Cattle Market Pulse

Valentine Livestock Auction Market Report

Valentine, Nebraska · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 24, 2024

3,795 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers $349.69/cwt -5.25 vs last sale · ≈ $1,640/hd at 469 lb · 577 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $335.48/cwt +16.16 vs last sale · ≈ $1,742/hd at 519 lb · 574 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $318.53/cwt -14.29 vs last sale · ≈ $1,811/hd at 569 lb · 295 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 3,795 6,210 5,340
Feeder cattle 3,795 6,210 5,340

Market comments — USDA reporter

Special Spring Calf Sale featuring Red Angus today at Valentine Livestock. All offerings today were off the cow, steers traded unevenly steady. Heifer offerings 400 to 450 lbs traded steady to 6.00 higher. Demand was good today with several buyers at the barn and active bidding from the internet. Next Auction Dates Oct 28th and Oct 31st

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
305 305 13 430.00 $430.00 $1,312 +5.00
368–395 389 189 363.00–385.00 $372.68 $1,450 -9.90
404–445 416 208 354.00–400.00 $370.49 $1,541 +17.93
450–498 469 577 336.00–365.00 $349.69 $1,640 -5.25
502–546 519 514 323.00–344.50 $333.55 $1,731 +14.23
521 fancy 521 60 352.00 $352.00 $1,834 —
552 fancy 552 50 331.00 $331.00 $1,827 —
552–592 572 245 310.00–326.50 $315.99 $1,807 -16.83
611–621 613 152 305.50–315.00 $312.32 $1,915 +23.78
614 fancy 614 88 323.75 $323.75 $1,988 —
651–696 676 100 288.00–300.00 $294.92 $1,994 -1.17
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
358–392 387 48 347.00–360.00 $350.39 $1,356 —
417–447 429 28 295.00–342.50 $322.90 $1,385 -4.66
461–495 480 39 325.00–333.00 $331.25 $1,590 +7.51
511–545 532 75 312.00–319.00 $316.97 $1,686 +13.44
564–580 572 54 290.00–307.00 $304.07 $1,739 +8.12
604–638 616 56 284.00–299.50 $292.50 $1,802 +13.50
660 660 10 285.00 $285.00 $1,881 +6.41

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
339–340 339 35 370.00–385.00 $377.70 $1,280 +31.87
371–398 385 75 310.00–345.00 $331.18 $1,275 -5.13
404–445 423 117 315.00–329.00 $324.76 $1,374 +6.72
454–495 475 245 301.00–318.00 $311.20 $1,478 -4.63
505–543 526 128 284.00–301.00 $294.98 $1,552 -18.36
556 fancy 556 26 309.50 $309.50 $1,721 —
554–594 571 70 264.00–290.00 $277.71 $1,586 +3.12
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
378–398 385 25 307.50–315.00 $312.21 $1,202 —
427 427 5 310.00 $310.00 $1,324 +10.00
454–487 474 51 294.00–301.00 $297.50 $1,410 +16.48
500–536 519 28 273.00–277.00 $275.35 $1,429 -5.58
563 563 9 269.00 $269.00 $1,514 —

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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.