Cattle Market Pulse

Ash Flat Livestock Auction Market Report

Ash Flat, Arkansas · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, August 27, 2021

904 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 2 steers $140.57/cwt -0.54 vs last sale · ≈ $743/hd at 528 lb · 27 head
light 5-weight M&L 1-2 steers $144.48/cwt ≈ $776/hd at 537 lb · 23 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $144.86/cwt -1.02 vs last sale · ≈ $759/hd at 524 lb · 22 head
HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 904 951 597
Feeder cattle 904 786 597
Slaughter cattle 100
Replacement cattle 65

Compared to last week, feeder steers under 600 lbs were 3.00 to 10.00 lower, steers over 600 lbs did not have enough comparisons to gain a trend. Feeder heifers traded 2.00 to 6.00 lower, There was a limited offering of light weight thin fleshed heifers that brought a premium of 5.00 to 10.00 higher. There was a good supply of feeders this week and demand was moderate. Slaughter cows and bulls were not reported due to time issues.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385 thin fleshed 385 1 200.00 $200.00 $770
418 thin fleshed 418 5 179.00 $179.00 $748
425–437 434 16 160.00–179.00 $167.82 $728 -9.29
460–490 478 7 150.00–172.00 $160.76 $768 -4.26
510–543 532 13 150.00–168.00 $158.22 $842 -3.43
555–575 563 5 150.00–158.00 $152.57 $859 -5.04
600–645 622 13 145.00–153.00 $148.61 $924 +6.61
650–660 655 2 149.00 $149.00 $976 +4.15
720 720 1 135.00 $135.00 $972 -6.10
760–775 768 2 130.00–134.00 $132.02 $1,014 -7.71
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 thin fleshed 250 2 192.50–210.00 $201.25 $503
295 295 1 173.00 $173.00 $510
345 345 1 150.00 $150.00 $518
370 370 1 150.00 $150.00 $555 -5.00
410–435 427 5 140.00–156.00 $149.19 $637 +1.95
475–485 480 3 140.00–142.00 $140.66 $675 -5.21
515 thin fleshed 515 1 150.00 $150.00 $772 -1.00
505–549 529 26 130.00–149.00 $140.21 $742 -0.08
575–585 578 3 138.00–140.00 $138.67 $802 +1.14
578 thin fleshed 578 3 145.00 $145.00 $838
600–640 621 4 121.00–132.00 $129.10 $802 -10.90
625 thin fleshed 625 1 140.00 $140.00 $875
665 665 4 131.00 $131.00 $871 +1.00
722–725 723 5 126.00–127.50 $127.20 $920 +7.20
765–780 773 2 120.00–123.00 $121.49 $939
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
427–435 430 13 155.00–165.00 $158.89 $683
518–549 537 23 140.00–151.00 $144.48 $776
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385 385 1 120.00 $120.00 $462
555 555 1 120.00 $120.00 $666

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Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
225–245 thin fleshed 240 4 162.00–177.00 $167.34 $402
255–295 280 4 140.00–155.00 $150.08 $420
270–295 thin fleshed 283 3 166.00–180.00 $171.79 $486 +11.79
300 thin fleshed 300 1 161.00 $161.00 $483
300–340 320 4 145.00–150.00 $147.03 $470 +7.03
360–390 thin fleshed 372 3 136.00–150.00 $143.49 $534
365–395 384 4 130.00–143.00 $138.38 $531 +8.30
400–449 415 6 130.00–142.00 $133.44 $554 -0.36
455 thin fleshed 455 1 147.00 $147.00 $669 +8.91
450–490 469 5 120.00–130.00 $126.97 $595 +0.55
500–535 522 5 120.00–130.00 $125.83 $657 -6.71
580–590 585 2 120.00–125.00 $122.48 $717
600–630 606 8 115.00–124.00 $121.65 $737 -7.35
634 thin fleshed 634 11 125.00 $125.00 $792
692 692 3 117.50 $117.50 $813
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
260 260 1 167.50 $167.50 $436
260 thin fleshed 260 1 185.00 $185.00 $481
315 thin fleshed 315 1 170.00 $170.00 $536
360–366 thin fleshed 365 7 156.00–170.00 $168.03 $613
385 385 1 148.00 $148.00 $570 -5.71
400–445 423 3 145.00–150.00 $147.42 $624 -2.11
450–495 468 11 140.00–150.00 $142.83 $668 -6.51
500–543 515 15 135.00–147.00 $143.53 $739 +8.53
525 525 1 134.00 $134.00 $704 -12.17
546 value added 546 6 150.00 $150.00 $819
560–565 563 2 139.00–140.00 $139.50 $785 +2.03
575 575 1 130.00 $130.00 $748 -7.47
605 605 1 140.00 $140.00 $847 -0.34
655 655 1 120.00 $120.00 $786
665–675 672 3 130.00–135.00 $132.01 $887
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
503–525 509 14 137.50–141.50 $140.32 $714
597 597 11 130.00 $130.00 $776
669 thin fleshed 669 5 129.00 $129.00 $863

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Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
240 thin fleshed 240 1 182.50 $182.50 $438
245 245 1 174.00 $174.00 $426
250–280 thin fleshed 269 4 170.00–190.00 $177.40 $477
275 275 1 158.00 $158.00 $434
305–320 thin fleshed 313 3 160.00–170.00 $165.39 $518
330–335 333 2 140.00–155.00 $147.56 $491 -3.84
355–390 366 8 150.00–155.00 $151.15 $553 -4.87
430–445 440 10 130.00–145.00 $140.84 $620 -10.31
455 thin fleshed 455 1 144.00 $144.00 $655
490–495 495 10 135.00–140.00 $137.50 $681 +1.01
500–520 509 4 126.00–135.00 $129.26 $658 -1.50
550–570 560 4 122.00–133.00 $127.71 $715 -2.68
610 610 1 127.00 $127.00 $775 -0.99
735 735 1 110.00 $110.00 $808
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 160.00 $160.00 $544
360 360 1 170.00 $170.00 $612 +3.27
400–430 424 5 150.00–165.00 $152.83 $648 -10.57
475 475 1 156.00 $156.00 $741 -5.47
480 thin fleshed 480 1 146.00 $146.00 $701
505 505 1 135.00 $135.00 $682 -16.25
525 525 2 135.00–136.00 $135.50 $711 -15.75
535–540 538 3 140.00–145.00 $141.66 $762 -9.59
555–565 560 2 137.00–146.00 $141.54 $793 -4.29
570 570 1 133.00 $133.00 $758 -12.83
600 600 1 130.00 $130.00 $780 -7.48
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
381 381 5 170.00 $170.00 $648
501 501 9 150.00 $150.00 $752

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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.