Cattle Market Pulse

Valentine Livestock Auction Market Report

Valentine, Nebraska · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, January 9, 2025

4,445 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $322.39/cwt +4.30 vs last sale · ≈ $2,188/hd at 679 lb · 720 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $359.16/cwt +20.98 vs last sale · ≈ $2,108/hd at 587 lb · 573 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $376.31/cwt -4.21 vs last sale · ≈ $1,957/hd at 520 lb · 454 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 4,445 3,766 4,440
Feeder cattle 4,445 3,766 4,440

Market comments — USDA reporter

First reported sale of the New Year. Its been several weeks since a reported sale, a market comparison is not applicable. However, a higher undertone was noted throughout the day, with several loads of Sandhill raised offerings. Next Auction Date Jan 16th Special Feeder Sale and Breedable Heifers. Jan 23rd Special Bred Female and Regular Sale Diamond Lazy J Bull Sale. Jan 30th 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
336 336 9 450.00 $450.00 $1,512 +5.00
400–438 427 98 410.00–430.00 $418.33 $1,786 -15.92
463–485 480 149 397.00–400.00 $399.35 $1,917 -28.10
500–544 520 454 360.00–381.00 $376.31 $1,957 -4.21
557–599 587 573 350.00–381.00 $359.16 $2,108 +20.98
601 fancy 601 92 363.00 $363.00 $2,182 —
607–634 620 320 326.00–345.00 $338.02 $2,096 +8.35
668 fancy 668 80 334.00 $334.00 $2,231 —
661–690 680 640 311.00–329.50 $320.94 $2,182 +2.85
705–733 713 152 273.75–320.00 $299.00 $2,132 -3.77
758–779 770 162 290.50–295.50 $293.46 $2,260 +1.37
816–839 819 86 277.50–284.00 $283.15 $2,319 —
859 859 54 277.00 $277.00 $2,379 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
439–447 443 17 360.00–385.00 $371.88 $1,647 -4.12
465–484 474 11 385.00–387.50 $386.34 $1,831 +11.89
535–548 541 97 348.00–356.00 $352.96 $1,910 +0.88
555–597 575 100 336.00–348.50 $342.19 $1,968 +21.35
624–649 640 31 309.00–315.00 $312.84 $2,002 +14.51
661–662 662 23 301.00–305.00 $303.61 $2,010 —
858 858 5 241.00 $241.00 $2,068 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370–397 384 28 360.00–370.00 $364.47 $1,400 -14.55
423 423 6 347.50 $347.50 $1,470 +2.38
453–496 468 133 345.00–356.00 $350.85 $1,642 +9.38
506–546 527 101 324.00–339.00 $332.86 $1,754 -6.78
575–592 580 106 310.00–336.00 $322.82 $1,872 +24.86
607–639 631 138 285.00–302.50 $298.26 $1,882 -1.33
651–690 668 92 263.50–287.00 $273.41 $1,826 -8.59
705–745 719 91 265.00–273.75 $270.66 $1,946 +13.16
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
392 392 10 357.50 $357.50 $1,401 +10.00
463–492 483 23 322.00–322.50 $322.15 $1,556 +7.25
516–539 530 35 307.00–320.00 $312.31 $1,655 +11.14
551–564 556 40 302.00–305.00 $303.78 $1,689 +22.69
621–632 627 19 275.00–281.00 $277.82 $1,742 +14.82
716 716 30 263.00 $263.00 $1,883 —

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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.