Cattle Market Pulse

Valentine Livestock Auction Market Report

Valentine, Nebraska · USDA-reported Auction Livestock · usually sells Thursdays

Sale of Thursday, August 27, 2026

3,635 head sold ·Official USDA report · Past reports (190)

light 9-weight M&L 1 steers $336.55/cwt -20.23 vs last sale · ≈ $3,086/hd at 917 lb · 773 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 steers $349.59/cwt -28.95 vs last sale · ≈ $2,881/hd at 824 lb · 306 head
heavy 8-weight M&L 1 steers $334.89/cwt -30.65 vs last sale · ≈ $2,900/hd at 866 lb · 306 head
Valentine, NE 9-weight steers sold at $334/cwt. NE 9-weight steers are down $29 from their mid-July peak of $358/cwt. What this means — computed from this report and its neighbors

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 3,635 2,055 0
Feeder cattle 3,635 2,055 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

No recent test of market for an accurate comparison, a trend will not be provided for steers or heifers. Demand was good with several buyers present at the auction. The sale began with offerings of pregged-checked heifers, followed by loads of yearling steers, including several home-raised lots. The next auction dates are September 10th, 17th, and 24th

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
717–736 732 89 362.00–368.00 $363.24 $2,659 —
798 798 76 352.00 $352.00 $2,809 -29.00
810–846 824 306 338.50–354.50 $349.59 $2,881 -28.95
851–884 866 306 330.50–338.50 $334.89 $2,900 -30.65
902–943 917 773 319.00–344.00 $336.55 $3,086 -20.23
977–997 989 234 322.00–333.00 $325.62 $3,220 -9.97
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1004–1017 1008 178 318.50–331.00 $327.17 $3,298 -18.33
1066 1066 153 311.25 $311.25 $3,318 -17.16

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
585 585 43 396.00 $396.00 $2,317 —
676 676 89 402.50 $402.50 $2,721 —
723 723 5 334.00 $334.00 $2,415 -41.00
757–773 771 135 329.00–363.00 $353.63 $2,726 —
815–849 840 211 311.00–337.50 $329.24 $2,766 -21.91
876–896 881 90 317.00–332.00 $325.84 $2,871 +4.20
924–944 929 109 302.00–313.50 $311.28 $2,892 —
971–988 975 48 291.00–293.00 $291.42 $2,841 -19.58
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1005–1048 1029 166 282.50–303.00 $293.51 $3,020 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
820 820 8 294.00 $294.00 $2,411 —
922 922 8 270.00 $270.00 $2,489 —

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Price trend

high 529.29 low 433.26 Oct 2025 Jul 2026

550–599 lb Medium and Large 1 steers — head-weighted average $/cwt by sale date, last 12 months.

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.

← Previous sale (Aug 6, 2026)

Markets near Valentine