Cattle Market Nebraska Weekly Livestock Auction Summary
Nebraska · USDA-reported Auction Livestock
Sale of Monday, December 25, 20233,590 head sold ·Official USDA report
This is an archived report. See the latest Nebraska Weekly Livestock Auction Summary report →
Receipts
| Head | This sale | Last sale | Last year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total receipts | 3,590 | 13,823 | 3,256 |
| Feeder cattle | — | 13,823 | — |
| Replacement cattle | 3,590 | — | 3,256 |
Market comments — USDA reporter
New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓
Bred Cows
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Age | Stage | Head | Price range | Avg $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1097–1340 | 1150 | Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs) | 1st Stage (1-3 mo) | 8 | 1,225.00–1,600.00 | $1,367.38 |
| 1110–1400 | 1169 | Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs) | 3rd Stage (7-9 mo) | 182 | 2,450.00–2,925.00 | $2,738.34 |
| 1149–1410 | 1209 | Young (2-4 yrs) | 3rd Stage (7-9 mo) | 216 | 3,000.00–3,150.00 | $3,061.27 |
| 1140–1414 | 1320 | Aged (>8 yrs) | 3rd Stage (7-9 mo) | 270 | 1,400.00–1,900.00 | $1,693.27 |
| 1221–1565 | 1346 | Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs) | 3rd Stage (7-9 mo) | 176 | 2,050.00–2,450.00 | $2,247.81 |
| 1061–1490 | 1357 | Middle Aged (5-8 yrs) | 3rd Stage (7-9 mo) | 395 | 2,500.00–3,360.00 | $2,867.78 |
| 1155–1492 | 1373 | Aged (>8 yrs) | 3rd Stage (7-9 mo) | 192 | 1,700.00–2,575.00 | $2,042.10 |
Bred Heifers
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Age | Stage | Head | Price range | Avg $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 871–1240 | 1071 | Young (2-4 yrs) | 3rd Stage (7-9 mo) | 2,017 | 2,100.00–3,275.00 | $2,637.76 |
Reading this report
What does "Medium and Large 1" mean?
USDA feeder grades describe frame size and muscle thickness, not quality of the individual animal. "Medium and Large" is the frame score; the number is muscle (1 = heaviest muscled). "Medium and Large 1–2" pens mix both muscle scores — common across the Southeast.
What is $/cwt?
Dollars per hundredweight — per 100 lb of animal. A 500-lb calf at $450/cwt brings 5 × $450 = $2,250. Lighter cattle usually bring more per cwt but less per head.
Why are some prices per head?
Bred cows, cow-calf pairs, and some replacement classes sell by the head, not by weight. We show those exactly as USDA reports them — a $/head figure is never converted into $/cwt on this site.
Where do these numbers come from?
From the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service's Livestock Market News — federal reporters at the sale. We publish each report in full and link the official USDA document at the top of the page.
Feeder cattle trading was inactive the last week of the year. A winter snowstorm blew in around Christmas and auction markets with feeder cattle sales on the books cancelled those consignments and will roll them into the New Year. Burwell Livestock Market held their Bred Cow Classic sale the last Friday of December. A very large crowd was on hand and bidding was quick from in-house and internet buyers. Some new high prices on commercial bred females took print on Friday. Cattle state in state and close to the bulk of the bred females went to out of state buyers. Nebraska feedlots bargained a little upward push in their show-list with live sales 1.00 higher from 172.00-173.00 and dressed sales 3.00 higher at 273.00.