Cattle Market Pulse

Ash Flat Livestock Auction Market Report

Ash Flat, Arkansas · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, September 22, 2023

879 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 $222.43/cwt -1.75 vs last sale · ≈ $1,166/hd at 524 lb · 23 head
heavy 3-weight M&L 1 heifers $237.31/cwt -1.24 vs last sale · ≈ $898/hd at 378 lb · 22 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 steers $281.70/cwt +15.39 vs last sale · ≈ $1,197/hd at 425 lb · 20 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 879 1,198 1,862
Feeder cattle 755 914 1,682
Slaughter cattle 99 239 140
Replacement cattle 25 45 40

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers sold 3.00-6.00 higher. Feeder heifers sold steady to 2.00 lower. Slaughter cows sold 3.00-6.00 lower. Slaughter bulls sold 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
310–345 323 4 260.00–270.00 $262.44 $848 -19.93
375–395 385 2 260.00–277.00 $268.72 $1,035 -11.34
400–445 425 20 265.00–291.00 $281.70 $1,197 +15.39
460–488 473 17 259.00–284.00 $273.27 $1,293 +4.00
510–545 533 10 255.00–270.00 $261.14 $1,392 -5.54
550–580 567 15 250.00–275.00 $260.41 $1,477 +12.30
600–640 616 13 245.00–268.00 $256.25 $1,578 +5.09
655–695 676 11 240.00–260.00 $252.32 $1,706 +17.87
765–770 768 2 235.00–240.00 $237.51 $1,824 —
800–835 818 2 220.00–245.00 $232.23 $1,900 —
955 955 1 197.00 $197.00 $1,881 -19.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370–395 383 2 240.00–250.00 $244.84 $938 -0.23
390 thin fleshed 390 1 270.00 $270.00 $1,053 —
430–445 439 4 240.00–260.00 $251.32 $1,103 +21.32
455–495 468 6 225.00–258.00 $244.81 $1,146 +12.69
510–545 523 3 220.00–240.00 $233.06 $1,219 +4.52
550–575 565 6 230.00–247.00 $240.96 $1,361 +10.96
640 640 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,536 +16.56
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
390 390 1 220.00 $220.00 $858 —
455–470 462 3 180.00–220.00 $194.93 $901 -15.07
500–525 513 2 200.00 $200.00 $1,026 —
635–645 640 2 179.00–200.00 $189.42 $1,212 —
825 825 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,320 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300–345 321 17 220.00–242.00 $231.31 $743 -14.36
355–395 376 17 220.00–247.00 $232.40 $874 -6.15
386 fancy 386 5 254.00 $254.00 $980 —
400–448 434 14 220.00–246.00 $233.19 $1,012 -0.57
450–495 468 19 215.00–236.00 $229.34 $1,073 -3.66
500–545 524 23 210.00–233.00 $222.43 $1,166 -1.75
550–595 579 19 210.00–231.00 $219.82 $1,273 -1.87
613 613 3 240.00 $240.00 $1,471 +15.94
600–645 620 9 215.00–230.00 $218.85 $1,357 -5.21
622 622 3 248.00 $248.00 $1,543 +23.94
655–695 668 7 210.00–230.00 $222.81 $1,488 -3.00
705–745 729 8 210.00–230.00 $218.68 $1,594 +3.13
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320–340 332 3 190.00–200.00 $196.58 $653 -23.95
385–395 388 3 210.00–215.00 $211.70 $821 -4.88
425–445 435 4 190.00–210.00 $202.89 $883 -2.18
454–480 464 10 195.00–210.00 $204.38 $948 -2.49
505–540 523 2 190.00–208.00 $199.30 $1,042 +9.30
560–580 572 3 190.00–200.00 $196.62 $1,125 -3.38
620 620 1 199.00 $199.00 $1,234 -1.00
690–695 693 2 198.00–202.00 $200.01 $1,386 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
395 395 1 190.00 $190.00 $750 ±0.00
655 655 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,048 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345–347 347 4 260.00–275.00 $271.27 $941 +3.16
350–395 375 7 260.00–285.00 $272.52 $1,022 +12.68
402–440 421 11 256.00–275.00 $267.29 $1,125 +5.38
430 fancy 430 1 281.00 $281.00 $1,208 -4.00
450–475 460 4 250.00–267.00 $258.07 $1,187 -5.46
460 fancy 460 1 278.00 $278.00 $1,279 —
505–530 518 3 240.00–248.00 $242.73 $1,257 +1.60
550–595 574 10 225.00–247.00 $236.30 $1,356 +8.84
605–645 625 2 220.00–231.00 $225.32 $1,408 +6.19
650–690 670 5 200.00–220.00 $214.75 $1,439 -30.25
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305–330 317 3 230.00–240.00 $236.79 $751 -13.21
350–390 366 4 230.00–255.00 $239.15 $875 +9.38
400–435 419 8 240.00–245.00 $242.51 $1,016 +11.45
450–495 478 4 220.00–240.00 $225.86 $1,080 -6.61
500–545 519 7 210.00–235.00 $223.83 $1,162 +4.65
570–595 580 4 219.00–220.00 $219.50 $1,273 +4.95
600–625 613 2 200.00–205.00 $202.45 $1,241 +2.45
670–690 676 4 170.00–180.00 $176.99 $1,196 -29.37
750 750 2 155.00–180.00 $167.50 $1,256 —
805 805 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,208 -40.00
925 925 2 135.00 $135.00 $1,249 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370–395 383 2 220.00 $220.00 $843 +20.00
410–445 428 2 210.00 $210.00 $899 +14.97
490 490 1 200.00 $200.00 $980 +20.00
530 530 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,060 —
605 605 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,028 —
680 680 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,156 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
815–1185 1040 80-85% 9 81.00–85.00 $82.84 $862 -12.70
985–1220 1103 80-85% 14 86.00–90.00 $88.38 $975 —
1030–1355 1144 80-85% 6 91.00–93.00 $92.06 $1,053 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1245–1465 1324 75-80% 4 99.00–102.00 $100.32 $1,328 +2.32
1160–1700 1374 75-80% 11 94.00–97.00 $95.37 $1,310 —
1210–1985 1482 75-80% 9 88.00–93.00 $90.04 $1,334 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
895–1040 974 85-90% 5 71.00–78.00 $74.76 $728 —
940–1215 1110 85-90% 5 60.00–70.00 $65.52 $727 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
935–1495 1293 5 107.00–115.00 $112.01 $1,448 —
1310–1875 1578 11 117.00–124.00 $120.46 $1,901 —
1620–2020 1789 4 126.00–130.00 $127.71 $2,285 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
900 900 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 975.00 $975.00
1150 1150 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,225.00 $1,225.00
1050–1250 1167 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,125.00–1,575.00 $1,315.71
1200–1300 1250 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,425.00–1,500.00 $1,461.00
1100–1775 1306 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 4 1,200.00–1,775.00 $1,523.80
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1090 1090 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 85.00 $85.00 $926
1070–1230 1150 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 92.00–101.00 $96.81 $1,113
1300 1300 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 91.00 $91.00 $1,183
1590 1590 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 101.00 $101.00 $1,606

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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.