Cattle Market Pulse

Valentine Livestock Auction Market Report

Valentine, Nebraska · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, May 18, 2023

3,360 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $268.56/cwt +6.90 vs last sale · ≈ $1,689/hd at 629 lb · 506 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $302.72/cwt +38.71 vs last sale · ≈ $1,584/hd at 523 lb · 249 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $257.50/cwt +27.37 vs last sale · ≈ $1,560/hd at 606 lb · 198 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 3,360 2,345 3,220
Feeder cattle 3,360 2,075 3,220
Replacement cattle — 270 —

Market comments — USDA reporter

No recent test for an adequate market comparison a trend will not be given for steers or heifers. However a sharply higher undertone should be noted, as demand was good with several buyers and active internet bidding. Rain showers in the Sandhills of Nebraska, pairs are showing up in the hill pastures. Next Auction Dates: June 1st and 15th

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
352–396 382 67 311.00–327.50 $313.90 $1,199 —
412–445 435 88 313.00–326.00 $321.34 $1,398 +50.90
487–491 488 117 318.00–327.00 $320.86 $1,566 +57.93
502–549 523 237 298.00–308.00 $303.36 $1,587 +39.35
530 unweaned 530 12 290.00 $290.00 $1,537 —
550–579 563 172 286.00–299.00 $293.70 $1,654 +33.73
600–644 629 506 263.50–280.00 $268.56 $1,689 +10.31
659–681 671 138 262.00–271.00 $265.91 $1,784 +16.09
774 774 11 226.00 $226.00 $1,749 +1.57
801 801 40 216.50 $216.50 $1,734 +4.50
956–987 971 87 188.00–195.25 $191.64 $1,861 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
422 422 9 300.00 $300.00 $1,266 —
457 457 25 299.00 $299.00 $1,366 —
515 515 7 290.00 $290.00 $1,494 +47.50
569–590 581 36 252.50–273.00 $264.64 $1,538 +17.14
603–635 626 95 254.00–258.00 $254.77 $1,595 +12.27
650–675 660 28 236.00–255.00 $243.17 $1,605 —
909 909 12 196.00 $196.00 $1,782 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420–439 427 72 295.00–301.00 $297.23 $1,269 +69.73
453–471 459 65 278.00–290.00 $281.89 $1,294 +34.46
505–542 527 184 265.00–278.00 $271.90 $1,433 +21.88
545 unweaned 545 8 241.00 $241.00 $1,313 —
557–568 559 136 263.00–275.00 $271.34 $1,517 +37.51
595 unweaned 595 19 234.00 $234.00 $1,392 —
602–610 606 198 256.00–258.00 $257.50 $1,560 +27.37
770–773 771 27 191.50–206.00 $199.00 $1,534 -7.50
877 877 6 179.00 $179.00 $1,570 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
438 438 8 280.00 $280.00 $1,226 —
478 478 26 270.00 $270.00 $1,291 —
521–546 533 27 243.00–252.00 $247.44 $1,319 —
550–591 571 169 240.00–255.00 $250.21 $1,429 —
632–643 640 48 219.00–233.00 $222.45 $1,424 +17.72
686 686 16 233.50 $233.50 $1,602 —

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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.