Cattle Market Pulse

Valentine Livestock Auction Market Report

Valentine, Nebraska · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, January 6, 2022

4,500 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 7-weight M&L 1 steers $175.02/cwt -5.40 vs last sale · ≈ $1,276/hd at 729 lb · 665 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $181.89/cwt +6.36 vs last sale · ≈ $1,222/hd at 672 lb · 491 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $190.07/cwt +6.72 vs last sale · ≈ $1,186/hd at 624 lb · 490 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 4,500 3,955 4,230
Feeder cattle 4,500 3,955 4,230

Market comments — USDA reporter

First Sale of the New Year. A high demand for several load lots of steers and Sandhill raised replacement heifers, very cold weather in the area. Next Auction Dates Jan 13, 20th and 27th

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
402–436 425 48 211.00–223.00 $213.66 $908 +1.22
477 477 60 209.00 $209.00 $997 -5.92
512 fancy 512 42 230.00 $230.00 $1,178 —
500–544 530 236 201.00–213.00 $205.14 $1,087 +0.80
585 fancy 585 46 210.00 $210.00 $1,228 —
563–595 588 249 194.50–201.00 $197.35 $1,160 +0.17
619–624 fancy 620 232 196.00–199.00 $196.45 $1,218 +5.45
604–645 628 258 179.50–189.75 $184.33 $1,158 +2.59
657–691 672 491 168.00–187.75 $181.89 $1,222 +6.36
706–749 729 665 171.00–180.25 $175.02 $1,276 -3.93
773 773 64 171.00 $171.00 $1,322 +29.57
785–786 785 90 162.00–169.00 $167.52 $1,315 +26.09
815–840 827 202 165.00–168.50 $166.89 $1,380 +7.27
869 869 66 162.75 $162.75 $1,414 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
466–497 481 40 195.00–202.00 $198.44 $954 -9.53
537–541 540 103 192.00–198.50 $194.39 $1,050 -0.81
590–599 593 56 182.50–184.50 $183.78 $1,090 -0.21
625 625 9 172.00 $172.00 $1,075 +5.00

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
371 371 9 196.00 $196.00 $727 +5.71
456–475 463 54 173.00–181.00 $178.12 $825 -1.59
515 515 21 190.50 $190.50 $981 +18.64
505–549 534 184 173.50–185.00 $178.68 $954 +6.82
575 575 33 193.00 $193.00 $1,110 +29.06
552–598 581 286 170.00–182.50 $174.98 $1,017 +11.04
605–612 610 65 174.50–182.00 $176.79 $1,078 +22.18
602–641 636 168 162.00–170.00 $168.01 $1,069 +13.40
665 665 37 187.50 $187.50 $1,247 +37.03
676–695 684 46 153.00–154.00 $153.42 $1,049 +2.95
717 717 33 170.00 $170.00 $1,219 —
718–734 728 80 151.50–155.00 $153.67 $1,119 —
760 760 24 153.75 $153.75 $1,168 —
1014 1014 16 139.00 $139.00 $1,409 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
424 424 13 176.00 $176.00 $746 —

↑ Back to top

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.