Cattle Market Pulse

Valentine Livestock Auction Market Report

Valentine, Nebraska · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, December 7, 2023

3,590 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $259.77/cwt -4.17 vs last sale · ≈ $1,655/hd at 637 lb · 520 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $278.87/cwt -8.94 vs last sale · ≈ $1,620/hd at 581 lb · 357 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 steers $250.40/cwt ≈ $1,830/hd at 731 lb · 336 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 3,590 3,890 0
Feeder cattle 3,590 3,890 0

No recent test of market for an accurate comparison a trend will not be given for steers or heifers. Demand was good with several buyer and active internet bidding. Next Auction Date Dec 14th Special Bred Female Sale

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
387 387 18 327.50 $327.50 $1,267 -12.27
402 402 53 332.00 $332.00 $1,335 -5.88
470–498 474 167 309.00–319.00 $317.12 $1,503 -14.24
508–541 523 255 293.50–308.00 $300.45 $1,571 -12.95
560–592 581 357 272.00–283.00 $278.87 $1,620 -8.94
613–648 637 520 252.00–269.00 $259.77 $1,655 -0.36
661 fancy 661 135 266.00 $266.00 $1,758
651–679 669 187 250.50–255.75 $252.00 $1,686 -9.19
712–745 731 336 242.00–257.50 $250.40 $1,830
753 753 24 249.50 $249.50 $1,879
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
349 349 5 317.50 $317.50 $1,108
408–424 418 16 307.50–329.00 $315.37 $1,318 -0.42
462–496 471 30 292.50–297.00 $293.76 $1,384 -22.54
516–547 531 91 285.00–289.00 $286.51 $1,521 -8.24
589–595 591 61 265.00–267.00 $265.79 $1,571 +2.29
603–646 623 38 238.00–251.00 $246.58 $1,536 -7.42
665–688 679 32 218.00–231.00 $227.05 $1,542 -18.95
714–737 721 58 223.50–231.00 $227.24 $1,638
861 861 6 184.00 $184.00 $1,584
1024 1024 5 177.00 $177.00 $1,812

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
429–446 435 40 259.00–264.00 $260.92 $1,135 -22.13
475 475 13 255.00 $255.00 $1,211 -18.80
501–539 517 187 259.00–279.50 $269.82 $1,395 +8.84
584–585 585 104 249.00–261.00 $258.58 $1,513 -32.42
614 614 15 266.00 $266.00 $1,633
675 675 22 233.00 $233.00 $1,573
749 749 12 207.00 $207.00 $1,550 -24.50
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 7 265.00 $265.00 $888
479–491 486 14 235.00–238.00 $236.27 $1,148 -20.73
530–546 535 63 243.00–255.00 $247.55 $1,324 +5.25
556 556 8 225.00 $225.00 $1,251 -11.34
622–629 626 63 214.00–226.50 $220.35 $1,379 -3.65

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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.