690	167.00	167.00
Cows — Premium White 65-75%$ per cwt · actual wt
6	—	1,769	169.00	169.00
1	—	1,805	150.00	150.00
Bulls$ per cwt · actual wt
10	—	1,825	195.00–209.00	203.30
4	—	1,743	178.00–185.00	182.03
4	—	1,345	159.00–174.00	170.24

Head, weight ranges, average weights and price ranges are exactly as USDA AMS filed them — nothing recomputed, nothing rounded — in USDA's own reporting structure. This is RaisedBeef's rendering of that data, not a copy of USDA's document.

Feeder Cattle — prices, barns, and planning

Fed Cattle — the cash market and what quality pays

Beef & Retail — from the box to the grocery shelf

Feed & Hay — the cost side, cash not futures

Cows & Bred Stock — the rebuild market

More

Winter - La Junta

Reporter comment USDA

Steers · summary 500–600 lb

What quality paid 500–600 lb

This barn's trailing prices 500–600 lb

How it compared 500–600 lb

Slaughter cattle

Replacement cattle Per head

Every lot, as filed

How this sale compares

Winter Livestock (Tuesday) - La Junta, CO

Feeder Cattle

Replacement Cattle

Slaughter Cattle