Cattle Market Pulse

Valentine Livestock Auction Market Report

Valentine, Nebraska · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, December 2, 2021

3,325 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $177.03/cwt +12.09 vs last sale · ≈ $1,196/hd at 676 lb · 526 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $191.12/cwt +13.56 vs last sale · ≈ $1,102/hd at 576 lb · 505 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $178.65/cwt +10.49 vs last sale · ≈ $1,127/hd at 631 lb · 437 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 3,325 2,535 3,175
Feeder cattle 3,325 2,535 3,175

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared with two weeks ago 550 to 650 lbs steers traded 8.00 to 11.00 higher, no comparable offerings for heifers a trend will not be given. Demand was very good today with several buyers and active internet bidding. Next Auction Dates for Dec. 9th Special Bred Female, Dec. 16th Special Spring Calf Sale (weaned)

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
439–445 441 17 211.00–222.00 $218.08 $962 +0.08
459–488 462 88 202.00–211.50 $210.36 $972 +7.57
510–519 511 77 197.00–211.25 $209.37 $1,070 +22.59
557–599 570 334 180.00–192.00 $186.32 $1,062 +8.76
589 fancy 589 171 200.50 $200.50 $1,181 —
600–646 631 437 172.00–184.25 $178.65 $1,127 +10.49
673 fancy 673 84 186.00 $186.00 $1,252 —
656–688 675 400 168.00–180.75 $176.51 $1,191 +11.57
688 unweaned 688 42 164.00 $164.00 $1,128 —
703 unweaned 703 19 158.50 $158.50 $1,114 —
700–747 732 311 167.00–178.00 $175.00 $1,281 +16.44
758 758 22 166.50 $166.50 $1,262 +14.50
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
483–489 485 23 181.50–195.00 $185.05 $897 +5.90
525–538 530 40 183.50–190.50 $189.36 $1,004 +13.97
571–591 582 112 170.00–177.00 $174.60 $1,016 +13.29
629–631 630 101 168.50–169.00 $168.85 $1,064 +12.43
708 708 15 159.00 $159.00 $1,126 +5.50
806 806 10 157.00 $157.00 $1,265 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
432 432 5 162.00 $162.00 $700 -6.07
498 498 48 159.50 $159.50 $794 -6.30
504 504 15 172.00 $172.00 $867 +12.96
557–567 565 31 171.75–174.00 $173.50 $980 +11.42
574–582 580 61 159.00–161.00 $160.38 $930 -1.70
606–647 634 75 149.00–156.00 $152.01 $964 +0.30
656 unweaned 656 20 146.00 $146.00 $958 —
653–698 683 40 147.00–152.00 $149.36 $1,020 +6.36
742–746 746 66 154.00–165.75 $164.51 $1,227 —
898 898 16 143.00 $143.00 $1,284 —
958 958 6 137.00 $137.00 $1,312 —
1015 1015 11 136.50 $136.50 $1,385 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
396 396 15 168.00 $168.00 $665 —
511–546 531 49 147.50–157.00 $154.61 $821 +1.95
563–584 580 37 147.00–157.00 $151.88 $881 +4.95
617 617 28 147.00 $147.00 $907 —

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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.