Valentine Livestock Auction market report — October 22, 2026

Valentine, NE · Thursday sale · USDA report published 10/22/2026 · Sale days

Head sold

3,585

Last week 3,030 (+555)
Last year 3,600

5-wt steers (500–599 lb)

$462.82 /cwt

$2,610 per head · 978 hd
vs last week −1.89

7-wt steers (700–799 lb)

$400.00 /cwt

$2,800 per head · 84 hd
vs last week +16.74

Today's Special Spring Calf Sale featured several Red Angus offerings off grass. Demand was good with strong buyer participation at the barn. Steer offerings weighing 450 to 650 lbs traded $2.00 to $8.00 higher. While not enough comparable heifer offerings from last week to establish a trend, there was notably high demand for Red Angus replacement offerings. Next Auction Date Monday Oct 26th Special Bred Female and Weigh up Auction, Thursday Oct 29th Spring Calf Featuring Black White Face and Yearlings
USDA Market News reporter, October 22, 2026

Feeder steers — Oct 22

Steers, Medium and Large frame, No. 1 and 1–2 muscle, regular lots, head-weighted by 100-lb band. Last week = sale of Oct 15. Last year = sale of Oct 23.
Weight	Head	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	vs last week	vs last year
300–399 lb	44	388 lb	$595.13	$2,309	+0.74	−60.46
400–499 lb	333	456 lb	$526.93	$2,400	+4.30	−38.69
500–599 lb	978	564 lb	$462.82	$2,610	−1.89	−45.78
600–699 lb	795	640 lb	$430.70	$2,756	+2.87	−7.57
700–799 lb	84	700 lb	$400.00	$2,800	+16.74	—

Feeder heifers — Oct 22

Heifers, Medium and Large frame, No. 1 and 1–2 muscle, regular lots, head-weighted by 100-lb band. Last week = sale of Oct 15. Last year = sale of Oct 23.
Weight	Head	Avg wt	$/cwt	$/head	vs last week	vs last year
300–399 lb	56	376 lb	$494.94	$1,861	−7.66	−29.99
400–499 lb	266	456 lb	$467.88	$2,134	+10.11	−24.48
500–599 lb	200	520 lb	$423.79	$2,204	−8.50	−30.72
600–699 lb	17	628 lb	$367.41	$2,306	−19.24	−37.59

Slaughter cows — Oct 22

No slaughter cows reported at the latest sale.

Price trends

Steers 500–599 lb Steady

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $462.82/cwt
4-week average: $460.60
13-week average: $457.71
4-week vs 13-week: +0.6%

52-wk low $428.87high $531.27

Sales in 6 of the last 13 weeks.

Steers 700–799 lb Rising

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $400.00/cwt
4-week average: $388.38
13-week average: $376.09
4-week vs 13-week: +3.3%

52-wk low $322.50high $434.22

Sales in 6 of the last 13 weeks.

Heifers 500–599 lb Rising

Latest (week of October 19, 2026): $423.79/cwt
4-week average: $425.50
13-week average: $408.86
4-week vs 13-week: +4.1%

52-wk low $372.00high $492.40

Sales in 7 of the last 13 weeks.

Direction compares the 4-week average with the 13-week average: Rising +1% or more, Steady within ±1%, Easing −1% to −3%, Falling −3% or more. Weekly prices are head-weighted averages of Medium and Large No. 1 and 1–2 feeder cattle, regular lots.

The label describes recent prices; it is not a forecast. In our backtest of every barn since 2019 (about 35,000 barn-weeks), barns labeled Falling went on to beat other barns' average move over the next 13 weeks 61% of the time, and barns labeled Rising trailed it 56% of the time.

Last 52 weeks

Weekly average $/cwt4-week average

Price history since 2019

Weekly average $/cwt

When to sell: the seasonal pattern

5-weight steers

For 500–599 lb steers, prices since 2019 ran highest against their yearly average in Jul and May and lowest in Nov and Oct.

Each month's head-weighted average price compared with the centered 12-month average around it, then averaged across years. Past patterns are not a forecast.
Month	vs year avg	Years above	Years
Jan	+0.5%	57%	7
Feb	+3.0%	71%	7
Mar	+2.8%	100%	7
Apr	+0.8%	43%	7
May	+3.5%	71%	7
Jun	+1.1%	57%	7
Jul	+5.4%	100%	8
Aug	+1.1%	57%	7
Sep	−3.3%	17%	6
Oct	−3.4%	14%	7
Nov	−6.3%	0%	7
Dec	−1.0%	71%	7

7-weight steers

For 700–799 lb steers, prices since 2019 ran highest against their yearly average in Jul and Aug and lowest in Mar and Jan.

Each month's head-weighted average price compared with the centered 12-month average around it, then averaged across years. Past patterns are not a forecast.
Month	vs year avg	Years above	Years
Jan	−2.3%	43%	7
Feb	−0.8%	43%	7
Mar	−3.1%	14%	7
Apr	−1.0%	29%	7
May	−0.2%	43%	7
Jun	+2.4%	57%	7
Jul	+5.2%	100%	8
Aug	+2.8%	75%	8
Sep	+2.2%	57%	7
Oct	+1.4%	57%	7
Nov	−2.2%	57%	7
Dec	+1.2%	71%	7

Recent sales

Last 13 weeks. Download the weekly history as CSV.
Sale	Head sold	Steers 500–599 $/cwt	Steers 700–799 $/cwt	Heifers 500–599 $/cwt
Thu Oct 22	3,585	$462.82	$400.00	$423.79
Thu Oct 15	3,030	$464.71	$383.26	$432.29
Mon Oct 12	4,110	$447.50	$374.22	$375.00
Thu Oct 8	2,440	$458.40	—	$431.56
Thu Oct 1	1,900	$456.66	$390.00	$415.99
Thu Sep 24	2,000	—	—	$392.00
Thu Sep 10	2,600	$428.87	$364.07	$372.00
Thu Aug 27	3,635	—	$358.06	$396.00
Thu Aug 6	2,055	$475.00	$369.30	—
Thu Jul 23	1,645	—	—	—

Special and graded sales

The last 12 months of this barn's special and graded sales, $/cwt, Medium and Large No. 1 and 1–2 regular lots (value-added lots where a sale has only those). A sale counts in the weekly trend only when it is a regular feeder sale: a plain special where feeder steers and heifers are most of the head. Graded, replacement, cow-and-pair, preconditioned and Holstein sales stay out.
Sale	Type	Head	Steers 500–599	Steers 700–799	Heifers 500–599	In trend
Nov 10, 2025	Feeder/Replacement Cattle Specialspecial	690	—	—	—	No
Nov 3, 2025	Feeder/Replacement Cattle Specialspecial	380	—	—	—	No
Oct 27, 2025	Feeder/Replacement Cattle Specialspecial	845	—	$322.50	$365.00	Yes
Oct 13, 2025	Feeder/Replacement Cattle Specialspecial	3,055	$480.00	$415.18	$390.00	Yes

Video sales

Valentine Livestock Auction also sells cattle by video for delivery now or later. $/cwt, all delivery dates; the video page has prices by delivery month. Video sales are not in this page's weekly trend.
Video auction	Last sale	Head reported	Steers 500–599	Steers 700–799	Heifers 500–599	Sales, 12 months
Valentine Livestock Auction Video Sale	Mar 5	—	—	—	—	1

Nearby barns this week

Straight-line distance between towns. Barns tagged unweaned show unweaned-calf prices. Every Nebraska sale this week.
Barn	Distance	Sale	Steers 500–599	Steers 700–799
Burwell Livestock Market, Burwell	105 mi	Oct 23	$467.63	$375.00
North Platte Stockyards Livestock Auction,	121 mi	Oct 20	$463.66	$380.00
Ericson Livestock Market, Ericson	122 mi	Oct 24	$457.20	$355.41
Ogallala Livestock Auction, Ogallala	135 mi	Oct 22	$459.28	$386.22
Crawford Livestock Market, Crawford	146 mi	Oct 16	$452.81	$389.94
Lexington Livestock Market, Lexington	151 mi	Oct 23	$447.22	—

Sale days

Sale	Latest report	Head	Sales in 52 weeks	USDA report
Thursday	October 22, 2026	3,585	36	AMS_1856
Feeder/Replacement Cattle Special special	November 10, 2025	690	4	AMS_1836

Source: USDA AMS Livestock, Poultry and Grain Market News, “Valentine Livestock Auction - Valentine, NE” (AMS_1856); “Valentine Livestock Auction Feeder/Replacement Cattle Special - Valentine, NE” (AMS_1836). See something wrong? Report a correction. Feeder prices are Medium and Large frame No. 1 and 1–2 cattle, $/cwt, grouped into 100-lb bands by average weight and weighted by head count. Value-added, unweaned and No. 2 lots are shown in their own columns; other lot types (fancy, fleshy, thin-fleshed, spayed, replacement) are left out. $/head = $/cwt × average weight ÷ 100.