Cattle Market Nebraska Weekly Livestock Auction Summary
Nebraska · USDA-reported Auction Livestock
Sale of Monday, May 4, 202613,010 head sold ·Official USDA report
This is an archived report. See the latest Nebraska Weekly Livestock Auction Summary report →
light 8-weight M&L 1 steers
$403.97/cwt
+23.36 vs last sale · ≈ $3,288/hd at 814 lb · 1,045 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers
$477.91/cwt
+9.00 vs last sale · ≈ $3,040/hd at 636 lb · 984 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers
$514.16/cwt
+12.90 vs last sale · ≈ $2,969/hd at 577 lb · 905 head
Receipts
| Head | This sale | Last sale | Last year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total receipts | 13,010 | 10,207 | 9,597 |
| Feeder cattle | 13,010 | 9,897 | 9,597 |
| Replacement cattle | — | 310 | — |
Market comments — USDA reporter
- → Feeder cattle: Demand was good to instances very good for calves and feeder cattle
- ▲ Feeder heifers: Heifers less than 600 lbs sold 25.00 higher
- ▲ Feeder steers: Compared to last week steers less than 700 lbs sold 8.00 to 15.00 higher and over 700 lbs sold 20.00 higher
- → Slaughter cattle: Unbelievable! Tight supplies on feeder cattle along with a very good slaughter cattle market in the last couple of weeks have spurred buyers into reinvesting into feedlot replacements
New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓
Feeder Steers
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 375 | 375 | 10 | 640.00 | $640.00 | $2,400 | +33.34 |
| 400 | 400 | 11 | 585.00 | $585.00 | $2,340 | — |
| 415–447 | 435 | 46 | 550.00–620.00 | $588.67 | $2,561 | +13.25 |
| 453–496 | 478 | 186 | 520.00–610.00 | $574.90 | $2,748 | +20.40 |
| 511–548 | 529 | 503 | 480.00–571.00 | $535.44 | $2,832 | +25.08 |
| 563 | 563 | 105 | 537.00 | $537.00 | $3,023 | +16.88 |
| 567 | 567 | 96 | 544.00 | $544.00 | $3,084 | +4.00 |
| 551–598 | 581 | 704 | 475.00–534.00 | $506.68 | $2,944 | +46.68 |
| 613 | 613 | 45 | 466.00 | $466.00 | $2,857 | +7.61 |
| 607–649 | 635 | 755 | 410.00–497.00 | $473.23 | $3,005 | +14.66 |
| 646 | 646 | 184 | 500.00 | $500.00 | $3,230 | — |
| 650–693 | 677 | 530 | 422.00–505.00 | $448.02 | $3,033 | +7.58 |
| 710–743 | 726 | 595 | 388.00–449.00 | $437.22 | $3,174 | +20.94 |
| 754 | 754 | 31 | 390.00 | $390.00 | $2,941 | -1.80 |
| 751–796 | 762 | 287 | 382.50–423.00 | $403.15 | $3,072 | +11.35 |
| 800–835 | 814 | 1,045 | 372.00–416.75 | $403.97 | $3,288 | +47.97 |
| 859–898 | 888 | 558 | 328.00–379.00 | $369.68 | $3,283 | +23.68 |
| 902–945 | 926 | 541 | 340.00–373.75 | $368.86 | $3,416 | +18.61 |
| 953–974 | 963 | 242 | 332.50–361.00 | $342.74 | $3,301 | -0.09 |
| 1005–1018 | 1010 | 86 | 327.50–330.00 | $329.12 | $3,324 | +21.62 |
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 451–492 | 470 | 42 | 520.00–570.00 | $552.33 | $2,596 | +39.10 |
| 525–544 | 538 | 64 | 449.00–541.00 | $514.48 | $2,768 | +23.90 |
| 587–597 | 595 | 55 | 444.00–500.00 | $475.48 | $2,829 | +11.82 |
| 648 | 648 | 10 | 445.00 | $445.00 | $2,884 | +30.00 |
| 661–697 | 684 | 91 | 385.00–436.00 | $424.84 | $2,906 | +0.88 |
| 720–737 | 723 | 44 | 383.00–416.00 | $405.99 | $2,935 | +27.28 |
| 750–798 | 766 | 30 | 355.00–392.00 | $375.21 | $2,874 | — |
| 809–836 | 829 | 68 | 363.00–387.00 | $380.81 | $3,157 | +24.97 |
| 879 | 879 | 8 | 322.50 | $322.50 | $2,835 | — |
Feeder Heifers
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 339 | 339 | 12 | 625.00 | $625.00 | $2,119 | +20.07 |
| 350–395 | 384 | 23 | 520.00–555.00 | $528.36 | $2,029 | -40.12 |
| 434–446 | 438 | 100 | 515.00–570.00 | $526.16 | $2,305 | +5.21 |
| 450–498 | 474 | 186 | 440.00–567.50 | $532.91 | $2,526 | +38.09 |
| 509–548 | 529 | 496 | 454.00–517.50 | $488.53 | $2,584 | +20.58 |
| 545 | 545 | 5 | 447.50 | $447.50 | $2,439 | -20.45 |
| 552–595 | 578 | 598 | 435.00–487.50 | $465.06 | $2,688 | +21.27 |
| 603–634 | 620 | 387 | 413.00–481.00 | $437.45 | $2,712 | +17.20 |
| 613–636 | 623 | 50 | 480.00–483.00 | $481.29 | $2,998 | — |
| 665 | 665 | 61 | 471.00 | $471.00 | $3,132 | +67.70 |
| 664–689 | 674 | 82 | 379.00–397.00 | $387.26 | $2,610 | -16.04 |
| 659–694 | 675 | 437 | 372.50–457.50 | $408.54 | $2,758 | +5.24 |
| 700–720 | 703 | 272 | 387.50–416.00 | $395.85 | $2,783 | +19.21 |
| 747 | 747 | 77 | 382.00 | $382.00 | $2,854 | +5.36 |
| 759 | 759 | 17 | 415.00 | $415.00 | $3,150 | +31.00 |
| 771 | 771 | 84 | 380.50 | $380.50 | $2,934 | +20.35 |
| 750–796 | 781 | 240 | 343.50–375.00 | $356.22 | $2,782 | -3.93 |
| 805–810 | 807 | 53 | 363.00–370.00 | $366.56 | $2,958 | +19.69 |
| 809–840 | 836 | 61 | 344.00–345.00 | $344.13 | $2,877 | -2.74 |
| 863–893 | 873 | 364 | 335.50–361.00 | $344.93 | $3,011 | +6.40 |
| 968 | 968 | 5 | 305.00 | $305.00 | $2,952 | -9.75 |
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 418 | 418 | 7 | 515.00 | $515.00 | $2,153 | +15.74 |
| 471–492 | 478 | 26 | 487.50–502.50 | $492.84 | $2,356 | +35.34 |
| 528–543 | 538 | 56 | 410.00–487.50 | $451.76 | $2,430 | +24.56 |
| 589 | 589 | 20 | 452.50 | $452.50 | $2,665 | +35.23 |
| 610–644 | 624 | 50 | 365.00–430.00 | $410.93 | $2,564 | +22.93 |
| 674–696 | 684 | 51 | 390.00–405.00 | $398.12 | $2,723 | +27.91 |
| 715–740 | 735 | 32 | 377.50–385.00 | $379.10 | $2,786 | +28.10 |
| 783 | 783 | 19 | 325.00 | $325.00 | $2,545 | +2.16 |
| 822–848 | 834 | 11 | 320.00–339.00 | $328.78 | $2,742 | — |
| 877 | 877 | 11 | 319.00 | $319.00 | $2,798 | — |
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1065 | 1065 | 5 | 290.00 | $290.00 | $3,088 | — |
Feeder Bulls
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 612 | 612 | 8 | 440.00 | $440.00 | $2,693 | — |
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.
Compared to last week steers less than 700 lbs sold 8.00 to 15.00 higher and over 700 lbs sold 20.00 higher. Heifers less than 600 lbs sold 25.00 higher, 600 to 800 lbs sold 10.00 higher and over 800 lbs sold steady to 1.00 higher. Demand was good to instances very good for calves and feeder cattle. Record breaking prices at some of the feeder cattle auctions this week. Valentine Livestock sold a flat 8 weight steers on average at 415.11 with the top price at 416.75. Unbelievable! Tight supplies on feeder cattle along with a very good slaughter cattle market in the last couple of weeks have spurred buyers into reinvesting into feedlot replacements. Like a broken record player repeating or skipping back to the same place on another week talking about the drought situation in the state. More than likely one would have to find an old timer in a nursing home to see if they can remember a time this dry, the dirty 30's come to the minds of some. With this dryness and the recent fires in the Sandhills some of the receipts this week would normally be kicked out to summer range and sold on a summer video or livestock auction sale. Second week in a row of record prices for negotiated cash feedlot cattle!! Live sales were 3.50 to 4.00 higher from 258.00 to 260.50 and dressed sales sold 2.00 to 5.00 higher from 402.00 to 405.00.