Nebraska · Daily market report

Cattle prices today in Nebraska

What cattle are bringing right now, read for Nebraska producers. USDA mandatory reporting numbers, refreshed every day, with the week-over-week move and per-head math so you can price a load or a listing.

Fed cattle as of October 16, 2026. Cows and bulls as of October 16, 2026. Boxed beef as of October 16, 2026.

How to read these numbers in Nebraska

Nebraska cattle are inside the USDA Nebraska mandatory reporting area, so the fed cattle averages on this page include purchases made from Nebraska feedyards. That makes the 5 Area number a close read on what packers are paying in state, not just a national reference.

Fed steers are up $3.27 per cwt against a week ago ($219.10 on October 9, 2026 versus $222.37 now). A week's direction matters more than any single afternoon when you are deciding whether to sell now or hold.

Run the numbers

What your cattle are worth today

At the current 5 Area live steer average of $222.37 per cwt, a finished steer in Nebraska pencils out roughly like this. Multiply the per-cwt price by the animal's weight in hundreds of pounds.

1,200 lb steer
$2,668
1,300 lb steer
$2,891
1,400 lb steer
$3,113
1,500 lb steer
$3,336

Up $3.27 per cwt (1.5%) against Oct 9 — about +$46 on a 1,400 lb steer.

Feeder calves, bred cows and pairs do not trade off this table — they price per head. This is a reference from USDA mandatory reporting, not a bid on your cattle.

Fed cattle — 5 Area weighted average

Negotiated packer purchases across the five mandatory reporting areas. Live prices are per hundredweight on the hoof; dressed prices are per hundredweight of carcass.

Fed cattle weighted average prices relevant to Nebraska
ClassAvg per cwtRangeHead
Steers, live (per cwt)$222.37$220.00–$223.003,471
Heifers, live (per cwt)$220.91$220.00–$222.00417
Steers, dressed (per cwt carcass)$353.17$345.00–$355.001,942
Heifers, dressed (per cwt carcass)$351.95$350.00–$355.00321
All beef type, live (per cwt)$221.77$218.00–$223.004,883

Cull cows and bulls

Cull cows are the quiet half of a Nebraska cow-calf operation's income. These are national dressed averages — a good check before you haul an open or broken-mouth cow to town.

National cow and bull prices
ClassAvg per cwtRangeHead
Premium White$275.75$233.00–$300.001,388
Breaker (75% lean)$245.95$220.00–$270.00539
Breaker (75% lean)$228.60$227.00–$231.005
Boner (85% lean)$257.82$220.00–$340.001,615
Boner (85% lean)$246.80$215.00–$295.00252
Cutter (90% lean)$264.87$230.00–$295.002,253
Cutter (90% lean)$257.23$226.00–$273.001,114
Cutter (90% lean)$240.06$192.00–$261.00429

Boxed beef cutout

The wholesale beef cutout is the leading signal for where fed bids go next. When it runs up, packers have room to pay more — and that pull reaches Nebraska calf prices within weeks.

  • Choice cutout$372.31
  • Select cutout$353.05
  • Choice–Select spread$19.26

Last 14 reporting days

Two weeks of daily numbers, so you can see the trend rather than one strong afternoon.

Recent daily cattle and boxed beef prices
DaySteers liveChoice cutoutSelect cutout
Oct 16$222.37$372.31$353.05
Oct 15—$373.98$352.62
Oct 14—$376.50$358.47
Oct 13—$375.15$353.67
Oct 12$220.52$375.56$354.13
Oct 9$219.10$373.35$354.30
Oct 8—$374.85$351.73
Oct 7—$375.62$354.21
Oct 6—$378.93$356.34
Oct 5$219.01$378.26$358.57
Oct 2$220.02$374.19$354.49
Oct 1$218.65$376.79$352.89
Sep 30—$382.79$360.59
Sep 29—$382.66$364.48

Selling cattle in Nebraska

Cattle sell locally because hauling costs real money. A Nebraska buyer within a few counties will nearly always beat a better price three states away once you price the trip. That is the whole reason BarnBridge exists — post the animals, deal direct, keep the sale price.

Before you list, weigh or estimate the animals, get daylight photos from the side and rear, and write down breeding status, age and vaccination history. Listings that answer those questions up front sell in days rather than weeks.

Nearby states

Selling cattle in Nebraska?

List your cattle free on BarnBridge. No listing fee, 0% commission on livestock, and Nebraska buyers can see your listing without making an account.

Source: USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Livestock, Poultry and Grain Market News, refreshed automatically every day. These are national and regional wholesale numbers, not a quote for any one animal. Your local sale barn report is the truest read on your area.