The Morning Wire / Nebraska / Fri Oct 30, 2026

Nebraska cattle market

The trading day in one page — Fri, Oct 30

● 3 barns reportedEvery figure as filedNational wire →

← Oct 29Oct 30Oct 31 →

The market in a line

Fri, Oct 30

Choice cutout closed $2.62 lower at $364.66. 3 Nebraska barns reported 92 priced lots.

Feeder steers

Nebraska, week of Oct 26 USDA

Weighted across every reported lot, by weight class. Weekly rather than daily — one day's barns are too thin a base for a state figure. Watch the barn count: a weight class carried by one or two barns is a thin figure, not a market.

Weight	Price	vs prior week	Head	Barns
300-399 lb	595.83/cwt	$9.55 higher	251	9
400-499 lb	520.09/cwt	$0.83 lower	2,415	9
500-599 lb	455.72/cwt	$7.61 lower	4,997	9
600-699 lb	409.78/cwt	$9.25 lower	2,915	9
700-799 lb	375.64/cwt	$1.48 lower	623	7
800-899 lb	344.72/cwt	$8.88 lower	287	6

Barn by barn, 500–599 lb steers

Same day, same class USDA

Every barn that sold at least 20 head of this class on Fri, Oct 30, weighted by head. Spread of $26.96 between the top and bottom of 3 barns. An average moves with the cattle that showed up as much as with the buyers in the seats — a yard with better grade will average higher on the same demand. This is where the money landed, not a verdict on the barn.

Barn	State	Average	Head
Crawford	NE	451.91/cwt	671
Lexington	NE	440.97/cwt	456
Burwell	NE	424.96/cwt	240

Boxed beef

National · PM close · Oct 30 USDA

Choice $364.66, $2.62 lower. Select $351.98, $0.35 higher. The Choice–Select spread stands at $12.68. 126 loads traded.

Fed cattle

National · Negotiated cash, week to date USDA

20,615 head traded Oct 24–Oct 30.

Region	Basis	Price	Head
Iowa-Minnesota	Dressed Delivered	354.75	2,433
Iowa-Minnesota	Dressed FOB	355.00	256
Iowa-Minnesota	Live Delivered	224.25	42
Iowa-Minnesota	Live FOB	223.10	7,537
Nebraska	Dressed Delivered	350.34	5,800
Nebraska	Dressed FOB	352.57	1,130

At the Nebraska barns

USDA market reporters, as filed USDA

Sale of weaned and bawling calves, with a few bulls included. Most hefers and steers had precondition shots. Prices mostly on the lower side compared to two weeks ago. Demand moderate to good.
Crawford · Nebraska

Compared to last week most steer and heifer calves sold 15.00 to 20.00 lower, except a flat 500 lbs steer sold steady. Demand was light to moderate from the buyers in the crowd and on the internet.
Lexington · Nebraska

A limited number of comparable offerings were available from last week for steers and heifers, with prices trending significantly lower today. Demand was moderate to good, supported by active internet bidding.
Burwell · Nebraska

Cows and bulls

National direct, dressed USDA

Class	Price	Direction	Head
Breaker (75% lean)	247.82/cwt	$4.04 lower	707
Boner (85% lean)	246.30/cwt	$0.59 lower	1,856
Cutter (90% lean)	252.74/cwt	$1.95 higher	3,607
Premium White	260.74/cwt	$2.10 lower	1,166
Bull (92% lean)	307.56/cwt	$2.65 higher	472

What published

See every report →

Every USDA report carried this date is listed in the archive.

Source: USDA AMS. Feeder prices and barn comment are Nebraska only; boxed beef, fed cattle and the cow market are national, because those markets are. Every figure is USDA's as filed, and the direction words — higher, lower, steady— follow the arithmetic rather than an opinion. Quoted comment is the work of USDA market reporters, credited to the sale it came from. This is RaisedBeef's rendering of USDA data, not a copy of USDA's document and not endorsed by USDA.