Cattle Market Pulse

Ash Flat Livestock Auction Market Report

Ash Flat, Arkansas · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, August 18, 2023

782 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 4-weight M&L 1 bulls $266.97/cwt -3.10 vs last sale · ≈ $1,106/hd at 414 lb · 27 head
heavy 3-weight M&L 2 heifers $219.83/cwt -15.23 vs last sale · ≈ $812/hd at 369 lb · 22 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $277.41/cwt +24.56 vs last sale · ≈ $1,642/hd at 592 lb · 22 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 782 891 674
Feeder cattle 662 707 577
Slaughter cattle 90 114 67
Replacement cattle 30 70 30

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers under 500 lbs sold 10.00 to15.00 higher on limited comparisons to last week. Feeder steers over 500 lbs were not well tested. Feeder heifers under 450 lbs sold 8.00 to 10.00 lower, heifers over 450 lbs were 8.00 to 10.00 higher, again on limited comparisons to last weeks sale. Slaughter cows were 5.00 to 8.00 higher and slaughter bulls were 5.00 to 10.00 lower. Supply was moderate and demand was good on most ranges of cattle today, with the exception of a larger than average offering of new crop unweaned and fleshy calves that were discounted by buyers pushed some classifications lower.

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
290–295 293 3 300.00–307.50 $304.15 $891 —
295 value added 295 9 312.50 $312.50 $922 —
315 value added 315 1 315.00 $315.00 $992 —
310–345 322 3 270.00–295.00 $286.17 $921 +15.44
400–442 432 11 262.00–278.00 $265.34 $1,146 +9.74
455–475 465 2 265.00–277.50 $271.12 $1,261 +18.52
500–540 519 4 255.00–262.50 $260.00 $1,349 +2.75
550–555 553 3 258.00–278.00 $267.34 $1,478 +21.49
598 value added 598 19 279.00 $279.00 $1,668 —
615–620 619 10 242.50–261.00 $244.60 $1,514 -7.81
665–685 673 5 240.00–250.00 $242.18 $1,630 -5.48
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
285 285 1 258.00 $258.00 $735 —
360–380 370 2 240.00–250.00 $244.86 $906 -3.92
438 438 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,007 ±0.00
450–490 475 3 200.00–220.00 $213.12 $1,012 -17.33
510–530 522 3 210.00–237.50 $228.04 $1,190 +5.54
565–595 576 7 217.50–246.00 $230.54 $1,328 —
610 value added 610 1 245.00 $245.00 $1,494 —
660 value added 660 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,584 —
725 725 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,668 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
529 529 9 253.00 $253.00 $1,338 —
628 628 4 232.00 $232.00 $1,457 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310–335 323 2 220.00–240.00 $230.39 $744 +18.31
350–395 368 18 200.00–240.00 $222.57 $819 -12.49
375 375 4 200.00–210.00 $207.50 $778 -27.56
400–444 417 13 210.00–220.00 $214.79 $896 -4.41
455–490 476 6 200.00–220.00 $208.88 $994 +7.93
505–540 513 10 200.00–215.00 $209.50 $1,075 +0.88
535 thin fleshed 535 1 237.50 $237.50 $1,271 —
570–590 582 3 200.00–221.00 $212.97 $1,239 +14.34
605 605 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,119 -5.00
600–625 615 3 200.00–210.00 $204.21 $1,256 +14.21
645 value added 645 1 228.00 $228.00 $1,471 —
655 655 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,310 +7.50
700 700 1 187.50 $187.50 $1,312 +4.97
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 1 300.00 $300.00 $870 —
335 335 1 220.00 $220.00 $737 -32.17
351–395 366 7 200.00–235.00 $227.37 $832 -30.13
365–375 370 2 240.00–257.50 $248.63 $920 -8.87
410–435 424 5 200.00–232.00 $222.79 $945 -25.10
430–435 433 2 232.00–242.00 $237.03 $1,026 -10.86
440 value added 440 1 252.00 $252.00 $1,109 —
450–470 461 5 232.50–247.50 $239.05 $1,102 +10.13
460–465 463 3 220.00–232.00 $227.99 $1,056 -0.93
510–520 515 2 240.00–246.00 $243.03 $1,252 +14.15
510–540 524 4 200.00–230.00 $219.89 $1,152 -8.99
555–578 573 5 200.00–220.00 $212.96 $1,220 -13.28
578 value added 578 13 255.00 $255.00 $1,474 —
600 600 2 240.00–241.00 $240.50 $1,443 +25.67
610 610 1 212.00 $212.00 $1,293 -2.83
625 value added 625 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,562 —
650–685 665 3 200.00–222.00 $207.62 $1,381 -3.91
715 715 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,573 +5.00
735 735 1 186.00 $186.00 $1,367 -29.00
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
355–365 360 3 160.00–175.00 $170.00 $612 -30.00
505 505 1 190.00 $190.00 $960 +10.00
605 605 1 162.00 $162.00 $980 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
535 535 1 245.00 $245.00 $1,311 —
Medium 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
480 480 1 200.00 $200.00 $960 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
250 250 1 250.00 $250.00 $625 —
310 310 1 287.50 $287.50 $891 -0.15
370 370 1 250.00 $250.00 $925 -35.76
405–440 413 25 245.00–280.00 $268.74 $1,110 -1.33
420–440 430 2 240.00–250.00 $244.88 $1,053 -25.19
475–485 480 2 240.00–250.00 $244.95 $1,176 -12.47
500–520 510 2 250.00–255.00 $252.45 $1,287 +7.62
525 525 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,208 -14.83
555 555 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,221 -16.52
555–572 568 5 235.00–242.50 $240.51 $1,366 +3.99
600 600 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,260 -21.52
600–601 601 8 230.00–242.50 $234.69 $1,410 +3.17
665 665 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,396 -24.96
685 685 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,438 -24.96
905 905 1 189.00 $189.00 $1,710 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335–345 340 2 200.00–220.00 $210.15 $715 -39.78
350 350 1 230.00 $230.00 $805 —
355–380 367 9 200.00–262.50 $230.75 $847 -30.49
400–430 418 5 220.00–242.00 $233.88 $978 +1.59
435 thin fleshed 435 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,044 —
460–485 466 5 220.00–242.50 $234.03 $1,091 +6.79
505–530 518 5 200.00–235.00 $224.17 $1,161 +6.26
530 thin fleshed 530 1 237.50 $237.50 $1,259 —
550–560 553 3 215.00–227.50 $223.19 $1,234 +6.86
645 645 3 225.00–232.50 $230.00 $1,484 —
680 680 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,428 —
725 725 1 197.50 $197.50 $1,432 +6.27
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
460 460 1 170.00 $170.00 $782 -35.00

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
665 665 85-90% 1 50.00 $50.00 $332 —
780 780 85-90% 1 93.00 $93.00 $725 —
750–850 798 85-90% 3 81.00–86.00 $83.99 $670 —
820–845 833 85-90% 2 70.00–78.00 $74.06 $617 —
905–1090 983 85-90% 5 84.00–92.00 $88.09 $866 —
925–1240 1073 85-90% 8 95.00–105.00 $100.04 $1,073 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
950–1455 1103 80-85% 6 103.00–110.00 $106.30 $1,172 +0.43
965–1280 1168 80-85% 4 95.00–102.00 $99.77 $1,165 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1050–1455 1311 75-80% 10 103.00–117.00 $112.43 $1,474 -3.13

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1280–1375 1328 2 102.00–105.00 $103.45 $1,374 —
1260–1750 1503 8 108.00–123.00 $117.12 $1,760 —
1800–2150 1945 4 123.00–137.00 $127.67 $2,483 -8.35

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1040 1040 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 145.00 $145.00 $1,508

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1080 1080 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,250.00 $1,250.00
1075–1180 1129 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 4 1,050.00–1,600.00 $1,320.51
1180–1260 1213 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 3 1,350.00–1,800.00 $1,604.67
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
800 800 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 1 122.50 $122.50 $980
860–980 920 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 130.00–170.00 $148.70 $1,368

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1000 1000 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 1 1,800.00 $1,800.00

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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 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 2,325.00 $2,325.00 —
975–1000 988 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 2 1,500.00–1,625.00 $1,561.71 -183.16
1000–1050 1025 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 1,435.00–2,225.00 $1,820.37 +170.37
1000–1200 1090 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 5 1,650.00–2,200.00 $1,987.61 +167.30
1050–1150 1100 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 2 2,200.00–2,375.00 $2,291.48 —
1200 1200 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,350.00 $2,350.00 —

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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.