Cattle Market Pulse

Ash Flat Livestock Auction Market Report

Ash Flat, Arkansas · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, February 16, 2024

694 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $270.44/cwt +28.72 vs last sale · ≈ $1,160/hd at 429 lb · 26 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers $312.43/cwt +12.51 vs last sale · ≈ $1,509/hd at 483 lb · 17 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 bulls $314.26/cwt +20.51 vs last sale · ≈ $1,324/hd at 421 lb · 12 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 694 865 832
Feeder cattle 572 700 684
Slaughter cattle 84 91 148
Replacement cattle 38 74 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers sold 5.00 higher. Feeder heifers sold 8.00-10.00 higher. Slaughter cows sold 1.00-3.00 higher. Slaughter bulls sold steady to 1.00 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
315–340 326 4 300.00–320.00 $310.81 $1,013 —
350–385 365 3 300.00–320.00 $311.03 $1,135 +9.35
400–445 422 7 297.50–325.00 $312.11 $1,317 +24.57
455–494 483 17 300.00–330.00 $312.43 $1,509 +12.51
503–535 513 12 287.50–315.00 $299.25 $1,535 +13.57
550–590 573 9 259.00–277.50 $267.33 $1,532 -0.62
635 635 2 257.00–265.00 $261.00 $1,657 +3.32
650 650 2 257.50–265.00 $261.25 $1,698 -1.25
860 860 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,849 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320–335 328 2 255.00–270.00 $262.33 $860 —
405–448 434 3 265.00–285.00 $271.23 $1,177 +21.23
475 475 1 293.00 $293.00 $1,392 +28.70
513–528 519 5 255.00–262.50 $259.45 $1,347 +4.45
685 685 1 235.00 $235.00 $1,610 -1.73
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
480 480 1 242.00 $242.00 $1,162 +17.00
545 545 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,144 —
675 675 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,350 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305–340 323 5 260.00–285.00 $267.99 $866 -27.01
375–395 382 9 260.00–287.50 $274.89 $1,050 +39.06
400–445 429 26 255.00–280.00 $270.44 $1,160 +28.72
460–495 470 11 250.00–265.00 $258.88 $1,217 +11.13
500–540 520 9 235.00–255.00 $247.66 $1,288 -2.93
525 value added 525 2 267.50 $267.50 $1,404 —
550–595 577 10 220.00–245.00 $233.25 $1,346 +0.42
600–640 617 9 220.00–242.50 $233.02 $1,438 +6.07
650–675 662 3 220.00–230.00 $224.97 $1,489 -0.01
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300–345 317 3 235.00–255.00 $248.68 $788 +17.42
350–380 364 4 220.00–255.00 $239.83 $873 +21.83
400–435 418 3 240.00–254.00 $247.93 $1,036 +29.76
470–490 478 3 225.00–235.00 $230.05 $1,100 +11.42
510–545 533 4 220.00–225.00 $223.10 $1,189 +10.60
580 580 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,247 +15.00
775 775 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,550 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
370 370 1 200.00 $200.00 $740 —
465 465 1 210.00 $210.00 $976 +3.21
505 505 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,010 —
555 555 1 167.50 $167.50 $930 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305–340 322 8 285.00–305.00 $295.49 $951 -2.48
335 fancy 335 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,072 —
350–395 373 9 292.50–322.50 $312.24 $1,165 +49.71
395 fancy 395 1 355.00 $355.00 $1,402 —
400–445 421 10 297.50–325.00 $309.88 $1,305 +16.13
415–430 fancy 423 2 332.50–340.00 $336.18 $1,422 —
450–490 466 4 270.00–307.50 $295.47 $1,377 +13.58
520 fancy 520 1 315.00 $315.00 $1,638 —
515–540 527 3 270.00–302.50 $290.89 $1,533 +16.91
560–575 570 3 260.00–282.50 $268.21 $1,529 +33.36
610–640 631 4 227.50–245.00 $234.47 $1,480 -28.00
682 682 5 235.00 $235.00 $1,603 —
700 700 1 227.50 $227.50 $1,592 +12.50
790 790 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,580 -16.69
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310 310 1 270.00 $270.00 $837 +23.75
395 395 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,106 —
405–445 429 5 280.00–287.50 $284.94 $1,222 +26.70
490 490 1 255.00 $255.00 $1,250 +1.17
530–545 538 2 245.00–265.00 $255.14 $1,373 +6.61
600 600 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,350 —
665 665 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,330 —
860 860 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,806 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375 375 1 245.00 $245.00 $919 —
410–415 413 2 230.00–240.00 $234.97 $970 —
545 545 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,199 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1140 1140 (<2 yrs)N/A 1 1,650.00 $1,650.00 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1385 1385 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 1 119.00 $119.00 $1,648 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
850–1310 1000 80-85% 10 91.00–97.00 $93.55 $936 —
895–1185 1070 80-85% 5 81.00–88.00 $84.86 $908 +3.58
970–1285 1126 80-85% 12 100.00–104.00 $101.94 $1,148 +5.19
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1180–1585 1310 75-80% 13 105.00–114.00 $108.71 $1,424 —
1215–1525 1349 75-80% 5 99.00–104.00 $101.75 $1,373 —
1760 1760 75-80% 1 96.00 $96.00 $1,690 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
715–875 811 85-90% 4 63.00–68.00 $65.92 $535 —
1170 1170 85-90% 1 74.00 $74.00 $866 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1070–1650 1388 4 107.00–111.00 $108.81 $1,510 —
1505–1925 1715 2 115.00–119.00 $117.24 $2,011 —
2045 2045 1 133.00 $133.00 $2,720 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
685 685 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 135.00 $135.00 $925
715–865 790 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 2 125.00–137.50 $130.66 $1,032
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
685 685 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 140.00 $140.00
775 775 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 135.00 $135.00

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
900–1175 984 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 1,175.00–1,725.00 $1,423.86
980–1200 1060 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 900.00–1,775.00 $1,371.70
1100–1250 1175 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,250.00–1,850.00 $1,569.15
1000–1350 1200 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 4 1,475.00–1,800.00 $1,665.63
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
835 835 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 130.00 $130.00 $1,086
925 925 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 122.50 $122.50 $1,133
980–1085 1033 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 2 107.00–107.50 $107.24 $1,108
1090–1160 1125 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 97.00–108.00 $102.33 $1,151
1485 1485 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 113.00 $113.00 $1,678

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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 1000 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 3,200.00 $3,200.00 +1,500.00
1000–1100 1050 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 2 1,800.00–1,900.00 $1,847.62 —
1050–1200 1125 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 2 1,450.00–2,300.00 $1,903.33 —

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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.