Cattle Market Pulse

Valentine Livestock Auction Market Report

Valentine, Nebraska · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Thursday, October 8, 2026

2,440 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $443.96/cwt -7.86 vs last sale · ≈ $2,579/hd at 581 lb · 502 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $473.26/cwt -0.38 vs last sale · ≈ $2,485/hd at 525 lb · 496 head
light 6-weight M&L 1 steers $434.67/cwt +15.91 vs last sale · ≈ $2,743/hd at 631 lb · 386 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,440 1,900 2,366
Feeder cattle 2,440 1,900 2,366

Compared with last week, offerings of steers and heifers, traded unevenly steady. Demand was good with several buyers and active internet bidding. Next Auction Dates, Monday Oct 12th Special Yearling Auction starting at 11:00 am , Thursday Oct 15th Special 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
333 333 7 580.00 $580.00 $1,931 —
386 386 10 555.00 $555.00 $2,142 +2.50
406–439 434 136 542.50–577.50 $561.54 $2,437 +32.00
456–498 487 190 492.00–526.00 $502.36 $2,446 +16.87
510–539 525 496 456.00–490.50 $473.26 $2,485 -0.38
551–594 581 502 424.00–459.00 $443.96 $2,579 -1.39
611–646 631 386 425.00–443.00 $434.67 $2,743 +15.91
658–664 660 114 423.00–425.00 $424.29 $2,800 +7.29
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420–444 424 28 522.50–530.00 $528.60 $2,241 +44.47
497 497 31 488.00 $488.00 $2,425 —
532 532 19 452.00 $452.00 $2,405 +18.06
607–613 611 29 409.00–420.00 $412.01 $2,517 +12.01

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Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
368 368 6 447.50 $447.50 $1,647 -17.50
404–439 420 65 467.00–490.00 $474.61 $1,993 +29.58
455–486 469 161 441.00–460.00 $451.17 $2,116 +6.17
512–547 522 164 420.00–442.00 $434.23 $2,267 +0.62
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
478–493 487 29 437.50–439.00 $438.06 $2,133 +23.06
537 537 12 395.00 $395.00 $2,121 -7.00

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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.