Cattle Market Pulse

Ash Flat Livestock Auction Market Report

Ash Flat, Arkansas · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, April 9, 2021

789 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $145.23/cwt +1.28 vs last sale · ≈ $602/hd at 414 lb · 26 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $137.22/cwt -1.94 vs last sale · ≈ $658/hd at 480 lb · 26 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 steers $174.85/cwt +3.65 vs last sale · ≈ $745/hd at 426 lb · 25 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 789 966 408
Feeder cattle 667 845 310
Slaughter cattle 102 96 58
Replacement cattle 20 25 40

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week feeder steers under 600 lbs traded 2.00 to 4.00 higher with some offerings of weaned and or value added steers trading as much as 6.00 to 15.00 higher. Light weight heifers under 450 lbs were uneven and heifers over 500 lbs traded mostly 2.00 to 5.00 higher. Feeder bulls traded mostly steady on the comparable offerings from last week. Fleshy new crop cattle were discounted and unattractive to buyers and were discounted. Supply was good and demand was good for lighter fleshed weaned calves. Slaughter cows traded 2.00-5.00 higher and slaughter bulls were mostly steady on a light supply.

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
360–385 374 5 178.00–188.00 $180.44 $675 +6.44
400–445 426 24 170.00–188.00 $175.59 $748 +4.39
430 430 1 157.00 $157.00 $675 -14.20
465 465 1 155.00 $155.00 $721 -10.80
470–490 480 2 167.00–170.00 $168.53 $809 +2.73
505–543 523 10 151.00–162.00 $159.80 $836 +0.62
524–535 value added 528 14 162.00–173.00 $168.46 $889 -0.54
563 value added 563 4 168.00 $168.00 $946 +8.37
610 610 2 138.00–145.00 $141.50 $863 +1.99
680 680 1 134.00 $134.00 $911 -2.99
706 value added 706 8 139.50 $139.50 $985 —
840 840 1 110.00 $110.00 $924 -10.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365–375 370 2 155.00–170.00 $162.40 $601 +21.40
400–420 thin fleshed 407 3 167.00–174.00 $169.41 $689 +16.80
455–490 468 3 154.00–155.00 $154.33 $722 +6.82
485 thin fleshed 485 5 172.00 $172.00 $834 —
500–530 521 4 140.00–154.00 $146.92 $765 +12.57
550–590 569 7 132.00–136.00 $134.87 $767 +2.21
615 615 1 130.00 $130.00 $800 +2.83
655 655 1 130.00 $130.00 $852 +6.26
775 775 1 115.00 $115.00 $891 -2.67
825–835 830 2 100.00–110.00 $104.97 $871 -5.03
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
540 540 7 157.00 $157.00 $848 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400–425 413 2 130.00–136.00 $132.91 $549 +27.41
545 545 1 110.00 $110.00 $600 +10.43

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 1 156.00 $156.00 $452 +6.00
315–345 330 3 145.00–155.00 $149.52 $493 -6.61
370 thin fleshed 370 1 163.00 $163.00 $603 —
350–390 371 5 143.00–146.00 $144.80 $537 +1.80
401 thin fleshed 401 10 153.00 $153.00 $614 —
400–445 421 12 137.00–143.00 $140.42 $591 -2.88
420–445 428 3 135.00 $135.00 $578 -8.30
430 430 1 156.00 $156.00 $671 +12.70
470–490 479 5 130.00–133.00 $131.99 $632 -6.06
450–485 480 21 137.00–144.00 $138.46 $665 +0.41
515 515 1 125.00 $125.00 $644 -6.64
500–547 523 13 130.00–140.00 $135.02 $706 +3.38
570–571 570 3 130.00–134.00 $132.67 $756 +12.67
625–637 629 16 122.50–130.00 $127.63 $803 +4.40
640 640 1 120.00 $120.00 $768 -3.23
660 660 1 110.00 $110.00 $726 -1.13
660 660 2 130.00 $130.00 $858 +18.87
750–775 768 6 111.50–118.00 $112.82 $866 —
810 810 1 90.00 $90.00 $729 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 140.00 $140.00 $399 —
305–345 320 3 129.00–135.00 $131.48 $421 +1.48
320 thin fleshed 320 3 145.00 $145.00 $464 ±0.00
350–375 365 6 123.00–136.00 $130.96 $478 —
385 thin fleshed 385 1 140.00 $140.00 $539 —
405–440 415 7 120.00–130.00 $127.65 $530 +1.41
415–425 thin fleshed 420 2 135.00–140.00 $137.47 $577 +3.83
455–475 464 5 120.00–125.00 $123.38 $572 +1.41
565 value added 565 1 124.00 $124.00 $701 —
565–590 577 5 115.00–122.00 $120.42 $695 +5.40
605–625 612 3 110.00–120.00 $116.59 $714 +1.59
671 671 7 115.00 $115.00 $772 -3.26
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
628 628 10 120.00 $120.00 $754 ±0.00
657 657 16 119.00 $119.00 $782 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330 330 3 100.00–115.00 $105.00 $346 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
261 thin fleshed 261 4 194.00 $194.00 $506 —
305–345 thin fleshed 325 2 182.00–184.00 $182.94 $595 —
330 330 1 160.00 $160.00 $528 +10.00
358–370 thin fleshed 360 6 165.00–174.00 $172.46 $621 —
350–385 373 9 140.00–155.00 $147.47 $550 -0.23
410–415 thin fleshed 413 2 155.00–157.00 $155.99 $644 —
405–440 426 5 140.00–154.00 $145.92 $622 +2.97
450–455 thin fleshed 453 7 155.00–160.00 $157.29 $713 —
450–485 466 11 130.00–146.00 $139.17 $649 +9.66
515 thin fleshed 515 2 145.00–155.00 $150.00 $772 +5.00
510–545 523 6 120.00–131.00 $127.28 $666 +1.86
555 555 1 110.00 $110.00 $610 -17.13
555–570 562 5 130.00–135.00 $133.21 $749 +6.08
605–645 622 3 120.00–126.00 $123.05 $765 +6.07
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 188.00 $188.00 $536 —
305 thin fleshed 305 1 199.00 $199.00 $607 —
325 325 1 191.00 $191.00 $621 +24.12
375–385 380 2 155.00 $155.00 $589 -8.97
390–395 393 2 159.00–169.00 $164.03 $645 +0.06
400–425 417 5 155.00–165.00 $161.04 $672 -6.48
455–475 464 5 150.00–165.00 $156.73 $727 -0.74
500–510 503 5 149.00–159.00 $155.18 $781 +6.97
550–590 578 4 135.00–149.00 $143.76 $831 +23.76
613–645 627 4 129.00–141.00 $134.37 $842 -2.04
650–665 654 8 126.00–136.00 $134.50 $880 +0.50

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
845 845 85-90% 1 42.00 $42.00 $355 +4.50
930 930 85-90% 1 25.00 $25.00 $232 -12.71
860–1130 983 85-90% 3 40.00–45.00 $42.78 $421 —
930–1250 1106 85-90% 8 44.00–56.00 $50.84 $562 +2.41
955–1375 1223 85-90% 6 57.50–62.50 $60.14 $736 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
965–1475 1225 80-85% 11 64.50–71.50 $66.85 $819 +12.17
1290 1290 80-85% 1 63.00 $63.00 $813 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1222–1515 1369 75-80% 2 57.00–60.00 $58.34 $799 -11.57
1190–1470 1395 75-80% 6 67.00–75.00 $70.77 $987 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1140 1140 1 71.00 $71.00 $809 —
1305–1900 1563 4 74.00–87.50 $82.45 $1,289 —
1515–1645 1583 3 90.00–95.00 $92.53 $1,465 —

↑ Back to top

Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
870 870 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 62.50 $62.50 $544
995 995 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 68.00 $68.00 $677

↑ Back to top

Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1000–1250 1086 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 7 600.00–1,185.00 $807.40
1205 1205 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 1 650.00 $650.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1030 1030 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 1 64.50 $64.50 $664

↑ Back to top

Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1150 1150 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 900.00 $900.00 —
1200 1200 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 1,125.00 $1,125.00 —
1200 1200 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 900.00 $900.00 —
1300 1300 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 1,500.00 $1,500.00 —

↑ 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.