Cattle Market Pulse

Ash Flat Livestock Auction Market Report

Ash Flat, Arkansas · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, October 7, 2022

1,114 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $156.82/cwt -12.30 vs last sale · ≈ $819/hd at 522 lb · 35 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $131.65/cwt -6.08 vs last sale · ≈ $686/hd at 521 lb · 31 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $143.03/cwt +3.41 vs last sale · ≈ $591/hd at 413 lb · 28 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 1,114 998 1,159
Feeder cattle 943 818 1,018
Slaughter cattle 111 120 101
Replacement cattle 60 60 40

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, feeder steers were 6.00 to 12.00 lower. Feeder heifers traded 5.00 to 10.00 lower. Slaughter cows were 3.00 to 5.00 lower and slaugher bulls were 4.00 lower. Supply was good but demand for unweaned fleshy cattle was low and moved prices lower across all ranges of feeders. Extreme temperature swings of October have begun and have buyers backing off unweaned and non vaccinated cattle.

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
300–305 303 2 181.00–185.00 $182.98 $554 —
400–445 418 11 165.00–185.00 $174.93 $731 +1.60
425–445 437 3 155.00–160.00 $156.70 $685 -16.63
455 value added 455 1 191.00 $191.00 $869 —
465–485 473 3 155.00–160.00 $156.97 $742 -22.08
460–490 478 6 160.00–170.00 $166.66 $797 -12.39
500–540 518 29 153.00–171.00 $158.36 $820 +2.38
525–548 542 6 145.00–151.00 $149.36 $810 -26.32
550–592 577 20 150.00–165.00 $161.29 $931 +7.77
585 585 2 145.00–150.00 $147.50 $863 -6.02
600–645 616 12 140.00–165.00 $152.25 $938 +4.74
660–690 666 5 142.00–155.00 $150.32 $1,001 -7.67
730 730 1 162.00 $162.00 $1,183 +6.65
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320–335 329 4 143.00–165.00 $158.99 $523 +3.71
390 390 1 140.00 $140.00 $546 —
400–435 421 6 140.00–150.00 $143.27 $603 -6.73
450–480 469 5 131.00–150.00 $139.08 $652 -6.82
513–535 524 6 140.00–150.00 $142.49 $747 +2.76
550–590 573 5 140.00–147.00 $142.43 $816 +3.64

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
289 289 5 151.00 $151.00 $436 —
350–375 358 3 150.00–156.00 $153.26 $549 +13.26
360–395 378 2 142.00 $142.00 $537 +2.00
400–440 412 23 140.00–148.00 $144.37 $595 +0.99
405–445 420 5 130.00–140.00 $136.89 $575 -6.49
450–495 469 20 135.00–146.00 $139.94 $656 +4.83
450–495 480 6 130.00–133.00 $130.98 $629 -4.13
500–545 517 15 133.00–142.00 $134.33 $694 +0.29
500–545 525 16 120.00–134.00 $129.14 $678 -12.89
550–590 575 13 120.00–130.00 $125.34 $721 -7.94
565–589 583 7 130.00–137.00 $135.05 $787 +1.77
600–645 615 8 130.00–135.00 $132.02 $812 -6.59
605–630 618 4 120.00–130.00 $125.05 $773 -13.56
660 660 1 120.00 $120.00 $792 -5.00
660–680 669 6 130.00–140.00 $135.97 $910 -1.03
845 845 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,014 -14.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 140.00 $140.00 $399 -20.00
305–340 323 6 130.00–150.00 $141.74 $458 +8.16
355 thin fleshed 355 1 170.00 $170.00 $604 —
350–380 363 3 126.00–141.00 $135.70 $493 +6.37
400–445 420 10 120.00–137.00 $127.03 $534 -5.11
450–490 466 8 121.00–140.00 $129.66 $604 -1.94
515–545 528 5 120.00–125.00 $121.00 $639 -7.53
550–580 567 7 120.00–130.00 $122.60 $695 -15.40
610 610 1 121.00 $121.00 $738 -4.03
675 675 1 115.00 $115.00 $776 -9.20
810 810 1 110.00 $110.00 $891 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 129.00 $129.00 $381 —
385 385 1 121.00 $121.00 $466 -2.39
430 430 1 117.00 $117.00 $503 -0.50
550 550 1 110.00 $110.00 $605 —
615 615 1 110.00 $110.00 $676 —
650 650 1 110.00 $110.00 $715 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330 330 2 180.00 $180.00 $594 -5.31
370–375 373 2 166.00–175.00 $170.53 $636 -15.18
416–420 thin fleshed 417 5 175.00–180.00 $178.99 $746 —
400–445 420 14 150.00–172.00 $161.45 $678 -5.58
460 thin fleshed 460 1 179.00 $179.00 $823 —
455–480 467 8 150.00–175.00 $159.40 $744 +5.19
500–545 519 17 140.00–162.00 $148.98 $773 -3.54
550–590 569 9 140.00–159.00 $148.08 $843 +11.08
600–640 621 13 142.00–157.00 $148.44 $922 +2.46
650–670 661 15 136.00–147.00 $139.53 $922 -0.51
680 680 1 128.00 $128.00 $870 -12.04
732–735 733 5 125.00–134.00 $126.81 $930 -8.71
775 775 1 120.00 $120.00 $930 -9.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 1 160.00 $160.00 $536 ±0.00
360–365 362 3 150.00–163.00 $155.31 $562 -1.09
415–430 423 2 140.00–149.00 $144.58 $612 +1.73
450–490 474 5 130.00–148.00 $140.28 $665 +1.37
500–535 517 8 130.00–144.00 $137.22 $709 -2.25
550–590 570 10 125.00–140.00 $134.78 $768 -2.77
605–635 614 7 120.00–133.00 $126.73 $778 -3.38
650–685 664 4 114.00–132.00 $125.79 $835 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
425–430 428 2 110.00–120.00 $114.97 $492 -6.03

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1005–1345 1176 80-85% 12 55.00–64.00 $59.69 $702 -6.17
1000–1460 1248 80-85% 24 65.00–75.00 $68.46 $854 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
840 840 85-90% 1 50.00 $50.00 $420 -22.44
845 845 85-90% 1 30.00 $30.00 $254 -42.44
855–870 863 85-90% 2 62.50–65.00 $63.74 $550 +1.74
930–1090 1004 85-90% 4 45.00–51.00 $48.86 $491 -11.60
925–1245 1048 85-90% 19 51.00–61.00 $56.09 $588 —
920–1240 1093 85-90% 5 62.00–70.00 $64.99 $710 -1.63
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1135–1455 1363 75-80% 7 60.00–65.00 $63.05 $859 —
1385–1625 1504 75-80% 4 69.00–75.00 $72.05 $1,084 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1240–2070 1469 9 85.00–95.00 $91.03 $1,337 —
1450–1495 1473 2 71.00–73.00 $71.98 $1,060 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
930 930 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 104.00 $104.00 $967

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1000–1150 1075 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 2 800.00–885.00 $845.47
950–1250 1079 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 12 675.00–1,140.00 $882.57
1000–1200 1083 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 3 900.00–1,175.00 $1,025.77
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1025–1245 1126 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 4 61.00–71.00 $66.52 $749

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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
900 900 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 650.00 $650.00 —
980 980 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 875.00 $875.00 —
950–1050 1003 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 3 825.00–1,150.00 $968.94 —

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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.