Cattle Market Pulse

Valentine Livestock Auction Market Report

Valentine, Nebraska · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 15, 2020

2,988 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest Valentine Livestock Auction report →

light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $168.93/cwt -0.59 vs last sale · ≈ $876/hd at 519 lb · 417 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers $179.92/cwt +7.54 vs last sale · ≈ $837/hd at 465 lb · 407 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $155.80/cwt -10.48 vs last sale · ≈ $896/hd at 575 lb · 294 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,988 2,780 3,340
Feeder cattle 2,988 2,780 3,340

Compared with last week 450 lbs Steers traded 2.00 higher, 500 to 650 lbs Steers traded 2.00 to 10.00 lower. No comparable offerings for Heifers a trend will not be given. Demand was good with several buyers and moderate internet bidding today, light freeze in the area. Next Auction Dates: Monday, Oct 19th and 26th Regular Sale. Thursday, Oct. 22nd Spring Calf Sale and Oct. 29th Special Spring Calf Sale & Yearling Sale.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
374 thin fleshed 374 65 212.00 $212.00 $793
379–399 387 30 180.00–192.50 $186.40 $721 +1.34
404 404 17 186.00 $186.00 $751 +9.99
414–415 thin fleshed 414 96 200.00–207.50 $202.27 $837
456 fancy 456 119 193.00 $193.00 $880
451–496 469 288 169.50–178.50 $174.51 $818 +2.13
501–546 517 235 154.00–163.25 $160.36 $829 -6.02
521 fancy 521 182 180.00 $180.00 $938 +3.00
559–596 575 294 149.00–158.50 $155.80 $896 -10.48
610–635 624 257 148.50–159.75 $157.56 $983 -6.72
652–683 669 279 148.25–159.75 $158.70 $1,062 -4.94
704 704 8 142.50 $142.50 $1,003
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
436 436 8 174.00 $174.00 $759
474 474 28 156.50 $156.50 $742
618 618 5 146.00 $146.00 $902 -9.50
663–670 669 35 141.00–147.50 $146.76 $982

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
357 357 5 161.00 $161.00 $575 -14.84
419 419 34 161.00 $161.00 $675 +0.57
466 466 42 161.50 $161.50 $753 -10.61
472 472 32 141.00 $141.00 $666 -31.11
500–534 525 220 145.00–155.00 $150.40 $790 -6.60
556–581 576 159 144.00–151.00 $149.88 $863 +7.97
651–687 655 97 136.00–143.75 $142.91 $936
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
388 388 8 140.00 $140.00 $543
453–472 459 19 142.00–145.00 $144.03 $661
523–546 535 22 141.00–143.00 $141.80 $759
550–584 576 50 140.00–141.25 $140.95 $812
603 603 5 135.50 $135.50 $817

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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.