Cattle Market Pulse

Ash Flat Livestock Auction Market Report

Ash Flat, Arkansas · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, March 17, 2023

579 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $200.14/cwt +6.31 vs last sale · ≈ $939/hd at 469 lb · 13 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 2 heifers $176.11/cwt +3.42 vs last sale · ≈ $828/hd at 470 lb · 13 head
light 4-weight M&L 2 bulls $201.89/cwt +13.46 vs last sale · ≈ $886/hd at 439 lb · 10 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 579 593 807
Feeder cattle 420 454 615
Slaughter cattle 131 79 142
Replacement cattle 28 60 50

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers lightly tested, no trend established. Feeder heifers steady to 3.00 lower. Slaughter cows steady to 3.00 higher. Slaughter bulls steady to 3.00 higher. Demand good for all classes.

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
365–393 384 6 200.00–230.00 $223.86 $860 -21.75
410–425 419 5 222.50–242.50 $231.02 $968 -9.92
455 fancy 455 1 237.50 $237.50 $1,081 -10.50
450–480 464 8 210.00–230.00 $218.51 $1,014 -13.16
540–545 543 2 190.00–217.00 $203.56 $1,105 -9.38
560–570 565 2 205.00–215.00 $209.96 $1,186 +13.48
625 625 1 195.00 $195.00 $1,219 +9.26
650–675 663 2 176.00–187.00 $181.60 $1,204 +3.10
900 900 1 142.50 $142.50 $1,282 -3.50
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 1 242.50 $242.50 $812 +56.92
360–385 370 4 192.50–215.00 $202.42 $749 +42.42
435 435 1 212.50 $212.50 $924 +13.71
455–485 469 9 186.00–207.50 $193.27 $906 -2.49
505–510 508 2 189.00 $189.00 $960 +7.67
560–565 563 2 180.00–197.50 $188.79 $1,063 +11.08
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
350–395 373 2 146.00–165.00 $154.93 $578 -22.69
420–445 439 4 150.00–180.00 $172.82 $759 +12.82
465 465 1 180.00 $180.00 $837 +7.37

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330–345 338 5 195.00–209.00 $202.16 $683 +0.92
355–395 377 8 187.50–211.00 $200.66 $756 -4.62
405–440 425 6 190.00–209.00 $200.30 $851 -1.56
450–495 469 13 189.00–206.00 $200.14 $939 +20.42
500–540 513 6 175.00–193.00 $184.23 $945 +20.49
560–595 569 5 165.00–181.00 $173.06 $985 +1.38
600–645 625 3 159.00–162.00 $160.67 $1,004 -12.59
650–685 666 5 158.00–165.00 $162.16 $1,080 —
695 695 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,112 —
870 fancy 870 2 144.00 $144.00 $1,253 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300–335 318 2 160.00–175.00 $167.91 $534 -0.75
365–398 392 9 184.00–192.50 $185.22 $726 +13.78
415–440 428 6 170.00–191.00 $180.06 $771 +1.90
460–495 470 13 167.50–185.00 $176.11 $828 +3.42
510–545 526 5 158.00–170.00 $163.79 $862 —
560–575 571 6 159.00–161.00 $159.66 $912 +5.88
645–647 647 4 139.00–157.00 $152.51 $987 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370 370 1 160.00 $160.00 $592 +35.00
425 425 1 165.00 $165.00 $701 +8.28
473 value added 473 2 147.50 $147.50 $698 —
495 495 2 155.00 $155.00 $767 —
505–535 520 2 120.00–140.00 $130.29 $678 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310–335 327 3 220.00–236.00 $228.63 $748 +8.67
350–385 369 7 220.00–245.00 $235.66 $870 -2.29
403 fancy 403 2 274.50 $274.50 $1,106 —
410–445 426 4 220.00–242.50 $232.93 $992 +2.48
455–480 465 3 187.50–205.00 $194.09 $903 -34.24
530 530 1 205.00 $205.00 $1,086 +8.99
575 575 1 187.50 $187.50 $1,078 +16.50
615–630 623 2 175.00–178.00 $176.48 $1,099 +16.12
670–690 680 2 170.00–171.00 $170.51 $1,159 +5.69
705 705 2 157.50–165.00 $161.25 $1,137 -11.43
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335–340 338 2 200.00–207.50 $203.72 $689 -23.21
380 380 1 177.50 $177.50 $674 -12.64
415–446 439 10 197.50–217.50 $201.89 $886 +4.25
450–495 473 3 170.00–187.00 $177.27 $838 -20.55
515 515 1 181.00 $181.00 $932 -4.00
850 850 1 142.00 $142.00 $1,207 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
344 value added 344 4 255.00 $255.00 $877 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
420 420 1 175.00 $175.00 $735 +33.35
490 490 1 160.00 $160.00 $784 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
780–1415 1093 80-85% 20 84.00–90.00 $87.39 $955 —
1110–1175 1143 80-85% 3 80.00–82.00 $80.65 $922 -2.55
1080–1365 1191 80-85% 8 91.00–94.00 $92.19 $1,098 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
800–900 853 85-90% 4 42.00–65.00 $57.50 $490 —
785–1145 961 85-90% 15 70.00–79.00 $74.14 $712 +0.88
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1235–1315 1275 75-80% 2 96.00–97.00 $96.48 $1,230 +1.04

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1430–1580 1518 3 97.00–108.00 $101.08 $1,534 —
1700–2015 1858 2 119.00–120.00 $119.54 $2,221 —
1855–1930 1905 3 113.00–114.00 $113.66 $2,165 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
840–970 915 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 4 800.00–1,100.00 $916.94
845–1190 996 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 6 900.00–1,175.00 $1,014.60
900–1100 1020 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,000.00–1,075.00 $1,041.67
900–1300 1101 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 6 1,000.00–1,175.00 $1,094.25
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1065–1165 1115 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 83.00–93.00 $88.22 $984
1160 1160 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 94.00 $94.00 $1,090
1140–1195 1168 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 82.00–93.00 $87.63 $1,024

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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
945 945 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 1,150.00 $1,150.00 —
1250 1250 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)Open 1 1,200.00 $1,200.00 —
1300 1300 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 1,450.00 $1,450.00 —

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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.