Cattle Market Pulse

Valentine Livestock Auction Market Report

Valentine, Nebraska · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, February 22, 2024

1,446 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,446 4,670 933
Feeder cattle 4,670
Replacement cattle 1,446 933

Very large crowd of buyers on hand at the bred female sale on a beautiful warm February day. The auction was fasted paced from start to finish with buyers gathering bred females to fill empty summer grass. Very active internet buying throughout the sale. Bred females to start calving in March and April for 30 to 60 days or there about. Most of the heifers were bull bred with some AI bred.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1048–1133 1101 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 69 2,660.00–3,100.00 $2,955.74
1215–1458 1332 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 83 1,750.00–2,050.00 $1,941.51
1223–1477 1334 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 82 1,825.00–2,400.00 $2,123.78
1211–1934 1351 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 180 2,040.00–2,900.00 $2,584.05
1459 1459 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 6 1,975.00 $1,975.00
Medium 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1108 thin fleshed 1108 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 9 2,225.00 $2,225.00
982–1209 1122 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 47 2,400.00–2,750.00 $2,595.32
1135 1135 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 5 1,825.00 $1,825.00
1140–1166 thin fleshed 1157 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 33 1,700.00–1,800.00 $1,727.13
1153–1283 thin fleshed 1220 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 35 1,950.00–2,000.00 $1,972.95

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Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
912–1159 984 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 521 2,500.00–3,125.00 $2,684.41
1249–1262 fancy 1257 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 26 3,375.00–3,450.00 $3,421.34
Medium 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
848 848 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 16 2,600.00 $2,600.00

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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.