Cattle Market Pulse

Valentine Livestock Auction Market Report

Valentine, Nebraska · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 21, 2021

2,580 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $173.42/cwt +4.85 vs last sale · ≈ $1,077/hd at 621 lb · 354 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $183.97/cwt +8.18 vs last sale · ≈ $1,051/hd at 571 lb · 305 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $154.66/cwt +3.63 vs last sale · ≈ $891/hd at 576 lb · 247 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,580 2,210 3,420
Feeder cattle 2,580 2,210 3,420

Compared with last week 500 lbs steers traded 2.00 lower and 550 to 600 lbs steers traded 4.00 to 5.00 higher, 550 lbs heifer offerings traded steady. Demand was good with several buyers, another hard freeze in the area. Next Auction Dates Monday, Oct 25th Special Bred Female Auction & Regular Sale

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
399 399 25 209.00 $209.00 $834 -1.00
405–443 420 41 199.00–210.00 $203.70 $856 +7.18
455–489 470 147 182.00–206.00 $187.41 $881 -16.19
512–549 528 224 178.00–195.00 $184.70 $975 -3.01
565 fancy 565 85 191.00 $191.00 $1,079
555–588 574 220 173.50–186.00 $181.25 $1,040 +5.46
600–647 621 354 170.25–176.00 $173.42 $1,077 +4.85
652–684 663 68 165.00–167.50 $166.59 $1,104 -2.43
652–694 fancy 672 161 172.00–176.00 $174.02 $1,169
706–722 712 192 166.50–172.75 $171.10 $1,218
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
516–535 528 51 174.50–177.00 $175.36 $926 +18.71
576 576 19 165.00 $165.00 $950 +3.41
603–634 630 95 161.50–166.00 $162.09 $1,021
683 683 13 151.00 $151.00 $1,031

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365–396 377 21 172.00–184.00 $179.20 $676
405–442 426 78 166.00–173.00 $169.88 $724 +5.51
457–497 482 210 164.00–174.00 $169.46 $817 +10.57
508–527 515 96 160.00–165.00 $162.70 $838 +2.79
551–598 572 203 147.00–157.50 $152.64 $873 +1.61
594 594 44 164.00 $164.00 $974 +12.97
615–631 626 44 147.00–148.50 $147.86 $926 -7.06
704 704 20 140.00 $140.00 $986
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
481–486 484 25 161.00–166.00 $164.01 $794 +12.01

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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.