Cattle Market Pulse

Valentine Livestock Auction Market Report

Valentine, Nebraska · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, November 9, 2023

3,525 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $300.52/cwt -20.30 vs last sale · ≈ $1,558/hd at 519 lb · 436 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $285.01/cwt -8.19 vs last sale · ≈ $1,630/hd at 572 lb · 370 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $274.12/cwt -12.82 vs last sale · ≈ $1,266/hd at 462 lb · 293 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 3,525 2,670 3,680
Feeder cattle 3,525 2,670 3,680

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared with last week, 500 to 550 lbs steers traded 8.00 to as much as 20.00 lower and heifer offerings 450 to 500 lbs traded 2.00 to 12.00 lower. Demand was good with active internet bidding. Next Auction Dates Nov 13th Bred cow Auction Nov 16th Spring Calves weaned and un-weaned

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
331 331 19 327.50 $327.50 $1,084 -40.00
372–391 384 55 316.00–321.00 $319.02 $1,225 -10.98
408–445 431 95 321.00–337.00 $329.06 $1,418 -20.14
432 thin fleshed 432 64 341.00 $341.00 $1,473 —
460 thin fleshed 460 37 340.00 $340.00 $1,564 —
477–478 478 43 317.00–325.00 $319.97 $1,529 -12.93
505 thin fleshed 505 68 317.00 $317.00 $1,601 —
512–542 521 368 291.00–309.50 $297.48 $1,550 -23.34
550–592 572 370 275.00–289.50 $285.01 $1,630 -8.19
600–619 609 173 258.00–272.00 $264.56 $1,611 -19.94
652–667 659 33 251.00–262.50 $257.21 $1,695 -11.13
720 720 19 239.50 $239.50 $1,724 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
406–447 423 98 301.00–316.00 $311.00 $1,316 -9.09
466–495 480 200 287.00–306.00 $295.08 $1,416 -4.49
525–546 532 88 269.50–287.00 $275.66 $1,467 -9.98
586 586 30 265.00 $265.00 $1,553 -12.70
626–627 627 30 254.00 $254.00 $1,593 -17.34
694 694 23 241.00 $241.00 $1,673 -10.00

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
313–326 316 27 290.00–295.00 $293.85 $929 +28.85
374–392 381 64 274.00–285.00 $279.80 $1,066 -0.98
401–446 420 120 269.00–276.00 $273.59 $1,149 -32.41
452–499 462 293 267.00–279.50 $274.12 $1,266 -12.82
502–545 514 204 254.00–267.50 $263.31 $1,353 -2.93
550–555 551 38 263.50–270.00 $265.05 $1,460 -4.51
635 635 11 246.00 $246.00 $1,562 -34.50
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
347 347 6 252.50 $252.50 $876 —
390 390 18 269.00 $269.00 $1,049 —
423–439 430 26 264.00 $264.00 $1,135 -7.99
454–494 468 40 263.00–263.50 $263.18 $1,232 -3.09
501–522 511 85 247.00–250.50 $248.80 $1,271 +2.96
559–587 576 100 240.00–250.00 $247.32 $1,425 -6.54

↑ 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.