Cattle Market Pulse

Valentine Livestock Auction Market Report

Valentine, Nebraska · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, April 4, 2024

2,120 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $287.72/cwt -7.15 vs last sale · ≈ $1,680/hd at 584 lb · 290 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $315.02/cwt +10.63 vs last sale · ≈ $1,632/hd at 518 lb · 169 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $255.39/cwt -16.16 vs last sale · ≈ $1,822/hd at 713 lb · 168 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,120 2,410 1,500
Feeder cattle 2,120 2,410 1,500

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared with two weeks ago, steers traded sharply lower on the day. Heifers less than 550 lbs sold fully steady on a thin test, 550 to 650 lbs sold 1.00 to 7.00 lower and over 650 sold sharply lower. Demand was moderate to good with several buyers and active internet bidding. Thursday's sale followed the same downward trend that the CME cattle boards have displayed earlier this week. Next Auction Dates for April Thursday, 11th Special Fall and Spring Female Sale, 18th Special Feeder Sale

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
425 425 7 382.50 $382.50 $1,626 -5.55
477–494 490 60 347.00–355.00 $348.97 $1,710 -40.21
506–544 528 14 330.00–333.00 $331.23 $1,749 -29.49
558–571 562 118 333.50–336.00 $335.29 $1,884 -27.51
607–632 629 111 293.50–309.00 $298.67 $1,879 -33.37
653–655 655 90 283.00–285.00 $284.69 $1,865 -31.80
701 fancy 701 43 299.00 $299.00 $2,096 —
733–739 736 68 262.00–274.00 $267.98 $1,972 -23.44
757 757 75 281.50 $281.50 $2,131 +4.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
374 374 10 355.00 $355.00 $1,328 —
425 425 7 355.00 $355.00 $1,509 —
551–581 563 68 292.50–309.00 $305.54 $1,720 -21.17
653 653 5 281.00 $281.00 $1,835 -15.51

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390–393 391 15 331.00–335.00 $332.87 $1,302 —
411–417 415 19 326.00–327.50 $326.55 $1,355 +9.55
463–488 478 109 317.00–333.00 $329.74 $1,576 —
500–529 518 169 311.00–322.50 $315.02 $1,632 +10.63
556–599 584 290 276.50–299.00 $287.72 $1,680 -7.15
601–624 613 59 289.00–290.00 $289.45 $1,774 -1.13
661–694 673 98 253.00–261.50 $255.47 $1,719 -24.07
700–709 706 73 259.50–264.00 $261.79 $1,848 +0.31
703–745 719 95 246.00–254.00 $250.47 $1,801 -23.53
753 753 16 230.00 $230.00 $1,732 -15.00
816–835 827 18 214.00–222.00 $218.49 $1,807 -7.37
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
487–488 488 18 294.00–312.50 $303.24 $1,480 -1.76
505–545 537 60 284.00–300.00 $295.24 $1,585 —
587–598 592 48 271.00–273.00 $272.08 $1,611 +9.08
608–639 634 100 264.00–273.00 $271.72 $1,723 +1.77
708 708 5 235.00 $235.00 $1,664 -13.90

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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.