Cattle Market Pulse

Valentine Livestock Auction Market Report

Valentine, Nebraska · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 30, 2025

2,988 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $478.85/cwt -46.06 vs last sale · ≈ $2,528/hd at 528 lb · 647 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $454.16/cwt -30.64 vs last sale · ≈ $2,623/hd at 578 lb · 574 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers $515.93/cwt -35.18 vs last sale · ≈ $2,398/hd at 465 lb · 372 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Head itemized in priced lots 2,988

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
314 314 12 652.50 $652.50 $2,049 -20.84
369–399 384 78 535.00–591.00 $565.03 $2,170 -69.97
410 fancy 410 101 581.00 $581.00 $2,382
404–420 414 47 540.00–561.00 $553.59 $2,292 -45.94
460 fancy 460 116 537.00 $537.00 $2,470
452–480 467 256 494.00–516.00 $506.38 $2,365 -44.73
501–527 fancy 513 275 493.00–512.50 $499.45 $2,562
504–545 539 372 446.00–475.00 $463.63 $2,499 -61.28
558 fancy 558 63 475.00 $475.00 $2,650
563–598 580 511 430.00–465.00 $451.59 $2,619 -33.21
617–644 unweaned 628 353 411.00–435.00 $424.70 $2,667 -27.99
656–678 unweaned 660 49 413.00–416.50 $415.84 $2,745 -27.79
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
411–449 441 57 500.00–521.00 $510.72 $2,252 -22.27
480–493 485 31 465.00–467.50 $466.06 $2,260 -56.11
510–528 522 14 437.50–462.50 $446.23 $2,329 -39.33
552–584 566 31 421.00–422.50 $421.93 $2,388
601 unweaned 601 6 390.00 $390.00 $2,344

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 9 477.50 $477.50 $1,624 -75.12
356–387 381 37 495.00–510.00 $500.11 $1,905 -17.99
401–440 422 105 455.00–487.50 $468.92 $1,979 -52.72
468 fancy 468 79 505.00 $505.00 $2,363
456–496 475 153 447.50–487.50 $470.51 $2,235 -7.24
510–543 528 98 435.00–475.00 $440.58 $2,326 -26.86
572 572 16 460.00 $460.00 $2,631 -40.00
602–633 unweaned 621 54 437.50–452.50 $441.89 $2,744
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
431 431 12 450.00 $450.00 $1,940 -23.66
466–488 473 24 425.00–440.00 $434.85 $2,057 -15.15
533–536 535 22 431.00–432.00 $431.50 $2,309 -14.50
570 570 7 415.00 $415.00 $2,366 -10.71

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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.