Cattle Market Pulse

Ash Flat Livestock Auction Market Report

Ash Flat, Arkansas · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, August 6, 2021

1,326 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 6-weight M&L 1 heifers $142.74/cwt +9.78 vs last sale · ≈ $875/hd at 613 lb · 29 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $146.98/cwt -0.93 vs last sale · ≈ $688/hd at 468 lb · 23 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 2 bulls $140.00/cwt -2.31 vs last sale · ≈ $678/hd at 484 lb · 20 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,326 520 1,571
Feeder cattle 992 460 1,381
Slaughter cattle 249 35 190
Replacement cattle 85 25 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week feeders across all ranges were steady to uneven with some offerings of light fleshed cattle and value added cattle bringing a premium. Fleshy feeders were not very desirable to buyers and were discounted. Supply was strong and so was demand with the futures markets pushing higher this week. Slaughter bulls were 5.00 to 7.00 higher and slaughter cows traded 2.00 to 8.00 higher both with good demand.

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
265 265 1 199.00 $199.00 $527 —
350–390 370 12 166.00–185.00 $179.57 $664 —
400 thin fleshed 400 4 174.00 $174.00 $696 —
420–425 423 3 160.00–163.00 $160.99 $681 -1.33
450–495 471 11 155.00–166.00 $162.13 $764 -2.87
500–545 525 11 150.00–161.00 $154.65 $812 +0.56
565 565 1 140.00 $140.00 $791 -15.06
570–590 580 3 151.00–155.00 $153.34 $889 -1.72
600–625 617 5 146.00–156.00 $152.03 $938 +7.51
650–680 664 14 140.00–149.00 $147.78 $981 —
713 value added 713 7 149.50 $149.50 $1,066 +2.50
818 818 5 139.50 $139.50 $1,141 -4.50
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270 270 1 184.00 $184.00 $497 —
345 345 1 170.00 $170.00 $586 +15.00
375 thin fleshed 375 3 162.00 $162.00 $608 —
383 value added 383 5 182.00 $182.00 $697 —
395 395 2 155.00 $155.00 $612 +9.87
425 thin fleshed 425 5 163.00 $163.00 $693 —
420–440 428 4 140.00–155.00 $147.83 $633 -0.57
460–480 474 4 140.00–150.00 $143.94 $682 —
500–545 523 8 134.00–145.00 $140.67 $736 —
570 570 1 145.00 $145.00 $826 —
600–630 613 3 134.00–138.00 $136.63 $838 —
650–685 673 3 124.00–138.00 $128.50 $865 —
860 860 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,032 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
440 440 2 125.00 $125.00 $550 —
465 465 1 100.00 $100.00 $465 -27.48

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
275 275 1 160.00 $160.00 $440 —
310–322 320 6 158.00–165.00 $163.87 $524 +8.87
360–395 385 14 147.00–153.50 $152.24 $586 —
400–435 420 11 140.00–154.00 $148.21 $622 -3.38
455–490 466 21 140.00–154.00 $147.88 $689 -0.03
490 490 2 135.00–140.00 $137.50 $674 -10.41
500–545 522 11 135.00–147.00 $141.62 $739 +3.02
510–540 525 2 134.00–135.00 $134.49 $706 -4.11
550–595 578 7 130.00–142.50 $137.54 $795 -8.46
555–590 578 4 130.00–135.00 $131.20 $758 -14.80
600–625 611 5 130.00–135.00 $132.50 $810 -0.46
610–612 value added 612 21 140.00–148.50 $148.10 $906 —
605–635 623 3 120.00–125.00 $122.29 $762 -10.67
650 650 1 120.00 $120.00 $780 —
660–690 667 10 120.00–138.50 $133.87 $893 +3.87
707 value added 707 6 135.00 $135.00 $954 —
735 735 1 120.00 $120.00 $882 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 141.00 $141.00 $402 —
305 thin fleshed 305 3 150.00 $150.00 $458 ±0.00
320 320 1 140.00 $140.00 $448 +2.50
355–390 368 8 130.00–145.00 $137.00 $504 —
381 value added 381 10 153.00 $153.00 $583 —
420 420 1 135.00 $135.00 $567 +1.77
433 value added 433 3 151.00 $151.00 $654 —
455–490 474 4 125.00–130.00 $127.82 $606 +1.09
510–545 528 5 120.00–135.00 $127.29 $672 +0.62
550–595 573 2 120.00–125.00 $122.60 $702 -4.40
640 thin fleshed 640 1 130.00 $130.00 $832 —
640 640 1 115.00 $115.00 $736 -5.00
675–690 683 2 119.00–125.00 $122.03 $833 +2.03
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330 330 1 119.00 $119.00 $393 —
435 435 1 120.00 $120.00 $522 —
510 510 1 100.00 $100.00 $510 —
560 560 1 110.00 $110.00 $616 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350 thin fleshed 350 1 155.00 $155.00 $542 —
370–395 385 4 140.00–142.00 $140.76 $542 —
400–445 425 4 135.00–145.00 $141.98 $603 -2.02
460–495 484 20 134.00–146.00 $140.00 $678 -2.31
525–540 533 3 128.00–139.00 $133.98 $714 +0.02
555–570 563 2 122.00–133.00 $127.57 $718 —
600–640 613 3 109.00–120.00 $116.17 $712 -9.76
675–680 678 2 115.00–121.00 $117.99 $800 -6.01
715–720 718 2 105.00–108.00 $106.51 $765 —
775–780 778 2 108.00–113.00 $110.51 $860 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
265 265 1 181.00 $181.00 $480 —
305 thin fleshed 305 1 182.00 $182.00 $555 —
360 360 1 166.00 $166.00 $598 +1.28
408–425 413 9 150.00–171.00 $166.16 $686 +10.50
460–475 468 9 148.00–155.00 $150.56 $705 -1.68
500–540 520 10 140.00–148.00 $144.46 $751 -0.79
550–565 561 6 130.00–143.00 $137.83 $773 —
590 590 1 132.00 $132.00 $779 —
600–645 621 4 130.00–142.00 $133.86 $831 -0.16
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
270 270 1 126.00 $126.00 $340 —
595 595 1 100.00 $100.00 $595 —
660 660 1 104.00 $104.00 $686 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
680–800 738 85-90% 3 20.00–32.50 $27.76 $205 -18.24
730–810 797 85-90% 7 50.00–55.00 $53.84 $429 +13.88
735–890 813 85-90% 2 41.00–45.00 $42.81 $348 —
935–1210 1070 85-90% 27 50.00–62.50 $59.79 $640 —
905–1175 1075 85-90% 3 40.00–46.00 $43.07 $463 —
955–1225 1113 85-90% 16 62.50–67.50 $64.99 $723 +1.28
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000–1410 1130 80-85% 15 66.00–74.50 $68.44 $773 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1285–1365 1323 3 91.50–93.00 $92.15 $1,219 —
1485–1950 1637 8 97.50–107.00 $100.97 $1,653 +14.28

↑ Back to top

Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
850 850 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 1 660.00 $660.00
1000 1000 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 650.00 $650.00
750–1200 1063 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 15 525.00–800.00 $741.39
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1090 1090 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 75.00 $75.00 $818
1125–1155 1140 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 2 84.00–88.00 $85.97 $980

↑ Back to top

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 1 785.00 $785.00 —
850–1200 1025 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 2 700.00–925.00 $831.71 +56.71
1000–1100 thin fleshed 1037 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 15 550.00–885.00 $799.49 —
1050–1150 1100 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 5 675.00–925.00 $813.41 —
1100 1100 Aged (>8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 650.00 $650.00 —
1100 thin fleshed 1100 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 2 810.00 $810.00 —
900–1250 1129 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 21 650.00–1,375.00 $1,144.42 —

↑ Back to top

Heifer Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
800 thin fleshed 800 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 660.00 $660.00 —
850 thin fleshed 850 (<2 yrs)Open 3 1,150.00 $1,150.00 —

↑ 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.