Cattle Market Pulse

Valentine Livestock Auction Market Report

Valentine, Nebraska · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, November 18, 2021

2,535 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $168.16/cwt -5.84 vs last sale · ≈ $1,049/hd at 624 lb · 415 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $177.56/cwt -2.05 vs last sale · ≈ $1,017/hd at 573 lb · 353 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $164.94/cwt -4.92 vs last sale · ≈ $1,117/hd at 677 lb · 175 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,535 3,360 2,965
Feeder cattle 2,535 3,360 2,965

Compared with last week 500 to 650 lbs steers traded steady to 5.00 lower, 550 lbs heifers traded 9.00 higher. Demand was good with several buyers a hard freeze in the area. Next Auction Date Thursday, Dec 2nd Special Spring calf sale (weaned & non-weaned)

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375 375 5 207.00 $207.00 $776
420 420 10 218.00 $218.00 $916 +4.91
453–479 466 90 194.00–207.00 $202.79 $945 -1.64
504–542 528 120 182.00–190.00 $186.78 $986 -1.75
550–599 573 353 169.00–185.00 $177.56 $1,017 -2.05
601–649 624 415 161.00–173.00 $168.16 $1,049 -5.84
663–692 677 175 160.50–169.50 $164.94 $1,117 -4.92
702–722 715 97 155.00–163.50 $158.56 $1,134 -3.56
754 754 6 152.00 $152.00 $1,146 -11.41
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
474–493 487 37 174.00–187.00 $179.15 $872
506–536 517 35 175.00–177.00 $175.39 $907 +12.21
561–595 570 82 157.00–167.00 $161.31 $919 -10.33
601–643 631 52 149.00–159.00 $156.42 $987
657–688 677 26 152.00–155.00 $153.99 $1,043
727 727 8 153.50 $153.50 $1,116 -1.00

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
408–449 427 52 165.00–170.00 $168.07 $718 -1.65
450–495 478 122 160.00–167.50 $165.80 $793 +4.12
506–546 518 49 155.00–161.00 $159.04 $824 -2.38
552–599 580 137 156.00–165.00 $162.08 $940 +9.35
602–627 614 150 146.00–163.00 $151.71 $931 -0.50
653 653 5 143.00 $143.00 $934 -0.63
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
478–490 483 39 150.00–155.00 $152.94 $739 -0.06
512–543 534 73 144.00–154.00 $152.66 $815 +2.66
555–570 563 44 143.50–150.00 $146.93 $827

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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.