Cattle Market Pulse

Ash Flat Livestock Auction Market Report

Ash Flat, Arkansas · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, December 4, 2020

1,049 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $122.03/cwt +1.52 vs last sale · ≈ $633/hd at 518 lb · 23 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers $143.11/cwt -0.89 vs last sale · ≈ $658/hd at 460 lb · 20 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $127.88/cwt +7.88 vs last sale · ≈ $875/hd at 684 lb · 16 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,049 434 3,233
Feeder cattle 907 378 3,233
Slaughter cattle 87 36 0
Replacement cattle 55 20 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, with very few comparisons to last weeks light sale on the holiday weekend feeders traded uneven to steady across all ranges with the exception of some offerings of weaned light fleshed cattle that brought a premium across ranges. Fleshy and plain cattle were not as desirable to buyers and traded at a discount. Slaughter cows were steady to 3.00 lower, slaughter bulls traded steady to 2.00 higher.

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
375–385 380 3 155.00–164.00 $159.71 $607 +2.76
400–445 437 8 141.00–158.00 $152.76 $668 +3.09
454–495 460 20 140.00–151.00 $143.11 $658 -0.89
500–545 520 12 135.00–146.00 $142.65 $742 -7.35
550–585 567 9 135.00–140.00 $138.03 $783 +1.85
610–635 623 6 125.00–138.00 $129.62 $808 -5.46
660 660 1 120.00 $120.00 $792 ±0.00
665 value added 665 1 134.00 $134.00 $891 —
675–690 687 14 120.00–129.50 $128.01 $879 +8.01
710 710 1 115.00 $115.00 $816 -5.00
705–728 719 10 120.00–129.00 $121.30 $872 +1.30
765–780 773 3 115.00–120.00 $118.33 $915 —
810–840 825 2 110.00–115.00 $112.45 $928 —
855–885 870 2 115.00 $115.00 $1,000 —
1060 1060 1 90.00 $90.00 $954 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360–385 375 3 130.00–146.00 $136.83 $513 -8.17
400–440 418 4 130.00–135.00 $132.46 $554 +12.12
410–445 thin fleshed 419 6 140.00–150.00 $144.11 $604 —
455–495 475 8 120.00–135.00 $124.41 $591 -3.01
515–540 526 7 120.00–130.00 $124.46 $655 +14.46
555–595 573 3 115.00–124.00 $119.73 $686 +19.73
600–620 610 2 115.00–120.00 $117.54 $717 +2.51

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 300 4 146.00 $146.00 $438 —
355–375 thin fleshed 365 2 141.00–144.00 $142.46 $520 —
370–390 381 7 129.00–141.00 $136.69 $521 —
400–401 thin fleshed 401 2 140.00–141.00 $140.50 $563 —
400–435 420 12 125.00–143.00 $131.82 $554 -2.22
455–495 472 13 120.00–133.00 $124.74 $589 -2.76
490 490 1 115.00 $115.00 $564 —
500–545 516 18 120.00–128.00 $124.25 $641 +3.74
505–540 527 5 110.00–120.00 $114.05 $601 -6.46
555–585 567 3 100.00–115.00 $108.38 $615 —
555–585 569 7 115.00–129.00 $120.92 $688 —
605 605 1 110.00 $110.00 $666 +9.00
610–634 627 6 115.00–120.00 $119.19 $747 +18.19
645 645 1 100.00 $100.00 $645 -22.00
650–690 667 3 100.00–105.00 $103.38 $690 -9.12
655–680 668 2 110.00 $110.00 $735 -2.50
700 700 1 100.00 $100.00 $700 -14.73
760 760 1 105.00 $105.00 $798 —
835 835 1 80.00 $80.00 $668 —
860 860 1 80.00 $80.00 $688 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 300 4 120.00 $120.00 $360 -2.18
335 thin fleshed 335 1 129.00 $129.00 $432 —
360–395 377 8 110.00–120.00 $116.10 $438 +0.63
380–385 thin fleshed 383 2 129.00–137.00 $133.03 $510 —
400 value added 400 1 125.00 $125.00 $500 —
405 thin fleshed 405 1 125.00 $125.00 $506 —
400–445 418 8 110.00–132.00 $117.21 $490 -1.63
465–490 473 5 100.00–115.00 $109.05 $516 -1.31
520 value added 520 1 122.00 $122.00 $634 —
505–540 525 12 100.00–115.00 $108.37 $569 -6.63
575–585 580 2 105.00–110.00 $107.52 $624 —
605–645 625 2 110.00 $110.00 $688 +5.97
760 760 1 95.00 $95.00 $722 —
802 802 3 85.00 $85.00 $682 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
430 430 8 123.50 $123.50 $531 —
523 523 8 120.00 $120.00 $628 —
623 623 10 115.00 $115.00 $716 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390 390 2 105.00 $105.00 $410 —
430 430 1 110.00 $110.00 $473 +19.48
491 491 1 90.00 $90.00 $442 +7.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310–325 318 2 178.00–181.00 $179.54 $571 —
350–390 364 11 157.00–171.00 $164.60 $599 +19.25
380–385 383 2 150.00–155.00 $152.52 $584 +7.17
410–435 417 11 135.00–150.00 $143.22 $597 +8.22
460–490 475 7 135.00–145.00 $140.70 $668 +3.15
500–520 512 10 125.00–130.00 $127.48 $653 —
520 520 1 115.00 $115.00 $598 —
555–580 569 8 120.00–133.00 $123.67 $704 —
655 655 1 105.00 $105.00 $688 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375–395 378 6 135.00–145.00 $143.26 $542 +23.26
380 thin fleshed 380 1 141.00 $141.00 $536 —
410–445 433 4 124.00–130.00 $126.00 $546 —
475 475 1 120.00 $120.00 $570 ±0.00
510–525 518 2 110.00–120.00 $114.93 $595 -5.07
580 580 2 105.00 $105.00 $609 -7.45
635–645 638 7 100.00 $100.00 $638 -5.00
650–680 670 3 85.00–102.00 $92.19 $618 —
790 790 1 75.00 $75.00 $592 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
557 557 10 118.00 $118.00 $657 —
615 615 8 116.00 $116.00 $713 —
718 718 6 100.00 $100.00 $718 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350 350 1 112.00 $112.00 $392 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
875 875 85-90% 1 25.00 $25.00 $219 +3.00
990 990 85-90% 1 22.00 $22.00 $218 -9.38
915–1165 1022 85-90% 5 25.00–35.00 $31.96 $327 -17.54
920–1400 1118 85-90% 9 36.00–42.50 $40.65 $454 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000–1185 1091 80-85% 5 37.00–46.00 $43.09 $470 -7.93
1025–1610 1215 80-85% 4 47.00–54.00 $49.35 $600 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1245–1645 1425 75-80% 3 40.00–47.00 $43.96 $626 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1180–1720 1412 5 60.00–64.50 $61.20 $864 —
1120–1930 1508 10 65.00–75.00 $71.03 $1,071 —
1405–1950 1742 6 76.00–82.50 $79.83 $1,391 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
975 975 (<2 yrs)Open 1 75.00 $75.00 $731
1025–1160 1093 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 55.00–80.00 $68.27 $746

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
850–1000 917 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 3 575.00–825.00 $703.18
1100–1250 1175 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 2 600.00 $600.00
850–1450 1203 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 18 500.00–925.00 $759.71
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1085–1605 1261 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 6 37.50–54.00 $48.05 $606
1260–1565 1413 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 2 49.00–54.00 $51.77 $732

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
950 950 (<2 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 835.00 $835.00

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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
1000–1150 1075 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 2 750.00–1,075.00 $923.84 —

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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.