Cattle Market Pulse

Valentine Livestock Auction Market Report

Valentine, Nebraska · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, February 19, 2026

2,530 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $453.50/cwt ≈ $2,621/hd at 578 lb · 546 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $436.81/cwt ≈ $2,734/hd at 626 lb · 506 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $484.76/cwt ≈ $2,558/hd at 528 lb · 487 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,530 670 0
Feeder cattle 2,530 — 0
Replacement cattle — 670 —

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared with two weeks ago, steers and heifers traded unevenly steady. Demand was good with several buyers and active internet bidding. Light snow in the trade area did not stop buyers from purchasing cattle. Also, some heifers continue to go back to the country and will become a bred heifer for next year calving. Next Auction Date Feb 26th !:00 pm The Dam Ranch II Dispersion-1100 hd.

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
386 386 5 640.00 $640.00 $2,470 —
401–405 402 23 627.50–637.50 $634.44 $2,550 —
471–488 481 34 540.00–560.00 $553.32 $2,661 —
505–526 515 108 539.00–565.00 $550.61 $2,836 —
557 557 41 525.00 $525.00 $2,924 —
601–636 622 188 472.00–490.00 $478.00 $2,973 —
665–687 679 139 430.00–449.00 $439.43 $2,984 —
701–748 726 252 409.00–436.00 $426.73 $3,098 —
758–768 762 33 373.00–388.00 $378.96 $2,888 —
829 829 28 366.50 $366.50 $3,038 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
409 409 8 607.50 $607.50 $2,485 —
495 495 5 517.50 $517.50 $2,562 —
545 545 13 514.00 $514.00 $2,801 —
564–591 581 39 475.00–495.00 $482.86 $2,805 —
617–645 625 24 432.50–466.00 $448.44 $2,803 —
711 711 15 392.50 $392.50 $2,791 —
Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1020 1020 10 304.00 $304.00 $3,101 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
409–425 419 68 480.00–510.00 $498.29 $2,088 —
464–499 483 192 499.00–529.00 $511.11 $2,469 —
510–522 thin fleshed 519 106 506.00–507.50 $507.17 $2,632 —
515–549 530 381 465.00–493.00 $478.53 $2,536 —
555–599 578 546 428.00–471.00 $453.50 $2,621 —
601–646 626 506 424.00–447.00 $436.81 $2,734 —
658–688 667 267 375.00–407.00 $396.06 $2,642 —
660–689 673 120 413.00–432.00 $418.92 $2,819 —
710 710 25 427.50–435.00 $430.20 $3,054 —
716–745 732 175 351.00–403.00 $379.94 $2,781 —
750–766 758 142 399.00–417.00 $408.22 $3,094 —
805 805 75 362.00 $362.00 $2,914 —
809 809 67 396.00 $396.00 $3,204 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
496–499 497 15 460.00–470.00 $466.65 $2,319 —
539 539 15 467.00 $467.00 $2,517 —
599 599 10 387.50 $387.50 $2,321 —
634–636 635 29 412.00–412.50 $412.29 $2,618 —

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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.