Cattle Market Pulse

Valentine Livestock Auction Market Report

Valentine, Nebraska · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, January 7, 2021

4,230 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $161.84/cwt -4.91 vs last sale · ≈ $1,012/hd at 625 lb · 584 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 steers $145.93/cwt -14.33 vs last sale · ≈ $1,051/hd at 720 lb · 516 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $151.76/cwt -8.78 vs last sale · ≈ $1,032/hd at 680 lb · 432 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 4,230 4,930 3,200
Feeder cattle 4,230 4,930 3,200

Market comments — USDA reporter

First Auction of the New Year at Valentine Livestock Auction, no recent test of market for an accurate comparison a trend will not be given. Demand was good with several buyers and high internet bidding. Cooler weather in the area. Next Auction Dates for Jan 2021: 14th, 21st,and 28th

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
487 487 8 182.00 $182.00 $886 -11.77
506–542 520 131 178.00–187.00 $185.01 $962 -0.42
575–596 581 268 160.00–178.00 $173.56 $1,008 -0.96
600–644 625 584 153.00–166.00 $161.84 $1,012 -4.91
653 fancy 653 81 164.00 $164.00 $1,071 —
661–696 686 351 144.00–157.00 $148.93 $1,022 -13.16
702–745 720 516 140.50–149.75 $145.93 $1,051 -14.33
751–788 784 272 138.00–143.00 $140.37 $1,101 -20.18
810–827 813 86 135.00–141.25 $140.02 $1,138 —
948 948 15 130.00 $130.00 $1,232 -10.25
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
498 498 6 170.00 $170.00 $847 -10.91
540–544 542 10 164.00–170.00 $166.99 $905 -5.25
642–647 644 74 145.00–150.50 $148.68 $957 -9.60
681–698 693 20 140.00 $140.00 $970 —
783 783 7 133.50 $133.50 $1,045 -14.72

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
427–438 432 11 160.00–162.00 $160.92 $695 -5.42
464–492 472 39 164.75–169.50 $167.79 $792 +7.69
503–537 519 200 150.00–163.00 $159.09 $826 +4.21
555–598 575 333 142.50–156.00 $149.34 $859 +0.41
583 583 23 163.50 $163.50 $953 +14.57
602–648 624 177 144.00–156.50 $150.29 $938 +2.29
649 649 41 161.00 $161.00 $1,045 —
665–695 677 62 131.00–136.00 $134.12 $908 -0.77
680–681 681 58 151.00–158.00 $154.50 $1,052 +19.61
703–718 710 79 148.00–157.00 $152.74 $1,084 +12.74
718–740 730 33 142.00–143.50 $142.83 $1,043 +2.83
753 753 34 145.00 $145.00 $1,092 +6.00
897 897 5 124.75 $124.75 $1,119 —
945 945 10 124.75 $124.75 $1,179 —
951 951 6 124.00 $124.00 $1,179 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
596 596 11 138.00 $138.00 $822 —
605–627 617 57 136.50–142.00 $139.01 $858 —

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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.