Cattle Market Pulse

Valentine Livestock Auction Market Report

Valentine, Nebraska · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, December 16, 2021

3,955 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $183.35/cwt ≈ $1,139/hd at 621 lb · 490 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $204.34/cwt ≈ $1,093/hd at 535 lb · 442 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 steers $180.42/cwt ≈ $1,299/hd at 720 lb · 376 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 3,955 2,235 4,930
Feeder cattle 3,955 — 4,930
Replacement cattle — 2,235 —

Compared with two weeks ago 550 to 650 lbs steers traded steady to 10.00 higher with no comparable offerings for heifers a trend will not be given. Demand was good with several buyers today. Snow has covered the Sandhills with colder weather. Next Auction Date Jan 6th 2022, Special Feeder Sale

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
387–398 394 43 218.00–220.00 $218.78 $862 —
406–447 418 58 209.00–214.00 $212.44 $888 —
456–478 469 184 214.00–221.00 $214.92 $1,008 —
501–546 535 442 197.50–212.50 $204.34 $1,093 —
550–567 558 148 192.50–200.50 $197.18 $1,100 —
600–648 616 405 174.00–187.50 $181.74 $1,120 —
646 fancy 646 85 191.00 $191.00 $1,234 —
650–690 671 243 170.00–180.00 $175.53 $1,178 —
704 fancy 704 73 186.50 $186.50 $1,313 —
708–745 724 303 171.00–182.50 $178.95 $1,296 —
751–756 754 14 141.00–142.00 $141.43 $1,066 —
789 fancy 789 80 173.00 $173.00 $1,365 —
821 fancy 821 72 172.00 $172.00 $1,412 —
810–839 826 27 154.50–166.25 $159.62 $1,318 —
924 924 10 144.00 $144.00 $1,331 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
476–492 483 117 204.00–211.50 $207.97 $1,004 —
513–547 532 39 193.00–196.50 $195.20 $1,038 —
550–594 573 97 181.00–186.00 $183.99 $1,054 —
647 647 5 167.00 $167.00 $1,080 —
655 655 12 165.00 $165.00 $1,081 —
712 712 8 169.00 $169.00 $1,203 —

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350–359 355 23 188.00–192.00 $190.29 $676 —
442–445 444 18 170.00–175.00 $173.06 $768 —
472–490 479 260 173.00–181.00 $179.71 $861 —
508–549 533 94 167.00–179.00 $171.86 $916 —
571–585 576 115 154.00–170.00 $163.94 $944 —
633–648 641 51 151.00–158.00 $154.61 $991 —
654–695 678 83 142.00–154.00 $150.47 $1,020 —
830–848 835 68 151.50–155.25 $154.19 $1,287 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
372 372 18 177.00 $177.00 $658 —
450–477 464 19 168.00 $168.00 $780 —
598 598 28 153.00 $153.00 $915 —

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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.