Cattle Market Pulse

Ash Flat Livestock Auction Market Report

Ash Flat, Arkansas · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, March 5, 2021

2,927 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 6-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $118.92/cwt ≈ $805/hd at 677 lb · 142 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $124.46/cwt ≈ $701/hd at 563 lb · 111 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $163.36/cwt +12.12 vs last sale · ≈ $864/hd at 529 lb · 106 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 2,927 701 1,175
Feeder cattle 2,927 626 1,175
Slaughter cattle — 25 —
Replacement cattle — 50 —

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, there were not enough comparisons of un-weaned cattle this week to make a fair comparison to last weeks run of mostly un-weaned cattle. However, with a heavy supply of weaned and conditioned feeders today heifers and steers both were in strong demand with good buyer attendance and demand. Cattle under 600 lbs that were weaned and pre-conditioned were in the strongest demand with the light weight heifers and steers under 500 lbs looking to make the most gains. Slaughter cows and bulls were not reported due to time constraints.

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
293 293 3 187.50 $187.50 $549 —
320 320 2 171.00–192.50 $181.75 $582 —
358–395 value added 365 15 170.00–185.00 $172.31 $629 —
385–395 388 3 159.00–169.00 $165.70 $643 -6.76
413–444 value added 425 15 167.00–179.00 $174.21 $740 -26.79
410–434 429 8 156.00–169.00 $164.74 $707 -3.52
450–490 value added 459 9 163.00–169.00 $166.53 $764 —
450–495 477 5 151.00–167.00 $159.06 $759 -6.95
510 510 5 139.00 $139.00 $709 +3.00
507–547 value added 529 83 162.00–174.50 $167.19 $884 —
520–540 534 18 143.00–162.00 $152.47 $814 -0.46
550–595 566 9 140.00–146.00 $143.57 $813 +1.24
571 571 6 130.00 $130.00 $742 -12.33
555–595 value added 579 64 150.50–162.00 $153.33 $888 —
605–635 624 7 136.00–140.00 $138.01 $861 -6.52
610–645 value added 627 40 140.00–157.00 $146.38 $918 —
655–694 value added 686 22 133.50–144.00 $135.42 $929 —
700–710 706 10 123.00–130.00 $125.82 $888 -2.55
700–730 value added 724 23 128.00–137.00 $129.22 $936 —
751–790 value added 762 33 126.50–127.00 $126.85 $967 —
806–834 value added 820 21 123.00–125.25 $124.90 $1,024 —
852–861 value added 857 13 118.00–121.50 $120.82 $1,035 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
533 533 5 139.00 $139.00 $741 —
574–593 value added 588 36 147.50–149.00 $147.91 $870 —
619–646 value added 625 87 135.00–135.50 $135.11 $844 —
729 value added 729 5 125.00 $125.00 $911 —
744 744 10 112.50 $112.50 $837 —
768 value added 768 76 121.50–125.75 $125.19 $961 —
812–840 value added 827 53 117.00–124.50 $121.25 $1,003 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310–345 value added 325 3 167.50–170.00 $168.50 $548 —
370 370 1 155.00 $155.00 $574 +10.00
385 value added 385 1 158.00 $158.00 $608 —
405–425 415 3 130.00–145.00 $138.79 $576 -7.40
410–440 value added 425 2 146.00–158.00 $151.79 $645 —
455–495 476 12 127.00–144.00 $132.22 $629 -11.63
485 value added 485 1 150.00 $150.00 $728 —
500–540 520 5 130.00–137.50 $133.89 $696 +1.21
530–535 value added 533 3 138.00–142.00 $139.33 $743 —
550–575 563 2 121.00–125.00 $123.04 $693 -3.64
565–595 value added 576 5 130.00–140.00 $136.75 $788 —
600–615 608 2 120.00 $120.00 $730 -11.24
600–640 value added 620 2 130.00–134.00 $131.94 $818 —
670–680 value added 675 2 132.00–135.00 $133.49 $901 —
670–685 678 2 120.00–129.00 $124.45 $844 —
961 961 5 90.00 $90.00 $865 —
1038 1038 15 83.25 $83.25 $864 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
369 value added 369 8 140.00 $140.00 $517 —
463–486 value added 469 37 136.00–140.50 $139.58 $655 —
554–598 value added 563 111 123.50–127.00 $124.46 $701 —
629 value added 629 8 124.00 $124.00 $780 —
665–689 value added 677 140 119.00 $119.00 $806 —
683 683 2 113.00 $113.00 $772 —
772 772 8 112.50 $112.50 $868 —
807 value added 807 37 112.50 $112.50 $908 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305–330 322 3 141.00–160.00 $150.03 $483 -2.88
315–349 value added 326 7 155.00–170.00 $161.96 $528 —
356–390 value added 362 15 151.00–165.00 $162.29 $587 —
350–390 363 3 141.00–142.50 $141.54 $514 -1.60
405–445 420 9 137.00–145.00 $142.19 $597 +3.09
400–445 value added 428 48 142.00–159.00 $151.49 $648 —
455–487 value added 465 53 139.00–152.00 $146.05 $679 —
450–495 469 7 138.00–145.00 $141.91 $666 +6.72
505–545 523 12 121.00–134.00 $126.01 $659 +11.01
505–546 value added 537 37 130.00–139.00 $133.77 $718 —
563–595 value added 564 26 127.00–128.00 $127.96 $722 —
555–585 572 10 123.00–126.00 $123.68 $707 -5.34
590 590 1 117.00 $117.00 $690 -12.02
600–625 value added 606 4 122.00–128.00 $126.21 $765 —
620–645 633 2 115.00–116.00 $115.51 $731 -1.96
650–680 663 3 113.00–121.00 $118.27 $784 +0.29
688 value added 688 9 119.00 $119.00 $819 —
729 value added 729 12 117.00 $117.00 $853 —
751 751 10 105.00 $105.00 $789 —
759–776 value added 767 35 113.50–119.50 $116.55 $894 —
795 795 1 105.00 $105.00 $835 ±0.00
830 830 1 108.00 $108.00 $896 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 130.00 $130.00 $442 -8.18
375 375 1 125.00 $125.00 $469 -3.73
400–405 value added 403 2 130.00–147.00 $138.45 $558 —
405–440 423 6 115.00–127.00 $119.73 $506 -5.29
450–490 469 17 120.00–127.00 $122.13 $573 —
475–490 value added 483 2 131.00–134.00 $132.48 $640 —
500–510 value added 505 2 127.00–128.00 $127.50 $644 —
500–545 521 4 115.00–119.00 $116.78 $608 +1.10
550–595 567 12 110.00–119.00 $115.56 $655 +5.60
605–640 623 4 101.00–117.00 $110.74 $690 -0.50
600–640 value added 624 6 115.00–120.00 $118.68 $741 —
655 655 1 114.00 $114.00 $747 +7.75
685 value added 685 1 112.00 $112.00 $767 —
690 690 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,138 —
755 value added 755 3 110.00 $110.00 $830 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
445 445 2 151.00–160.00 $155.50 $692 -9.44
450–490 461 5 143.00–165.00 $155.42 $716 +5.42
505–540 517 5 132.00–155.00 $141.36 $731 -4.04
560–587 580 4 130.00–136.00 $134.55 $780 -4.45
802–820 805 6 109.50–110.00 $109.58 $882 —
850 850 1 111.00 $111.00 $944 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 1 159.00 $159.00 $549 —
410–430 420 2 134.00–151.00 $142.30 $598 +1.30
490 490 1 139.00 $139.00 $681 +14.00
550 thin fleshed 550 1 145.00 $145.00 $798 —
635–640 638 2 110.00–119.00 $114.52 $731 -8.48

↑ Back to top

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.