Cattle Market Pulse

Valentine Livestock Auction Market Report

Valentine, Nebraska · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 16, 2025

2,871 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $524.79/cwt +8.30 vs last sale · ≈ $2,756/hd at 525 lb · 590 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers $558.76/cwt +30.78 vs last sale · ≈ $2,626/hd at 470 lb · 404 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $503.08/cwt ≈ $2,635/hd at 524 lb · 264 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Head itemized in priced lots 2,871

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320–331 329 39 630.00–670.00 $662.32 $2,179 +37.32
377–399 395 102 615.00–640.00 $636.01 $2,512 +31.44
405–431 427 83 603.00–640.00 $608.50 $2,598 +56.67
454–486 470 404 537.00–567.50 $558.76 $2,626 +39.02
506–544 525 490 499.00–536.00 $519.95 $2,730 +3.46
526 fancy 526 100 548.50 $548.50 $2,885
557–596 578 252 477.00–500.00 $486.24 $2,810 +10.56
609–616 unweaned 614 152 452.00–465.00 $459.45 $2,821
615 fancy 615 82 480.00 $480.00 $2,952
660–695 unweaned 666 59 388.00–447.00 $436.56 $2,907
706 unweaned 706 12 418.00 $418.00 $2,951
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
344 344 11 595.00 $595.00 $2,047
406–445 439 58 572.50–575.00 $574.04 $2,520 +46.54
470–474 472 30 507.50–525.00 $514.46 $2,428 +26.84
510–541 527 18 474.00–485.00 $478.73 $2,523
552–592 564 42 385.00–462.50 $448.48 $2,529 +3.08

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
307–338 317 35 560.00–575.00 $571.35 $1,811 +46.35
355–393 379 104 542.50–562.50 $552.34 $2,093 +51.00
407–441 435 159 507.00–542.50 $515.07 $2,241 +38.09
452–478 468 137 496.00–508.00 $503.74 $2,358 +34.74
484 fancy 484 101 526.00 $526.00 $2,546
505–523 514 87 465.00–472.50 $469.27 $2,412
506–530 fancy 517 94 500.00 $500.00 $2,585
542 542 83 542.00 $542.00 $2,938
596–598 596 57 445.00–446.00 $445.81 $2,657
651 unweaned 651 8 427.50 $427.50 $2,783
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
372–384 379 11 520.00–540.00 $528.93 $2,005
429 429 15 470.00 $470.00 $2,016 +10.00
478–496 491 31 460.00–477.50 $470.66 $2,311
503–519 514 15 405.00–450.00 $419.69 $2,157

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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.