Cattle Market Pulse

Ash Flat Livestock Auction Market Report

Ash Flat, Arkansas · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, May 19, 2023

749 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $196.79/cwt -6.04 vs last sale · ≈ $1,033/hd at 525 lb · 27 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 bulls $231.83/cwt -8.17 vs last sale · ≈ $1,099/hd at 474 lb · 26 head
heavy 3-weight M&L 1 heifers $219.23/cwt -1.14 vs last sale · ≈ $813/hd at 371 lb · 18 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 749 891 677
Feeder cattle 602 792 551
Slaughter cattle 122 79 101
Replacement cattle 25 20 25

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers sold 2.00-4.00 lower. Feeder heifers sold steady to 2.00 lower. Slaughter cows sold steady to 1.00 higher. Slaughter bulls sold steady to 2.00 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
303–325 309 6 232.50–260.00 $248.63 $768 -12.57
325 fancy 325 1 272.50 $272.50 $886 —
375 fancy 375 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,012 —
385–390 388 2 242.50–247.50 $245.02 $951 -12.46
405–440 421 9 237.50–257.50 $243.58 $1,025 -8.59
455–495 469 7 225.00–250.00 $238.36 $1,118 -5.56
505–535 523 10 220.00–245.00 $238.74 $1,249 -5.44
550–585 569 8 212.50–235.00 $224.25 $1,276 -3.07
600–640 619 7 215.00–235.00 $223.55 $1,384 +12.03
675 675 1 192.00 $192.00 $1,296 -18.00
750 750 1 192.50 $192.50 $1,444 +17.50
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 320 1 230.00 $230.00 $736 +14.85
365 365 1 220.00 $220.00 $803 —
425 425 5 220.00–232.50 $227.50 $967 +11.79
500–545 523 3 190.00–210.00 $198.54 $1,038 -18.04
565–595 580 2 210.00–212.50 $211.22 $1,225 +16.16
635 635 2 195.00–210.00 $202.50 $1,286 +14.47
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
435 435 1 195.00 $195.00 $848 —
565–585 579 6 180.00–186.00 $184.83 $1,070 +7.33
605 605 1 186.00 $186.00 $1,125 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310–348 341 14 205.00–229.00 $222.67 $759 -2.64
370 370 1 182.50 $182.50 $675 -37.87
355–385 371 17 210.00–235.00 $221.39 $821 +1.02
405–440 424 17 210.00–224.00 $216.20 $917 +4.93
455–495 474 18 192.50–212.50 $201.10 $953 -2.21
505–545 525 27 190.00–210.00 $196.79 $1,033 +16.79
550–590 569 10 182.50–200.00 $191.48 $1,090 +5.48
600–645 627 5 170.00–187.50 $180.45 $1,131 +0.68
680 680 1 177.50 $177.50 $1,207 +2.50
700–740 721 4 160.00–180.00 $168.75 $1,217 —
755–780 768 3 142.50–158.00 $152.76 $1,173 -17.24
825 825 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,320 +10.00
830 830 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,079 -20.00
850 850 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,275 +7.50
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 1 180.00 $180.00 $603 -13.57
365–395 374 5 190.00–200.00 $195.94 $733 -7.18
415–445 433 6 180.00–202.50 $194.18 $841 +7.60
450–495 471 8 170.00–187.50 $181.33 $854 +2.86
500–540 522 8 160.00–187.50 $178.86 $934 -6.14
555–590 574 4 172.50–177.50 $175.62 $1,008 +6.59
735 735 1 130.00 $130.00 $956 -26.28
830 830 1 125.00 $125.00 $1,038 +5.00
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410–430 420 2 150.00–160.00 $155.12 $652 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310–345 334 7 230.00–260.00 $245.90 $821 -11.62
350–395 379 16 230.00–260.00 $243.91 $924 -8.31
400–445 423 17 237.50–260.00 $243.51 $1,030 -3.09
450–495 474 26 220.00–252.50 $231.83 $1,099 -8.17
500–535 516 7 212.50–232.50 $223.45 $1,153 +0.87
565 565 1 170.00 $170.00 $960 -37.96
555–590 568 8 202.50–227.50 $212.72 $1,208 +4.76
615–640 629 5 190.00–205.00 $197.52 $1,242 +10.66
680 680 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,292 +5.00
700–715 708 2 185.00–200.00 $192.58 $1,363 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325–340 332 3 200.00–230.00 $220.20 $731 —
350–392 382 8 210.00–230.00 $223.90 $855 —
400–445 424 6 212.50–235.00 $225.87 $958 -4.13
505–540 521 4 190.00–205.00 $198.03 $1,032 +5.40
555–595 571 10 182.50–200.00 $193.80 $1,107 +6.34
645 645 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,096 -2.46
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305 305 1 190.00 $190.00 $580 —
425 425 1 202.50 $202.50 $861 +17.50
500 500 1 182.50 $182.50 $912 +22.50

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
905–1205 1043 80-85% 20 82.00–88.00 $85.63 $893 —
965–1395 1158 80-85% 21 91.00–95.00 $93.52 $1,083 —
1035–1525 1232 80-85% 21 96.00–100.00 $96.97 $1,195 +11.64
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
615–935 742 85-90% 5 57.00–68.00 $62.07 $461 —
665–1190 960 85-90% 11 72.00–81.00 $79.17 $760 +2.20
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1130–1595 1360 75-80% 8 101.00–104.00 $102.65 $1,396 —
1300–1575 1463 75-80% 4 106.00–109.00 $107.46 $1,572 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1030–1090 1060 2 110.00–112.00 $111.03 $1,177 —
1205 1205 1 104.00 $104.00 $1,253 —
1445–1725 1536 5 109.00–113.00 $110.93 $1,704 —
1880–2325 2103 2 117.00–127.00 $121.47 $2,555 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1050 1050 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 88.00 $88.00 $924

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
850–1050 950 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 950.00–1,150.00 $1,073.68
950–1050 1000 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 900.00–1,025.00 $956.25
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1330 1330 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 95.00 $95.00 $1,264

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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
1000–1200 1100 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 2 1,175.00–1,250.00 $1,215.91 -84.09

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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.