Cattle Market Pulse

Ash Flat Livestock Auction Market Report

Ash Flat, Arkansas · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, December 8, 2023

970 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $227.65/cwt +2.30 vs last sale · ≈ $1,291/hd at 567 lb · 21 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $198.09/cwt -11.35 vs last sale · ≈ $942/hd at 476 lb · 20 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $189.00/cwt +3.35 vs last sale · ≈ $1,002/hd at 530 lb · 20 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 970 449 718
Feeder cattle 823 378 648
Slaughter cattle 121 53 60
Replacement cattle 26 18 10

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers sold steady. Feeder heifers sold 2.00-4.00 higher. Slaughter cows sold steady to 1.00 higher. Slaughter bulls sold 1.00-2.00 lower. 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
310–335 324 7 270.00–284.00 $274.90 $891 +10.10
365–390 380 5 220.00–244.00 $226.78 $862 -24.79
418–445 430 9 250.00–276.00 $257.51 $1,107 +12.57
440 fancy 440 1 284.00 $284.00 $1,250 —
465 fancy 465 1 273.00 $273.00 $1,269 —
450–495 476 12 220.00–255.00 $239.17 $1,138 -0.89
505 fancy 505 1 266.00 $266.00 $1,343 —
500–540 517 16 220.00–240.00 $231.16 $1,195 +7.82
550–595 567 21 220.00–240.00 $227.65 $1,291 +2.30
605–640 619 11 216.00–240.00 $224.50 $1,390 +8.15
660–698 688 5 200.00–219.00 $209.87 $1,444 —
738 738 3 199.00 $199.00 $1,469 +5.57
770–775 772 3 182.00–200.00 $194.01 $1,498 —
850 850 1 169.00 $169.00 $1,436 —
940 940 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,316 -29.00
978 value added 978 2 166.00 $166.00 $1,623 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310–335 318 3 230.00–250.00 $239.74 $762 +29.74
355–365 360 3 200.00 $200.00 $720 —
420–435 428 2 225.00–240.00 $232.37 $995 —
460–495 483 4 200.00–210.00 $202.56 $978 +17.56
520 520 1 190.00 $190.00 $988 ±0.00
580–595 591 7 200.00–215.00 $208.62 $1,233 +14.42
615–630 623 2 190.00–200.00 $195.06 $1,215 —
740 740 1 155.00 $155.00 $1,147 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
405 405 1 210.00 $210.00 $850 —
460–480 470 2 185.00–190.00 $187.45 $881 —
528 528 2 196.00 $196.00 $1,035 +36.00
550–565 558 3 170.00–190.00 $183.31 $1,023 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305–340 325 5 200.00–210.00 $206.39 $671 +1.72
350–390 371 17 200.00–217.00 $205.23 $761 -11.23
400–445 426 10 200.00–213.00 $204.40 $871 —
433 value added 433 3 215.00 $215.00 $931 —
450 fancy 450 1 216.00 $216.00 $972 —
460–495 477 19 190.00–211.00 $197.15 $940 -10.71
500–547 530 20 180.00–201.00 $189.00 $1,002 +3.35
550–595 567 14 180.00–200.00 $190.85 $1,082 +8.50
600–645 612 11 175.00–194.00 $184.58 $1,130 +8.32
625 fancy 625 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,250 —
650–694 682 13 185.00–190.00 $186.31 $1,271 +16.31
705–715 712 5 170.00–185.00 $181.03 $1,289 +13.56
780 780 1 158.00 $158.00 $1,232 —
800–835 818 2 150.00–160.00 $154.89 $1,267 —
870–880 875 2 164.00–165.00 $164.50 $1,439 -14.50
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320–345 335 10 170.00–180.00 $175.55 $588 —
350–395 372 7 175.00–193.00 $183.10 $681 -0.74
405–435 420 6 170.00–185.00 $178.04 $748 +3.04
450–490 477 10 170.00–185.00 $176.54 $842 -6.04
530 530 1 173.00 $173.00 $917 +13.00
560–570 566 4 170.00–185.00 $177.47 $1,004 —
605–630 618 2 170.00–171.00 $170.51 $1,054 —
670–680 677 3 150.00–170.00 $160.62 $1,087 —
705 705 1 140.00 $140.00 $987 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
323 323 1 175.00 $175.00 $565 —
365 365 1 170.00 $170.00 $620 —
415–435 420 4 160.00–163.00 $160.78 $675 —
450 450 1 160.00 $160.00 $720 —
520 520 1 155.00 $155.00 $806 —
Medium 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
552 552 3 185.00 $185.00 $1,021 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300–345 323 4 250.00–260.00 $252.64 $816 -9.64
355–390 376 4 236.00–250.00 $246.70 $928 +6.72
400 fancy 400 1 290.00 $290.00 $1,160 +33.00
400–430 417 6 240.00–251.00 $245.38 $1,023 +2.82
450–495 471 11 220.00–245.00 $229.88 $1,083 -6.08
509–545 518 12 220.00–240.00 $223.65 $1,159 +14.78
575–585 582 3 220.00–243.00 $234.28 $1,364 +31.95
600–645 623 7 185.00–200.00 $191.25 $1,191 -1.27
650–690 662 5 185.00–200.00 $191.17 $1,266 +15.14
730 730 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,460 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 2 210.00–220.00 $215.00 $742 -12.94
355–375 363 4 200.00–220.00 $207.55 $753 —
430 430 1 190.00 $190.00 $817 -30.00
465–490 485 5 200.00–215.00 $207.07 $1,004 -7.40
500–545 522 14 190.00–212.00 $202.77 $1,058 +12.77
550–595 567 6 190.00–210.00 $199.99 $1,134 +16.93
735–745 740 2 172.00–184.00 $178.04 $1,317 —
770 770 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,386 —
880 880 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,232 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
374 374 7 180.00 $180.00 $673 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
510–520 515 2 185.00 $185.00 $953 —
570–590 580 2 164.00–180.00 $171.86 $997 —
725 725 1 155.00 $155.00 $1,124 —

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Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1050–1575 1306 75-80% 17 91.00–99.00 $94.87 $1,239 —
1275–1635 1408 75-80% 9 80.00–89.00 $85.04 $1,197 -11.96
1270–1595 1428 75-80% 4 102.00–107.00 $105.13 $1,501 +8.13
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
980–1100 1042 80-85% 6 80.00–85.00 $82.79 $863 +0.01
965–1175 1086 80-85% 4 77.00–78.00 $77.48 $841 —
1005–1315 1154 80-85% 13 86.00–90.00 $87.88 $1,014 +9.55
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
850–1025 933 85-90% 6 70.00–74.00 $72.69 $678 —
785–1160 972 85-90% 5 60.00–69.00 $66.13 $643 -6.61

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1040–1685 1330 3 84.00–94.00 $87.56 $1,165 —
1160–2060 1536 7 101.00–105.00 $103.25 $1,586 —
1540–1945 1830 5 110.00–120.00 $112.90 $2,066 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
960 960 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 107.00 $107.00 $1,027
955–1280 1118 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 82.00–83.00 $82.57 $923
980–1300 1140 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 84.00–90.00 $87.42 $997
1080–1345 1198 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 5 82.00–97.00 $90.23 $1,081
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
900 900 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 900.00 $900.00
800–1100 950 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 7 900.00–1,475.00 $1,102.26

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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
900–1100 1000 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 3 875.00–1,250.00 $1,100.83 —
1050 1050 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 2 1,400.00–1,500.00 $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.