Cattle Market Pulse

Valentine Livestock Auction Market Report

Valentine, Nebraska · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, December 29, 2022

2,340 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $223.69/cwt ≈ $1,297/hd at 580 lb · 310 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $205.89/cwt ≈ $1,377/hd at 669 lb · 277 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 steers $202.47/cwt ≈ $1,454/hd at 718 lb · 242 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,340 1,815 0
Feeder cattle 2,340 — 0
Replacement cattle — 1,815 —

No recent test of market for an accurate comparison a trend will not be given for steers or heifers. Demand was good today, with several buyers at the barn. Load lots at the front of the sale, sold with very high demand. Majority of calves in good condition, despite harsh weather condition in the area past few weeks . Next Auction Dates 2023, Jan 5th, 12th, 19th and 26th

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
436–442 441 72 250.00–251.00 $250.11 $1,103 —
484 thin fleshed 484 52 258.50 $258.50 $1,251 —
498 498 8 231.00 $231.00 $1,150 —
506 thin fleshed 506 21 245.50 $245.50 $1,242 —
531–548 540 118 212.00–220.00 $218.84 $1,182 —
552 thin fleshed 552 96 239.00 $239.00 $1,319 —
578–597 592 214 213.00–224.00 $216.82 $1,284 —
614–649 635 139 204.50–210.00 $206.00 $1,308 —
651–690 669 277 200.25–213.00 $205.89 $1,377 —
703–747 718 242 201.00–204.00 $202.47 $1,454 —
755 755 78 202.50 $202.50 $1,529 —
800 fancy 800 75 198.00 $198.00 $1,584 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
498 498 10 220.00 $220.00 $1,096 —
516 516 7 211.50 $211.50 $1,091 —
557–596 578 59 198.00–211.00 $206.31 $1,192 —
668 668 27 197.50 $197.50 $1,319 —
759–798 772 29 187.00–194.00 $192.50 $1,486 —

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
389 389 49 210.00 $210.00 $817 —
404 404 12 217.50 $217.50 $879 —
460–496 470 114 196.00–211.00 $203.39 $956 —
512–541 522 46 190.00–196.00 $193.00 $1,007 —
561–589 579 154 199.00–212.50 $200.50 $1,161 —
623–646 642 75 187.00 $187.00 $1,201 —
664 664 82 190.50 $190.50 $1,265 —
719 719 79 189.50 $189.50 $1,363 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
404 404 15 202.00 $202.00 $816 —
529 529 7 184.00 $184.00 $973 —
576 576 7 184.00 $184.00 $1,060 —
658–693 678 41 177.00–178.00 $177.60 $1,204 —

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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.