Cattle Market Pulse

Valentine Livestock Auction Market Report

Valentine, Nebraska · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 19, 2023

3,730 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $303.91/cwt +9.74 vs last sale · ≈ $1,748/hd at 575 lb · 511 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $298.30/cwt +26.30 vs last sale · ≈ $1,523/hd at 510 lb · 324 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $322.94/cwt -4.09 vs last sale · ≈ $1,713/hd at 530 lb · 297 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 3,730 1,790 3,170
Feeder cattle 3,730 1,790 3,170

Compared with last week, 450 lbs steers traded steady, while 550 lbs steers traded 12.00 lower, 550 and 600 lbs steers traded 6.00 to 10.00 higher. No comparable offerings for heifers today. Demand was good with several buyers and a good crowd of viewers. Next Auction Date Oct 26th Starting at 10:00 am with Yearlings followed by calves

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
367–390 377 31 337.50–348.00 $343.42 $1,295 -31.58
404–446 422 65 332.50–345.00 $339.73 $1,434 -22.54
454 fancy 454 49 363.00 $363.00 $1,648
461–494 480 241 331.00–343.50 $340.55 $1,635 +0.25
504–529 fancy 523 130 332.00–335.00 $334.33 $1,749
504–548 536 167 307.00–327.00 $314.08 $1,683 -12.95
563 fancy 563 99 318.00 $318.00 $1,790
556–586 578 412 291.00–309.50 $300.53 $1,737 +6.36
607–638 unweaned 625 287 282.00–294.00 $291.07 $1,819 +10.76
656 fancy 656 88 289.75 $289.75 $1,901
654–665 unweaned 658 190 275.00–286.75 $283.40 $1,865
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
357–362 360 28 315.00–326.00 $319.68 $1,151
449 449 12 317.00 $317.00 $1,423 -19.00
460–493 477 70 294.00–327.00 $303.15 $1,446
506–541 523 159 288.00–303.00 $296.13 $1,549 +17.93
554–576 564 42 279.00–281.00 $280.30 $1,581 -5.70
628 628 5 266.00 $266.00 $1,670 -5.00

↑ Back to top

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
336–349 343 14 323.00–333.00 $328.09 $1,125 +36.09
368–392 380 57 323.00–340.00 $330.09 $1,254
412–449 439 159 304.00–324.00 $314.98 $1,383 +34.11
455–481 469 270 301.00–309.00 $306.74 $1,439 +33.01
505 fancy 505 102 315.00 $315.00 $1,591
501–541 513 222 285.00–295.00 $290.62 $1,491 +18.62
556–567 561 105 276.00 $276.00 $1,548
632 632 5 255.00 $255.00 $1,612
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
353–365 360 18 280.00–309.00 $297.95 $1,073
439 439 20 281.00 $281.00 $1,234
485–495 492 76 266.00–290.00 $281.94 $1,387
502–545 533 92 263.00–274.00 $270.52 $1,442 +22.52

↑ Back to top

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.