Cattle Market Pulse

Ash Flat Livestock Auction Market Report

Ash Flat, Arkansas · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, October 16, 2020

880 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $135.40/cwt -5.41 vs last sale · ≈ $716/hd at 529 lb · 17 head
light 3-weight M&L 1 bulls $161.93/cwt +9.93 vs last sale · ≈ $515/hd at 318 lb · 14 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 bulls $142.42/cwt +5.66 vs last sale · ≈ $669/hd at 470 lb · 14 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 880 751 1,025
Feeder cattle 730 672 934
Slaughter cattle 110 54 61
Replacement cattle 40 25 30

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week feeder cattle traded mostly steady to uneven with several offerings of unweaned new crop cattle. There were some offerings of weaned feeder bulls and heifers under 500 lbs trading at a premium. Slaughter cows and bulls were both were steady.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400–405 402 3 149.00–152.00 $150.33 $604 +0.21
465–478 472 7 140.00–148.00 $145.29 $686 +0.31
515–545 528 16 130.00–143.00 $135.42 $715 -5.39
545 545 1 135.00 $135.00 $736 -5.81
565 565 1 130.00 $130.00 $734 -7.00
570 570 1 120.00 $120.00 $684 -17.00
570 570 1 130.00 $130.00 $741 -7.00
615 615 1 130.00 $130.00 $800 +0.10
645 645 1 125.00 $125.00 $806 +5.00
660 660 1 122.00 $122.00 $805 -7.00
700–705 703 2 120.00–129.00 $124.52 $875 -0.99
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375–380 378 2 139.00–146.00 $142.48 $539 -2.06
445 445 1 137.00 $137.00 $610 +2.94
475–490 485 5 115.00–134.00 $125.82 $610 -9.59
500–545 519 7 120.00–130.00 $124.34 $645 +2.72
560–590 570 3 120.00–124.00 $121.38 $692 -0.41
600–640 611 4 110.00–120.00 $115.01 $703 +4.00
650–680 665 4 115.00–125.00 $119.98 $798 +1.69
715 715 1 110.00 $110.00 $786 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
496 496 4 138.00 $138.00 $684 +0.51
613 613 10 120.00 $120.00 $736 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
543 543 4 106.00 $106.00 $576 —
580 580 1 90.00 $90.00 $522 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
342 342 5 143.00 $143.00 $489 +7.00
355–397 379 8 130.00–141.00 $136.05 $516 -3.95
407 407 10 135.00 $135.00 $549 +8.17
430–440 435 2 120.00 $120.00 $522 ±0.00
455–490 468 6 120.00–123.00 $120.86 $566 -0.81
500–545 528 7 120.00–121.00 $120.14 $634 +10.14
530–540 537 3 100.00–110.00 $106.71 $573 -3.29
555–595 570 3 110.00 $110.00 $627 -7.13
550–590 575 3 115.00–125.00 $118.39 $681 +1.26
605–620 613 2 110.00 $110.00 $674 -4.32
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
280 280 1 120.00 $120.00 $336 —
315 thin fleshed 315 1 135.00 $135.00 $425 —
335 335 1 121.00 $121.00 $405 +1.00
370–395 380 4 115.00–124.00 $120.02 $456 +5.02
405–440 428 6 115.00–125.00 $120.01 $514 +3.48
450–485 467 10 110.00–120.00 $113.96 $532 -2.64
505–535 514 4 110.00 $110.00 $565 -4.58
575–595 585 2 100.00–110.00 $104.91 $614 -5.09
605–610 607 3 100.00–105.00 $101.66 $617 -9.34
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
497 497 10 115.00 $115.00 $572 ±0.00
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405–420 413 2 90.00–100.00 $94.91 $392 —
465 465 1 90.00 $90.00 $418 —
500–548 524 3 90.00–105.00 $98.49 $516 -1.51
590 590 1 90.00 $90.00 $531 +3.26

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
311–345 318 14 154.00–166.00 $161.93 $515 +9.93
365–380 373 3 152.00–155.00 $154.00 $574 +4.47
393 thin fleshed 393 8 171.00 $171.00 $672 —
410–430 419 7 138.00–152.00 $145.75 $611 -1.25
455–490 470 14 130.00–146.00 $142.42 $669 +5.66
500–530 515 6 130.00–146.00 $136.58 $703 -1.42
555–560 558 2 120.00–125.00 $122.49 $683 +2.49
600–635 615 3 115.00–125.00 $121.37 $746 —
650 650 1 127.00 $127.00 $826 —
760 760 1 112.00 $112.00 $851 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270 270 1 161.00 $161.00 $435 —
305 305 1 152.00 $152.00 $464 +12.00
355–375 thin fleshed 365 2 152.00 $152.00 $555 —
360–380 370 5 135.00–143.00 $136.60 $505 +4.91
430 430 1 120.00 $120.00 $516 -12.97
455–495 468 4 115.00–131.00 $122.57 $574 +2.10
490 thin fleshed 490 1 142.00 $142.00 $696 —
515–545 536 4 123.00–129.00 $125.20 $671 +8.57
550–580 564 5 100.00–115.00 $110.93 $626 -6.06
685 685 1 105.00 $105.00 $719 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
435 435 1 100.00 $100.00 $435 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
705–875 793 85-90% 4 27.00–33.00 $30.71 $244 —
925–1225 1055 85-90% 9 30.00–38.00 $33.71 $356 —
990–1495 1136 85-90% 11 37.00–52.00 $43.49 $494 +0.48
1050–1400 1207 85-90% 6 50.00–55.00 $52.10 $629 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1070–1355 1208 80-85% 4 52.50–55.00 $54.40 $657 —
1085–1305 1215 80-85% 4 45.00–48.50 $47.45 $577 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1250–1815 1515 75-80% 4 42.50–52.50 $48.24 $731 —
1535–1690 1632 75-80% 3 54.00–56.50 $54.85 $895 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1185–1460 1306 4 60.00–65.00 $61.56 $804 —
1140–1635 1424 4 69.00–76.00 $74.14 $1,056 —
1895–1955 1930 3 78.00–83.00 $81.03 $1,564 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
635–910 773 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 60.00–74.00 $68.25 $528
815 815 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 55.00 $55.00 $448

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1000 1000 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 1 425.00 $425.00
850–1300 1125 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 12 460.00–885.00 $681.63
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1080–1255 1165 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 3 52.00–56.00 $53.87 $628
1135–1480 1308 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 2 52.50–53.00 $52.72 $690
1395 1395 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 52.00 $52.00 $725

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Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
900 900 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 625.00 $625.00 —
1050 1050 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 850.00 $850.00 -113.14
1100–1150 1125 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 700.00–775.00 $738.33 —
1200–1250 1225 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 2 890.00–910.00 $900.20 —

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Reading this report

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.