BASSETT, Neb. — Two Nebraska sale barns etched their names in the history books Wednesday with record-breaking feeder cattle prices that sent shockwaves through the national livestock market.
At Bassett Livestock Auction, the northern Nebraska barn posted the five highest 10-weight steer prices ever recorded in the United States, highlighted by 159 head at 1,038 pounds selling for $318.25 per hundredweight. The barn also shattered the all-time national record for 9-weight steers, selling 180 head at 936 pounds for $336.75/cwt.
The historic July 23 sale pushed all five top spots for 10-weight steers (1,000–1,099 lbs) onto Bassett’s ledger. Prices for those five lots ranged from $315.75 to $318.25 per hundredweight, a strong signal of continued demand for heavyweight feeder cattle amid tight supplies and elevated corn prices.
Meanwhile, Albion Livestock Market, located in east-central Nebraska, notched major milestones of its own Wednesday. The barn recorded the second- and third-highest 8-weight steer sales in U.S. history. A draft of 65 head at 828 pounds sold for $344.50/cwt, while 43 head at 864 pounds brought $343.50/cwt.
Albion also set its personal best for 7-weights, selling 12 head at 700 pounds for $355.00/cwt—one of the top prices nationally in that weight class so far this year.
Wednesday’s sales come at a time when feeder cattle prices are surging amid lower national herd numbers and strong feedlot interest. Analysts say the records reflect both market volatility and the premium paid for high-quality, reputation cattle.
“These kinds of sales don’t just happen,” said one market observer. “They’re a combination of excellent genetics, precise management, and a red-hot market willing to pay for performance.”
The back-to-back record days at Bassett and Albion are expected to influence pricing dynamics across the Midwest heading into late summer.