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Otero County, CO

Cattle prices near Otero County, Colorado. The closest sale barn with a recent report is La Junta LJLC in La Junta, CO, about 7 miles away. On Nov 11, 5-weight steers (500–599 lb) averaged $398.48 per hundredweight on 258 head (USDA). Check a bid against your own costs with Ring Price.

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Change county
CRP emergency haying & grazing: Otero County is on FSA's list (since Sep 1, 2026). Check with your FSA county office first. Details · FSA list as of Nov 5, 2026.
Drought No droughtNone · most of county Drought pay (LFP) Eligibleup to 5 payments Burn ban Checkcall the county La Junta LJLC 5-wt steers $398▲ $19 since last sale

Otero County rain, outlook and forecast

The Nov 10 U.S. Drought Monitor map shows most of Otero County, CO with no drought; 0% of the county is in moderate drought (D1) or worse, down from 4% four weeks earlier. Otero County has had 437% of its normal rain in the past 30 days and 356% over 90 days, so the past month has been wetter than the season so far; no day in the 7-day forecast tops a 8% rain chance and the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 20–24 leans wetter than normal (50% chance of above-normal rain). Otero County is on FSA's 2026 LFP list with up to 5 monthly payments, and La Junta LJLC is the closest USDA-reported sale barn at 7 miles.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 437% of normal
  • Last 60 days not read yet
  • Last 90 days 356% of normal

NOAA river forecast center rain (radar plus gauges) at the county center, Nov 15, 2026. Source.

Rain outlook

  • 6-10 day outlook (Nov 20–24) Leans wetter than normal (50% chance of above-normal rain)
  • 8-14 day outlook (Nov 22–28) Leans wetter than normal (33% chance of above-normal rain)

NOAA Climate Prediction Center precipitation outlook, issued Nov 14, 2026. Source.

Next 7 days

  1. Today Patchy Fog, high 49°, low 30°, 1% rain, wind 0–5 mph
  2. Monday Areas Of Fog then Mostly Sunny, high 58°, low 33°, 0% rain, wind 0–10 mph
  3. Tuesday Mostly Sunny, high 69°, low 43°, 2% rain, wind 5–25 mph
  4. Wednesday Sunny, high 65°, low 33°, 0% rain, wind 5–20 mph
  5. Thursday Mostly Sunny, high 61°, low 39°, 1% rain, wind 5–15 mph
  6. Friday Mostly Sunny, high 68°, low 36°, 7% rain, wind 5–20 mph
  7. Saturday Sunny, high 57°, low 29°, 8% rain, wind 5–10 mph

National Weather Service forecast for the county center, updated Nov 15, 2026. Wind, warnings and burn bans.

PRF pasture insurance: sign up by Dec 1, 2026

The 2027 Pasture, Rangeland, Forage (PRF) insurance sales closing date for Otero County is Dec 1, 2026, 16 days from today. PRF (Rainfall Index) pays on a rainfall index for your grid, not on your own rain gauge. You buy it through a crop insurance agent.

How PRF works · PRF 2027 sign-up · Find your grid on RMA's PRF tool

Date from USDA RMA's actuarial data, read Aug 28, 2026 · RMA dates map. Your agent confirms the date for your policy.

Otero County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in Otero County grew about 703 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 91% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 770 pounds per acre. That was the 19th lowest of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 2017 at 1,320 pounds per acre; worst: 2002 at 290.

Pounds per acre of new grass and forbs each year on rangeland and pasture, from the Rangeland Analysis Platform (satellite-based estimates). See every year on the Land tab.

Open loss windows

No open loss windows in Otero County right now. A 30-day window opens when the county first hits severe drought (D2), jumps to D3 or D4, or after a blizzard, extreme heat or cold, flood or ice warning, a wildfire, or a USDA disaster designation. Keep a Drought Ledger.

Information only; not financial, tax or legal advice. FSA decides eligibility. Cownty sends nothing to FSA.

Drought-sale tax flag IRS list

Otero County is on IRS Notice 2026-54 (severe or worse drought, Sep 1, 2025 to Aug 31, 2026).

Why it matters: if you sold breeding, dairy or draft livestock because of drought, the tax code may let you put off the gain (more time to buy replacement animals, or report the extra-sale income a year later). Your tax preparer decides whether either applies.

Work out your numbers and print a page for your preparer

Information only; not financial, tax or legal advice. Ask your tax preparer. FSA decides program eligibility. IRS Notice 2026-54 (PDF)

Drought pasture pay (LFP)

On FSA's 2026 list for 5 pasture types. Up to 5 monthly payments.

Bring head counts, grazing leases and pasture acres to your county FSA office.

How to read this

Each bar is a pasture type; the number is how many monthly payments it qualifies for (1 to 5).

Pasture table
Pasture typeGrazing periodQualifying datePayments
Full Season Improved2026-04-01 to 2026-10-312026-04-145
Native Pasture2026-04-01 to 2026-10-312026-04-145
Forage Sorghum2026-07-15 to 2026-10-152026-07-153
Long Season Small Grains2025-11-01 to 2026-05-012026-04-143
Short Ssn Spring Sml Grn2026-05-15 to 2026-07-312026-05-262

FSA "Counties & Pasture Types Eligible for 2026 LFP", file dated Nov 5, 2026 (download). FSA decides eligibility. Fetched Nov 9, 2026.

Guide: How LFP works and who qualifies

Guide: ELAP and LIP basics

USDA disaster declarations

  • Jul 28, 2026 · Drought
    Neighboring county declared (counts for Otero) · crop year 2026
  • May 18, 2026 · Drought
    Neighboring county declared (counts for Otero) · crop year 2026
  • Apr 29, 2026 · Drought
    Otero declared · crop year 2026
  • Apr 24, 2026 · Drought
    Neighboring county declared (counts for Otero) · crop year 2026
  • Apr 6, 2026 · Drought
    Neighboring county declared (counts for Otero) · crop year 2026

"Declared" means USDA named this county. "Neighboring" means it touches a declared county. Either way, FSA emergency loans can open for about 8 months. FSA designation files (dated Oct 19, 2026). Fetched Nov 9, 2026.

Guide: What a disaster designation means

CRP emergency haying and grazing

Open Otero County is on FSA's emergency haying and grazing list, starting Sep 1, 2026. Trigger: D2 (severe) drought on the Drought Monitor. Get an updated conservation plan from FSA before cutting or turning out.

Before haying and grazing, contact your FSA county office to see if your county remains eligible and/or obtain a modified conservation plan. This list is cumulative for the year and current local conditions may have changed.

Source: FSA eligible-county table posted Nov 5, 2026 · map · FSA program page. FSA posts a new file every Thursday. Fetched Nov 9, 2026.

Guide: CRP emergency haying and grazing rules

Screwworm (Texas Animal Health Commission)

Data pending. animal-health alerts are read for Texas (TAHC) and Oklahoma, Kansas and New Mexico (state ag departments); Colorado's state veterinarian isn't read yet

Guide: Screwworm: what to know

New FSA programs: watch list
DateScopeReleaseFlag
Nov 4, 2026MississippiUSDA Designates one Tennessee Counties as Natural Disaster Areas
Nov 4, 2026Hawaii and Pacific IslandsUSDA Extends Application Deadline for Emergency Conservation Program Assistance for Guam and CNMI Counties for Typhoon Bavi Impacts
Nov 4, 2026NebraskaUSDA Authorizes Deadline Extension for Emergency Conservation Program in Several Wildfire-Impacted Counties
Nov 4, 2026FloridaUSDA Designates 9 Alabama Counties as Natural Disaster Areas
Nov 3, 2026AlabamaUSDA Designates 9 Alabama Counties as Natural Disaster Areas
Text me Otero County changes

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. La Junta Livestock Commission La Junta, CO 7 mi · sells Wednesdays · latest USDA report Nov 11, 2026
  2. Winter Livestock (Tuesday) La Junta, CO 13 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Nov 10, 2026
  3. Cattlemen's Livestock Auction Dalhart, TX 143 mi · sells Thursdays · latest USDA report Nov 12, 2026
  4. Livestock Exchange (Friday feeder cattle) Brush, CO 164 mi · sells Fridays · latest USDA report Nov 13, 2026
  5. Beaver Livestock Auction (feeder cattle) Beaver, OK 190 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Nov 10, 2026

Miles are straight-line from the county center. Sale days come from the barns' recent USDA AMS reports; call the barn to confirm. All barns

Other barns nearby (not USDA-reported)

These barns are not in a USDA AMS report, so Cownty shows no prices for them. Sale days and phones come from the barns' own sites or public listings; call the barn to confirm. More barns

Printable county brief (PDF) · Everything on one page · Hay prices in Colorado

Common questions and nearby counties

Is Otero County eligible for LFP in 2026?

Yes. Otero County is on FSA's 2026 Livestock Forage Disaster Program county list, with up to 5 monthly payments for some pasture types. FSA decides each operation's eligibility; apply at your county FSA office by March 1 after the loss year.

Source: FSA LFP county file of Nov 5, 2026

What is the drought level in Otero County this week?

On the Drought Monitor map of Nov 10, 2026, most of Otero County was in no drought, and the worst part was no drought on 0% of the county. 0 straight weeks with some severe drought (D2) or worse.

Source: U.S. Drought Monitor, map of Nov 10, 2026

Is there a burn ban in Otero County?

No official statewide list to check: Cownty doesn't read an official statewide burn-ban list for Colorado; county commissions, sheriffs and fire districts post local fire restrictions, so check your county's own notices.

What sale barns are near Otero County?

The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: La Junta LJLC (7 mi), last report Nov 11, 2026; La Junta Winter (13 mi), last report Nov 10, 2026; Dalhart (143 mi), last report Nov 12, 2026.

Source: USDA AMS Market News reports

What are the upcoming FSA and farm deadlines?

Next: Nov 20, 2026: Colorado EQIP/CSP/RCPP/ACEP application ranking cutoff (FY 2027); Nov 20, 2026: Micro Farm 2027: last day to buy crop insurance. FSA program dates not posted officially are marked "confirm at source" on the calendar.

Source: official agency pages (see Calendar)

Information only; not financial or legal advice. FSA decides eligibility. Always check the linked official source.