Cattle Market Pulse

Valentine Livestock Auction Market Report

Valentine, Nebraska · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 17, 2024

6,210 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 7-weight M&L 1 heifers $251.13/cwt ≈ $1,965/hd at 782 lb · 397 head
light 8-weight M&L 1 steers $263.71/cwt ≈ $2,202/hd at 835 lb · 366 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 steers $285.69/cwt ≈ $2,086/hd at 730 lb · 308 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 6,210 2,900 3,730
Feeder cattle 6,210 2,900 3,730

Market comments — USDA reporter

Today's Auction started out the day with PO/GO heifers, yearling steers and heifers off dry grass, followed by Spring calves. Steer and Heifer offerings traded unevenly steady, demand was good with active internet bidding. Dry and windy weather again this past week, in the Sandhills. Next Auction Date Oct 21st Weigh up Auction, Oct 24th Spring Calves, Oct 28th Bred Cow Auction

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
308 308 12 425.00 $425.00 $1,309 +57.56
356–391 370 80 362.00–390.00 $382.58 $1,416 -14.63
430 430 61 343.00–354.00 $352.56 $1,516 -30.13
451–471 464 185 330.00–361.00 $354.94 $1,647 +2.83
501–545 529 193 313.00–324.00 $319.32 $1,689 -13.64
552–559 557 272 328.50–335.00 $332.82 $1,854 +14.77
603–648 630 207 285.00–290.00 $288.54 $1,818 -17.73
650–651 651 209 295.50–299.00 $296.09 $1,928 -16.91
702–747 730 308 268.00–296.50 $285.69 $2,086 —
757–796 780 179 264.50–271.25 $267.62 $2,087 —
812–843 835 366 259.00–270.00 $263.71 $2,202 —
889–898 891 77 249.00–258.50 $256.76 $2,288 —
922–938 930 28 244.50–246.50 $246.00 $2,288 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
412–447 429 96 327.00–329.00 $327.56 $1,405 -36.44
458–498 494 200 317.50–325.00 $323.74 $1,599 -7.77
518–548 525 46 299.00–305.00 $303.53 $1,594 -4.97
560–592 575 99 287.00–301.00 $295.95 $1,702 +2.95
632 632 5 279.00 $279.00 $1,763 +5.34
657–665 658 62 272.50–279.50 $278.59 $1,833 —
701–745 711 29 261.00–266.00 $262.53 $1,867 —
782 782 6 247.00 $247.00 $1,932 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
344–347 345 18 344.00–347.00 $345.83 $1,193 —
362–377 371 65 332.00–347.50 $336.31 $1,248 -0.51
402–449 430 234 308.00–330.00 $318.04 $1,368 -8.02
460–499 491 162 294.00–325.00 $315.83 $1,551 -0.40
509–520 514 123 311.00–316.00 $313.34 $1,611 +21.50
552–580 565 99 259.00–286.00 $274.59 $1,551 —
601–629 604 91 262.00–280.25 $278.16 $1,680 —
665–698 683 231 252.50–266.00 $261.04 $1,783 —
705–745 730 122 249.50–250.75 $250.22 $1,827 —
762 762 128 256.75 $256.75 $1,956 —
781–799 792 269 240.50–251.50 $248.45 $1,968 —
800–847 817 168 236.50–251.50 $244.13 $1,995 —
860 860 63 239.25 $239.25 $2,058 —
867 867 37 240.50 $240.50 $2,085 —
918–937 927 28 239.50–243.50 $241.62 $2,240 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415 415 22 300.00 $300.00 $1,245 +0.76
482–497 492 78 280.50–288.00 $281.02 $1,383 +2.02
503–545 529 79 270.00–286.00 $280.93 $1,486 +1.03
628–636 632 18 251.00–252.00 $251.56 $1,590 —
652–683 671 21 245.00–251.00 $249.22 $1,672 —
705 705 6 237.00 $237.00 $1,671 —
786 786 10 236.00 $236.00 $1,855 —

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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.