Cattle Market Pulse

Ash Flat Livestock Auction Market Report

Ash Flat, Arkansas · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, April 2, 2021

966 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers $165.80/cwt +8.69 vs last sale · ≈ $791/hd at 477 lb · 25 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $130.05/cwt +6.23 vs last sale · ≈ $749/hd at 576 lb · 21 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $139.16/cwt +3.55 vs last sale · ≈ $652/hd at 468 lb · 18 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 966 1,356 517
Feeder cattle 845 970 472
Slaughter cattle 96 186 20
Replacement cattle 25 200 25

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week feeder steers under 500 lbs were 5.00 to 11.00 higher steers over 500 lbs were mostly steady. Feeder heifers were steady to 3.00 higher. Feeder bulls traded 2.00 to 5.00 higher with some instances of weaned lighter fleshed bulls under 500 lbs trading up to 15.00 higher. Value added cattle traded at a premium of 5.00 - 10.00 higher on all ranges. Supply was good and demand was strong for grass ready cattle with warmer temperatures coming on. Slaughter cows were 5.00 to 10.00 higher and slaughter bulls were 3.00 to 5.00 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
380 380 1 174.00 $174.00 $661 +9.25
410–445 437 8 169.00–177.00 $171.20 $748 +11.38
455–490 477 25 152.00–174.00 $165.80 $791 +7.34
505 value added 505 3 169.00 $169.00 $853 +7.50
505–525 511 9 144.00–165.00 $159.18 $813 +7.17
550 550 1 135.00 $135.00 $742 -19.00
555–590 value added 581 4 157.00–168.00 $159.63 $927 —
560–595 583 6 144.00–159.00 $153.06 $892 -0.94
600 value added 600 3 159.00 $159.00 $954 —
600–625 613 2 139.00–140.00 $139.51 $855 -6.00
650 value added 650 1 151.00 $151.00 $982 —
655–695 674 5 130.00–140.00 $136.99 $923 -5.78
700 thin fleshed 700 1 141.00 $141.00 $987 —
705–740 721 5 129.00–136.00 $132.38 $954 +5.38
750 750 1 126.00 $126.00 $945 +2.99
759–760 759 6 120.00 $120.00 $911 -3.01
805 805 1 120.00 $120.00 $966 -4.34
860 860 1 115.00 $115.00 $989 —
1000 1000 1 110.00 $110.00 $1,100 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 1 154.00 $154.00 $500 —
365 thin fleshed 365 1 161.00 $161.00 $588 —
390 390 2 141.00 $141.00 $550 -10.14
420–430 427 4 140.00–156.00 $147.77 $631 +4.77
425–440 thin fleshed 433 2 146.00–159.00 $152.61 $661 -5.91
435 value added 435 1 150.00 $150.00 $652 —
485–490 488 2 146.00–149.00 $147.51 $720 +10.09
520 thin fleshed 520 1 140.00 $140.00 $728 —
510–545 528 5 129.00–144.00 $134.35 $709 -2.29
560 value added 560 1 139.00 $139.00 $778 —
550–585 566 6 120.00–141.00 $132.66 $751 +2.66
600–635 610 5 120.00–130.00 $127.17 $776 +0.75
665–675 669 4 120.00–128.00 $123.74 $828 -5.75
690 value added 690 1 126.00 $126.00 $869 —
745 745 1 115.00 $115.00 $857 +2.00
750 750 1 126.00 $126.00 $945 —
750–770 758 3 115.00–121.00 $117.67 $892 —
815 815 1 110.00 $110.00 $896 +10.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
347 thin fleshed 347 5 185.00 $185.00 $642 —
445 thin fleshed 445 5 166.00 $166.00 $739 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
430 430 2 100.00–111.00 $105.50 $454 -24.50
450–485 465 3 110.00–120.00 $115.56 $537 —
500–545 523 2 90.00–110.00 $99.57 $521 —
555 555 1 100.00 $100.00 $555 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 150.00 $150.00 $428 -3.00
300–340 320 2 154.00–158.00 $156.13 $500 +8.19
368–390 value added 370 9 156.00–160.00 $156.47 $579 —
350–390 375 5 140.00–145.00 $143.00 $536 +2.67
405–445 421 14 131.00–151.00 $143.30 $603 -0.52
430–445 value added 435 3 147.00 $147.00 $639 +3.50
450–490 466 16 130.00–144.50 $138.05 $643 +2.44
488 value added 488 2 148.00 $148.00 $722 —
520 fancy 520 1 152.00 $152.00 $790 —
510–540 522 5 130.00–138.00 $131.64 $687 +2.57
520–535 525 3 110.00–125.00 $116.65 $612 -12.42
570 570 1 120.00 $120.00 $684 -3.82
550–595 571 7 120.00–136.00 $127.00 $725 +3.18
575–585 value added 579 13 129.00–137.00 $132.46 $767 —
600–645 618 3 110.00–115.00 $113.26 $700 -8.25
605–640 621 6 117.50–132.00 $123.23 $765 +1.72
650–680 671 7 100.00–115.00 $111.13 $746 -8.87
670–675 674 4 117.50–118.00 $117.62 $793 -2.38
700–740 711 6 112.50–115.00 $113.60 $808 +13.60
755 value added 755 1 119.00 $119.00 $898 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315 thin fleshed 315 2 142.00–148.00 $145.00 $457 +1.00
325 325 1 130.00 $130.00 $422 +3.04
410–425 thin fleshed 418 3 130.00–136.00 $133.64 $559 +0.44
400–435 419 4 120.00–130.00 $126.24 $529 +9.30
470–490 474 8 115.00–128.00 $121.97 $578 -0.54
505–530 thin fleshed 518 2 118.00–120.00 $118.98 $616 -1.02
505–535 524 7 110.00–120.00 $116.25 $609 +4.12
560–595 578 6 110.00–120.00 $115.02 $665 +2.59
610–645 628 2 115.00 $115.00 $722 +3.47
650 650 1 85.00 $85.00 $552 -22.45
655–695 670 4 112.50–130.00 $118.26 $792 +10.81
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
327–344 thin fleshed 339 10 160.00–162.00 $161.42 $547 —
411 thin fleshed 411 7 154.00 $154.00 $633 —
607 value added 607 6 132.00 $132.00 $801 —
603–642 623 10 120.00 $120.00 $748 —
674 value added 674 5 120.00 $120.00 $809 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
470–490 480 5 100.00–110.00 $104.04 $499 —
620–640 630 2 100.00 $100.00 $630 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300–325 313 2 164.00–170.00 $166.88 $522 +2.15
385–390 388 2 160.00–168.00 $163.97 $636 +3.32
405–445 425 2 167.00–168.00 $167.52 $712 +14.38
460–495 475 8 144.00–166.00 $157.47 $748 +4.47
510–545 530 5 130.00–154.00 $148.21 $786 -1.64
555–575 567 7 137.00–153.00 $144.58 $820 +2.86
585 585 1 120.00 $120.00 $702 -21.72
610–630 620 2 131.00–142.00 $136.41 $846 +3.39
620 620 1 124.00 $124.00 $769 -9.02
660–690 672 3 130.00–139.00 $134.00 $900 —
680 680 1 110.00 $110.00 $748 —
765–795 777 3 116.00–121.00 $117.65 $914 +1.65
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 150.00 $150.00 $510 -5.00
355–390 369 7 140.00–155.00 $147.70 $545 +2.30
420–449 438 3 140.00–145.00 $142.95 $626 +11.15
480–490 485 2 129.00–130.00 $129.51 $628 -2.12
505 thin fleshed 505 1 145.00 $145.00 $732 +6.71
520–540 530 2 121.00–130.00 $125.42 $665 -0.83
555–565 561 7 120.00–130.00 $127.13 $713 —
600–630 610 4 110.00–126.00 $116.98 $714 -3.02
670–695 680 3 117.00–122.00 $119.03 $809 +7.55
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
554–572 562 12 131.00–154.00 $140.76 $791 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
415 415 1 110.00 $110.00 $456 —
585–590 588 2 100.00–110.00 $105.02 $618 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000–1320 1168 80-85% 9 58.50–73.50 $65.86 $769 —
1060–1315 1203 80-85% 3 54.00–56.00 $54.68 $658 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
750 750 85-90% 1 55.00 $55.00 $412 —
810 810 85-90% 1 37.50 $37.50 $304 —
865 865 85-90% 1 50.00 $50.00 $432 -0.48
900–915 908 85-90% 2 32.50–43.00 $37.71 $342 -0.63
1000–1225 1121 85-90% 5 45.00–52.00 $48.43 $543 -8.19
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1345 1345 75-80% 1 54.00 $54.00 $726 -6.00
1070–1645 1358 75-80% 2 69.00–70.50 $69.91 $949 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1270–1380 1328 3 62.50–65.00 $64.20 $853 —
1665 1665 1 82.50 $82.50 $1,374 —
1475–1985 1733 6 85.00–98.00 $90.95 $1,576 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1095 1095 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 70.00 $70.00 $766
1130 1130 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 73.00 $73.00 $825

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
900 900 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 1 600.00 $600.00
1000–1150 1075 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 2 550.00–725.00 $643.60
1000–1350 1195 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 10 685.00–1,125.00 $864.44
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1205 1205 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 1 63.00 $63.00 $759
1095–1430 1263 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 2 65.50–67.50 $66.37 $838

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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
1250 1250 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 1,225.00 $1,225.00 -250.00

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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.