Cattle Market Pulse

Valentine Livestock Auction Market Report

Valentine, Nebraska · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, January 12, 2023

5,270 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $219.30/cwt +13.30 vs last sale · ≈ $1,388/hd at 633 lb · 1,231 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $225.92/cwt +2.23 vs last sale · ≈ $1,300/hd at 576 lb · 683 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 steers $204.02/cwt +1.55 vs last sale · ≈ $1,452/hd at 712 lb · 370 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 5,270 2,340 0
Feeder cattle 5,270 2,340 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared with two weeks ago, Thursday Sale Dec. 29th, 500 to 650 lbs steers traded steady to as much as 20.00 higher. Not enough comparable offering for heifers, a trend will not be given. A high demand for replacement quality heifers should be noted. Several buyers in the seats today with little bidding from the internet. Next Auction Dates Jan 19th and 26th

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
397 397 41 287.50 $287.50 $1,141 —
425 425 10 267.00 $267.00 $1,135 +16.89
458–494 475 323 240.00–254.00 $252.05 $1,197 +21.05
508–537 528 318 234.00–243.50 $239.14 $1,263 +20.30
550–594 fancy 573 398 226.00–236.00 $230.64 $1,322 —
569–592 579 285 216.50–223.00 $219.32 $1,270 +2.50
615–643 631 444 201.00–218.50 $211.96 $1,337 +5.96
609–649 fancy 634 787 222.00–225.00 $223.44 $1,417 —
656–699 673 359 198.50–212.50 $206.62 $1,391 +0.73
700–716 fancy 708 167 207.50–209.50 $208.51 $1,476 —
700–727 715 203 186.50–204.00 $200.33 $1,432 -2.14
762 762 83 182.00 $182.00 $1,387 -20.50
828 828 75 183.50 $183.50 $1,519 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
406 406 12 237.00 $237.00 $962 —
468–497 490 77 218.00–231.00 $228.54 $1,120 +8.54
515–542 529 25 225.00–229.00 $227.49 $1,203 +15.99
575 575 21 174.00 $174.00 $1,000 -32.31
679 679 61 171.00 $171.00 $1,161 -26.50
740 740 39 185.25 $185.25 $1,371 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
395 395 5 227.00 $227.00 $897 +17.00
445 445 8 216.00 $216.00 $961 —
455–471 467 88 209.50–219.00 $211.92 $990 +8.53
520–549 535 50 196.50–205.00 $200.63 $1,073 +7.63
556–567 thin fleshed 558 177 200.00–203.75 $203.21 $1,134 —
551–599 589 143 180.00–195.00 $187.71 $1,106 -12.79
612 612 25 193.50 $193.50 $1,184 +6.50
609–636 621 277 173.00–189.50 $186.02 $1,155 -0.98
650–681 672 149 181.50–185.00 $182.98 $1,230 -7.52
688 688 57 168.00 $168.00 $1,156 -22.50
705 705 40 172.00 $172.00 $1,213 -17.50
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
659 659 56 1,300.00 $1,300.00 —
701–706 703 93 1,235.00–1,535.00 $1,395.76 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350 350 6 195.00 $195.00 $682 —
455–470 463 29 197.00–198.00 $197.53 $915 —
516 516 9 191.00 $191.00 $986 +7.00
586 586 9 166.00 $166.00 $973 -18.00
689 689 6 146.00 $146.00 $1,006 -31.60

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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.