Cattle Market Pulse

Valentine Livestock Auction Market Report

Valentine, Nebraska · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, December 18, 2025

3,097 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $423.76/cwt ≈ $2,831/hd at 668 lb · 633 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 steers $408.36/cwt ≈ $2,908/hd at 712 lb · 411 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers $534.71/cwt ≈ $2,592/hd at 485 lb · 343 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Head itemized in priced lots 3,097

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
359–387 367 46 595.00 $595.00 $2,184
408–437 430 141 550.00–575.00 $564.96 $2,429
431–437 unweaned 433 57 530.00–550.00 $544.21 $2,356
455–490 484 229 534.00–545.00 $540.04 $2,614
481–487 unweaned 486 114 495.00–528.00 $523.99 $2,547
523–539 534 192 485.00–509.00 $500.56 $2,673
547 unweaned 547 84 485.00 $485.00 $2,653
550–599 579 236 455.00–482.50 $470.02 $2,721
586 unweaned 586 23 462.50 $462.50 $2,710
606 unweaned 606 18 448.00 $448.00 $2,715
613–642 627 288 415.00–451.00 $444.54 $2,787
655–694 668 633 401.00–441.00 $423.76 $2,831
701–743 712 411 399.00–417.00 $408.36 $2,908
752–772 763 175 389.00–399.00 $394.69 $3,011
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
423–445 429 34 507.50–527.50 $516.97 $2,218
494 494 11 462.50 $462.50 $2,285
520–522 521 12 465.00–480.00 $471.26 $2,455
540 unweaned 540 8 445.00 $445.00 $2,403
584 584 16 446.00 $446.00 $2,605

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
381–396 386 23 540.00–580.00 $565.73 $2,184
439 439 11 485.00 $485.00 $2,129
479–499 489 26 442.50–447.50 $444.60 $2,174
533 unweaned 533 6 410.00 $410.00 $2,185
534 534 31 423.00 $423.00 $2,259
551–597 563 58 391.00–420.00 $410.70 $2,312
604 unweaned 604 8 402.00 $402.00 $2,428
600–625 614 43 390.00–398.00 $392.46 $2,410
682 682 42 429.00 $429.00 $2,926
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1003 1003 12 303.00 $303.00 $3,039
1053–1085 1078 87 280.00–314.50 $309.43 $3,336
1176–1181 1179 9 255.00–265.00 $259.43 $3,059
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
594 594 7 383.00 $383.00 $2,275
731 731 6 328.00 $328.00 $2,398

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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.