Cattle Market Pulse

Valentine Livestock Auction Market Report

Valentine, Nebraska · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, February 1, 2024

4,230 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $278.33/cwt +20.44 vs last sale · ≈ $1,726/hd at 620 lb · 362 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $332.96/cwt -5.55 vs last sale · ≈ $1,771/hd at 532 lb · 348 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $299.36/cwt +29.81 vs last sale · ≈ $1,682/hd at 562 lb · 334 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 4,230 2,345 3,990
Feeder cattle 4,230 2,345 3,990

Compared with last week 600 to 650 lbs steers traded 2.00 to 6.00 higher, not enough comparable offerings for heifers. A high demand for the replacement quality offerings should be noted. Several buyers in the barn and active internet bidding. Warm weather in the area, melting snow and refreezing making pen conditions a mess. Next Auction Dates for Feb 8th 15th and 22nd

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
323 323 16 375.00 $375.00 $1,211
372 372 112 395.00 $395.00 $1,469 +14.00
439 439 14 364.00 $364.00 $1,598 +11.00
457–463 462 114 345.00–355.00 $353.73 $1,634 +14.09
517–543 532 348 323.00–345.00 $332.96 $1,771 -5.55
560–572 565 77 324.00–332.00 $327.68 $1,851 +10.59
606–631 615 331 298.00–312.50 $305.77 $1,880 +6.01
650–699 687 238 278.00–290.00 $283.72 $1,949 +2.46
752–756 753 97 250.50–265.25 $262.04 $1,973 +6.42
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
393 393 6 365.00 $365.00 $1,434
403–440 429 63 330.00–351.00 $340.57 $1,461
483 483 31 338.00 $338.00 $1,633 +8.00
514–537 532 49 283.50–315.00 $289.71 $1,541
558–572 568 41 299.00–308.50 $305.54 $1,735 +6.54
673–684 683 74 267.00–273.00 $272.60 $1,862 +12.60
895 895 7 221.00 $221.00 $1,978

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310 310 20 347.50 $347.50 $1,077
360–370 363 43 319.00 $319.00 $1,158
410–435 425 93 305.00–320.00 $312.82 $1,329 -4.68
466–492 481 208 303.50–321.00 $311.45 $1,498 +23.25
497 thin fleshed 497 102 325.75 $325.75 $1,619
510–549 536 214 293.00–308.00 $306.53 $1,643 +31.53
553–581 562 334 283.50–304.00 $299.36 $1,682 +29.81
606–648 620 362 274.00–282.50 $278.33 $1,726 +20.44
651–653 652 110 265.50–268.00 $267.23 $1,742 +28.72
651–691 660 54 249.50–260.00 $257.18 $1,697 +18.67
674 fancy 674 67 266.50 $266.50 $1,796
702–724 711 69 254.00–265.25 $258.81 $1,840
708–721 716 109 238.00–249.00 $244.67 $1,752
778 778 24 231.00 $231.00 $1,797 +11.00
966 966 10 191.00 $191.00 $1,845
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
386 386 5 286.00 $286.00 $1,104
454–490 464 68 290.00–298.50 $294.74 $1,368
531 531 12 288.00 $288.00 $1,529
569–596 588 76 271.50–281.00 $276.52 $1,626 +35.52
606–643 637 71 262.00–267.00 $265.06 $1,688 +23.71
682 682 5 241.00 $241.00 $1,644

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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.