Cattle Market Valentine Livestock Auction Market Report
Valentine, Nebraska · USDA-reported Auction Livestock
Sale of Thursday, July 23, 20261,645 head sold ·Official USDA report
Receipts
| Head | This sale | Last sale | Last year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total receipts | 1,645 | 540 | 1,727 |
| Feeder cattle | 1,645 | — | 1,727 |
| Replacement cattle | — | 540 | — |
Market comments — USDA reporter
- → Feeder heifers: heifer offerings at the Valentine Livestock Auction were limited
- → Feeder steers: The majority of steer offerings
New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓
Feeder Steers
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 646 | 646 | 18 | 441.00 | $441.00 | $2,849 | — |
| 663 | 663 | 36 | 436.00 | $436.00 | $2,891 | — |
| 843–848 | 847 | 86 | 358.00–365.00 | $359.38 | $3,044 | — |
| 860–896 | 886 | 397 | 355.00–382.50 | $371.18 | $3,289 | — |
| 905–946 | 931 | 306 | 347.50–356.50 | $352.09 | $3,278 | — |
| 963–977 | 969 | 299 | 346.50–354.25 | $351.11 | $3,402 | — |
| 1055 | 1055 | 213 | 332.50 | $332.50 | $3,508 | — |
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1009 | 1009 | 53 | 337.75 | $337.75 | $3,408 | — |
Feeder Heifers
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 603 | 603 | 11 | 421.00 | $421.00 | $2,539 | — |
| 744 | 744 | 27 | 349.00 | $349.00 | $2,597 | — |
| Weight (lb) | Avg wt | Head | Price range | Avg $ | ≈ $/hd | Δ last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 668 | 668 | 32 | 396.50 | $396.50 | $2,649 | — |
| 755 | 755 | 5 | 360.00 | $360.00 | $2,718 | — |
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.
Compared to two weeks ago, heifer offerings at the Valentine Livestock Auction were limited, no trend will be provided. The majority of steer offerings, weighing 900 to 950 lbs consisted of home-raised cattle or those purchased from one ranch, traded 9.00 to 14.00 lower. These declines are primarily attributed to the sharp losses in the CME cattle futures over the past two weeks. Market conditions were in the buyers' favor, as most cattle were coming off short, dry pasture grass from the Nebraska Sandhills. Next Auction Dates for Aug. 6th & 27th Special Feeder Sale