Cattle Market Pulse

Valentine Livestock Auction Market Report

Valentine, Nebraska · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, January 28, 2021

4,140 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $150.87/cwt ≈ $1,021/hd at 677 lb · 558 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $169.63/cwt ≈ $977/hd at 576 lb · 410 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $160.42/cwt ≈ $979/hd at 610 lb · 351 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 4,140 1,780 3,985
Feeder cattle 4,140 — 3,985
Replacement cattle — 1,780 —

Compared with two weeks ago 500 to 650 lbs steers traded steady to 4.00 lower, 500 to 600 lbs heifers traded steady to 8.00 lower. Demand was good with several buyers in the seats today. Cold and windy weather in the area. Next Auction Dates for Feb 4th, 11th, and 25th

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
449 449 12 203.50 $203.50 $914 —
462–499 468 38 190.00–200.00 $198.32 $928 —
501–545 525 259 173.00–188.00 $176.12 $925 —
552–591 576 410 161.50–173.75 $169.63 $977 —
604–639 610 351 155.25–166.00 $160.42 $979 —
652–699 674 485 144.50–159.75 $152.58 $1,028 —
695 695 73 139.50 $139.50 $970 —
701–736 722 166 136.00–148.50 $146.59 $1,058 —
783 783 22 141.00 $141.00 $1,104 —
804–817 814 85 129.00–137.50 $134.34 $1,094 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
443 443 22 182.00 $182.00 $806 —
487 487 35 183.25 $183.25 $892 —
566–588 584 142 146.50–159.50 $158.57 $926 —
646–649 648 89 149.25–150.50 $149.66 $970 —
698 698 8 135.00 $135.00 $942 —

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405–426 412 82 172.00–185.00 $174.74 $720 —
467–481 475 96 154.00–163.50 $158.43 $753 —
500–549 537 209 142.00–155.00 $149.63 $804 —
563–597 583 242 140.50–150.00 $145.26 $847 —
601–637 618 190 134.00–147.50 $142.97 $884 —
653–687 668 240 134.00–146.00 $142.75 $954 —
691 691 19 158.25 $158.25 $1,094 —
706–710 708 15 127.00–129.50 $128.34 $909 —
762–768 766 65 125.00–134.00 $128.03 $981 —
803 803 13 123.00 $123.00 $988 —
904 904 13 125.00 $125.00 $1,130 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
362 362 14 169.50 $169.50 $614 —
448 448 11 163.00 $163.00 $730 —
474–493 482 37 141.00–152.00 $147.54 $711 —
549 549 6 140.00 $140.00 $769 —
575 575 7 133.00 $133.00 $765 —
670–678 675 56 129.50–131.50 $131.06 $885 —

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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.