Cattle Market Pulse

Valentine Livestock Auction Market Report

Valentine, Nebraska · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 1, 2026

1,900 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $451.82/cwt ≈ $2,585/hd at 572 lb · 410 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $473.64/cwt ≈ $2,472/hd at 522 lb · 277 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers $485.49/cwt ≈ $2,359/hd at 486 lb · 187 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,900 2,000 3,290
Feeder cattle 1,900 2,000 3,290

Special Spring Calf Sale today, featuring the first large run of calves off the cow. Demand was good with strong buyer participation and a large crowd in attendance. Next Auction Dates: Monday, October 5th (Bred Cow); October 8th (Spring Calf Sale); Monday, October 12th (Special Yearling Sale); and October 15th (Spring Calf Sale)

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
368 368 7 552.50 $552.50 $2,033 —
423–441 435 107 527.00–535.00 $529.54 $2,303 —
473–496 486 187 475.00–494.00 $485.49 $2,359 —
504–537 522 277 454.00–487.00 $473.64 $2,472 —
553 fancy 553 96 473.00 $473.00 $2,616 —
550–598 578 314 425.00–455.00 $445.35 $2,574 —
625–648 645 152 412.00–423.00 $418.76 $2,701 —
668 668 86 417.00 $417.00 $2,786 —
702 702 25 390.00 $390.00 $2,738 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350–393 372 12 500.00–515.00 $507.93 $1,889 —
434–440 437 23 462.50–501.00 $484.13 $2,116 —
460 460 12 427.50 $427.50 $1,966 —
505–507 506 17 432.00–435.00 $433.94 $2,196 —
581–584 582 16 401.00–419.00 $408.90 $2,380 —
622 622 5 400.00 $400.00 $2,488 —
665–677 669 25 382.00–384.00 $382.65 $2,560 +37.65

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
399 399 36 465.00 $465.00 $1,855 —
435–445 438 74 432.50–452.00 $445.03 $1,949 —
485 485 58 445.00 $445.00 $2,158 —
500–516 503 86 424.00–436.00 $433.61 $2,181 +41.61
563–598 574 48 382.00–407.00 $387.63 $2,225 —
611 611 13 382.00 $382.00 $2,334 +5.20
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400 400 13 430.00 $430.00 $1,720 —
476 476 16 415.00 $415.00 $1,975 —
539 539 11 402.00 $402.00 $2,167 —

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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.