Cattle Market Pulse

Valentine Livestock Auction Market Report

Valentine, Nebraska · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, May 28, 2026

2,510 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 7-weight M&L 1 steers $424.31/cwt ≈ $3,280/hd at 773 lb · 471 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $460.05/cwt ≈ $3,089/hd at 671 lb · 302 head
light 7-weight M&L 1 steers $438.23/cwt ≈ $3,194/hd at 729 lb · 200 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,510 840 0
Feeder cattle 2,510 — 0
Replacement cattle — 840 —

Market comments — USDA reporter

No recent test of market a trend will not be given for steers or heifers. Demand was good with several buyers and active, out of state, internet bidding, for the weaned and non-weaned Fall calves and yearling offerings today. Very dry conditions in the Sandhills with little rain in the area. Some yearling offerings off grass pastures and replacement heifers in town today do to grass shortage.

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
406–442 417 16 570.00–602.50 $591.74 $2,468 —
455 455 7 555.00 $555.00 $2,525 —
500 500 44 569.00 $569.00 $2,845 —
528 unweaned 528 12 511.00 $511.00 $2,698 —
561–597 582 128 469.00–486.50 $481.53 $2,803 —
582 unweaned 582 22 476.00 $476.00 $2,770 —
609 unweaned 609 6 442.50 $442.50 $2,695 —
600–630 611 152 470.00–512.00 $496.05 $3,031 —
657–686 670 214 437.00–468.00 $456.47 $3,058 —
673 fancy 673 71 477.00 $477.00 $3,210 —
681–682 unweaned 682 17 420.00–442.00 $434.24 $2,962 —
713–738 727 183 426.00–452.00 $440.39 $3,202 —
749 unweaned 749 17 415.00 $415.00 $3,108 —
750–783 773 471 412.00–428.00 $424.31 $3,280 —
868–890 883 91 353.50–369.00 $358.52 $3,166 —
962 962 57 337.50 $337.50 $3,247 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
487 487 6 527.50 $527.50 $2,569 —
522–543 533 28 486.00–530.00 $504.96 $2,691 —
575 575 14 451.00 $451.00 $2,593 —
610–647 638 47 440.00–462.00 $448.93 $2,864 —
675–698 689 74 392.50–432.50 $418.32 $2,882 —
743 743 12 395.00 $395.00 $2,935 —
830 830 5 373.50 $373.50 $3,100 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385 385 12 562.50 $562.50 $2,166 —
473–481 478 16 497.50–505.00 $500.28 $2,391 —
520 520 18 480.00 $480.00 $2,496 —
518–530 unweaned 526 25 466.00–477.00 $469.90 $2,472 —
570–581 578 35 425.00–442.00 $434.92 $2,514 —
589 unweaned 589 21 431.00 $431.00 $2,539 —
600–644 618 35 450.00–454.00 $451.67 $2,791 —
642 unweaned 642 13 401.00 $401.00 $2,574 —
652–678 660 91 397.50–450.00 $411.19 $2,714 —
677 unweaned 677 17 447.50 $447.50 $3,030 —
740 740 25 387.50 $387.50 $2,868 —
762–775 769 98 372.50–392.00 $382.93 $2,945 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
588 588 7 430.00 $430.00 $2,528 —
624–637 628 24 405.00–415.00 $412.47 $2,590 —
693 693 12 395.00 $395.00 $2,737 —
710 710 7 360.00 $360.00 $2,556 —

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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.