Cattle Market Valentine Livestock Auction Market Report
Valentine, Nebraska · USDA-reported Auction Livestock · usually sells Thursdays
Sale of Thursday, July 16, 2026540 head sold ·Official USDA report · Past reports (187)
Receipts
| Head | This sale | Last sale | Last year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total receipts | 540 | 1,930 | 455 |
| Feeder cattle | — | 1,930 | — |
| Replacement cattle | 540 | — | 455 |
Market comments — USDA reporter
- → Replacement cows: Today's Special Bred cow and pair auction featured an initial run of weigh-ups followed by baby calves off the cow
New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓
Bred Cows
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Age | Stage | Head | Price range | Avg $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1073 | 1073 | Middle Aged (5-8 yrs) | 2nd Stage (4-6 mo) | 7 | 2,850.00 | $2,850.00 |
| 1155–1264 | 1253 | Young (2-4 yrs) | 2nd Stage (4-6 mo) | 10 | 3,200.00–3,600.00 | $3,563.13 |
| 1110–1405 | 1274 | Young (2-4 yrs) | 3rd Stage (7-9 mo) | 251 | 3,800.00–4,700.00 | $4,574.51 |
| 992–1538 | 1304 | Middle Aged (5-8 yrs) | 3rd Stage (7-9 mo) | 75 | 3,300.00–4,300.00 | $3,970.03 |
| 1187–1449 | 1340 | Aged (>8 yrs) | 3rd Stage (7-9 mo) | 25 | 3,200.00–3,900.00 | $3,615.69 |
| 1255–1455 | 1435 | Aged (>8 yrs) | 3rd Stage (7-9 mo) | 25 | 3,000.00–3,650.00 | $3,540.67 |
Cow-Calf Pairs
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Age | Stage | Head | Price range | Avg $ | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1010–1160 | 1068 | Young (2-4 yrs) | Open | 7 | 3,300.00–4,150.00 | $3,739.95 | — |
| 1276 | 1276 | Young (2-4 yrs) | 1st Stage (1-3 mo) | 4 | 4,600.00 | $4,600.00 | — |
| 1452 | 1452 | Middle Aged (5-8 yrs) | 1st Stage (1-3 mo) | 6 | 4,550.00 | $4,550.00 | — |
| 1253–1750 | 1470 | Middle Aged (5-8 yrs) | Open | 20 | 3,875.00–5,200.00 | $4,714.07 | — |
| 1413–1690 | 1552 | Middle Aged (5-8 yrs) | Open | 4 | 3,550.00–4,550.00 | $4,094.63 | — |
| 1487–1795 | 1590 | Aged (>8 yrs) | 1st Stage (1-3 mo) | 12 | 4,450.00–4,650.00 | $4,525.28 | — |
| 1652–1670 | 1657 | Aged (>8 yrs) | Open | 4 | 4,500.00–4,600.00 | $4,525.20 | — |
| 1703–1737 | 1713 | Aged (>8 yrs) | 1st Stage (1-3 mo) | 10 | 4,750.00–5,100.00 | $4,856.46 | — |
Price trend
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.
Markets near Valentine
- Bassett Livestock Auction - Bassett, NE 55 mi · Wed · Jul 22, 2026
- Gordon Livestock Market - Gordon, NE 84 mi · Tue · Apr 14, 2026
- Philip Livestock Auction - Philip, SD 98 mi · Tue · Mar 17, 2026
- Ft. Pierre Livestock Auction (Friday) - Ft. Pierre, SD 103 mi · Fri · Jul 10, 2026
- Burwell Livestock Market - Burwell, NE 105 mi · Fri · Jun 26, 2026
The market report summary for the Valentine Livestock Auction based on the following highlights: Today's Special Bred cow and pair auction featured an initial run of weigh-ups followed by baby calves off the cow. Pairs consisted primarily of black and black white-face offerings, with a few reds and Herefords; these pairs were tagged to match and up to date on shots. Fall-bred cows spanned all age groups, calving from August to September, with the majority bred to Black Angus bulls. Notable sales included a solid-mouth Brown Swiss milk cow bred for August, which brought $4100. Many of today's consigned offerings were brought to town due to ongoing dry conditions. Next Auction Date Thursday, July 23rd Special Feeder Sale expecting 2000 head