Cattle Market Pulse

Ash Flat Livestock Auction Market Report

Ash Flat, Arkansas · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, March 1, 2024

722 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 $284.22/cwt +13.78 vs last sale · ≈ $1,197/hd at 421 lb · 23 head
heavy 3-weight M&L 1 heifers $293.32/cwt +18.43 vs last sale · ≈ $1,123/hd at 383 lb · 20 head
heavy 3-weight M&L 1 bulls $327.07/cwt +10.55 vs last sale · ≈ $1,246/hd at 381 lb · 16 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 722 694 280
Feeder cattle 570 572 230
Slaughter cattle 132 84 45
Replacement cattle 20 38 5

Market comments — USDA reporter

No report filed last week. Compared to two weeks ago: Feeder steers were lightly tested, no trend established. Feeder heifers sold 5.00-10.00 higher. Slaughter cows sold 3.00-5.00 higher. Slaughter bulls sold 4.00-6.00 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
325–340 335 3 315.00–345.00 $328.38 $1,100 +17.57
355–395 371 9 310.00–340.00 $330.40 $1,226 +19.37
405–425 415 6 300.00–330.00 $317.94 $1,319 +5.83
405–430 fancy 418 2 340.00–350.00 $344.85 $1,441 —
455–495 477 7 302.50–327.50 $315.80 $1,506 +3.37
500 fancy 500 1 325.00 $325.00 $1,625 —
505–530 517 3 295.00–300.00 $298.29 $1,542 -0.96
550–570 560 2 265.00–290.00 $277.28 $1,553 +9.95
650–655 653 2 262.50–267.50 $264.99 $1,730 +3.74
715–725 720 2 225.00–237.50 $231.21 $1,665 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310–345 332 3 242.50–250.00 $247.44 $822 -14.89
360–375 368 2 230.00–250.00 $239.80 $882 —
420–445 433 2 260.00–285.00 $272.86 $1,181 +1.63
480–495 488 2 285.00–292.50 $288.69 $1,409 -4.31
505–545 518 3 255.00–265.00 $261.75 $1,356 +2.30
595 595 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,368 —
620 620 2 230.00–235.00 $232.50 $1,442 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
425 425 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,062 —
460 460 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,196 +18.00
548 548 2 220.00 $220.00 $1,206 +10.00

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 value added 300 3 325.00 $325.00 $975 —
320 fancy 320 1 302.50 $302.50 $968 —
310–345 326 5 265.00–280.00 $273.14 $890 +5.15
350–395 383 20 282.50–315.00 $293.32 $1,123 +18.43
400–440 421 23 267.50–300.00 $284.22 $1,197 +13.78
450–490 469 5 255.00–280.00 $265.82 $1,247 +6.94
470 470 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,175 -8.88
505–545 522 7 247.00–270.00 $256.99 $1,341 +9.33
550–590 567 11 215.00–242.50 $229.81 $1,303 -3.44
585 fancy 585 1 252.50 $252.50 $1,477 —
605 fancy 605 1 242.50 $242.50 $1,467 —
605–645 634 5 213.00–230.00 $221.26 $1,403 -11.76
651 value added 651 7 243.00 $243.00 $1,582 —
650–695 661 4 200.00–220.00 $204.91 $1,354 -20.06
710–745 728 3 195.00–210.00 $203.62 $1,482 —
770 770 1 205.00 $205.00 $1,578 —
820 820 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,640 —
830 830 1 170.00 $170.00 $1,411 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315–345 323 5 220.00–240.00 $235.09 $759 -13.59
350–395 378 8 255.00–280.00 $266.22 $1,006 +26.39
420–447 438 5 245.00–265.00 $250.84 $1,099 +2.91
450–495 480 3 240.00–252.50 $247.42 $1,188 +17.37
500–545 519 7 220.00–242.50 $233.28 $1,211 +10.18
575 575 1 204.00 $204.00 $1,173 -11.00
605 605 1 209.00 $209.00 $1,264 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
435 435 5 216.00 $216.00 $940 —
498 498 3 243.00 $243.00 $1,210 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
375–390 385 3 220.00–240.00 $229.87 $885 +29.87
410 410 1 235.00 $235.00 $964 —
530 530 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,060 ±0.00

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300–340 315 5 300.00–335.00 $315.21 $993 +19.72
365–395 381 16 300.00–335.00 $327.07 $1,246 +14.83
400–448 426 14 302.50–330.00 $318.95 $1,359 +9.07
460–470 466 4 302.50–325.00 $314.94 $1,468 +19.47
500 fancy 500 1 332.50 $332.50 $1,662 +17.50
505–540 523 4 282.50–305.00 $296.82 $1,552 +5.93
555–585 566 9 250.00–285.00 $271.00 $1,534 +2.79
600–625 613 2 240.00–250.00 $245.10 $1,502 +10.63
710 710 1 222.50 $222.50 $1,580 -5.00
765 765 1 245.00 $245.00 $1,874 +45.00
1095 1095 1 182.50 $182.50 $1,998 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
325 325 1 287.50 $287.50 $934 +17.50
370–395 383 2 290.00–297.50 $293.63 $1,125 +13.63
400–440 426 4 220.00–240.00 $232.10 $989 -52.84
450–475 460 3 270.00–290.00 $279.82 $1,287 +24.82
505–520 513 2 262.50–277.50 $270.11 $1,386 +14.97
550–555 552 3 230.00–245.00 $238.35 $1,316 —
610 610 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,342 -5.00
775–788 785 4 205.00–210.00 $208.77 $1,639 —
Medium and Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 230.00 $230.00 $782 —
355–380 368 4 250.00–260.00 $254.43 $936 +9.43
450–495 473 2 200.00–230.00 $215.71 $1,020 —
505 505 1 255.00 $255.00 $1,288 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
581 581 —— 4 222.00 $222.00 $1,290 —
1595 1595 Young (2-4 yrs)N/A 1 145.00 $145.00 $2,313 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1085–1680 1342 75-80% 27 112.00–120.00 $116.52 $1,564 +14.77
1255–1630 1383 75-80% 14 99.00–110.00 $106.20 $1,469 —
1385–1645 1495 75-80% 5 121.00–127.00 $123.37 $1,844 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
835–1025 934 80-85% 6 87.00–94.00 $90.49 $845 —
910–1155 1044 80-85% 12 95.00–101.00 $98.95 $1,033 —
1060–1275 1161 80-85% 12 102.00–110.00 $106.78 $1,240 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
745 745 85-90% 1 63.00 $63.00 $469 —
855–1010 908 85-90% 6 77.00–85.00 $80.92 $735 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1180–1630 1355 5 106.00–116.00 $113.27 $1,535 +4.46
1430–1610 1508 3 128.00–129.00 $128.36 $1,936 —
1740–2290 2015 2 133.00–151.00 $140.77 $2,837 +7.77

↑ Back to top

Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1100–1200 1117 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 6 1,500.00–1,550.00 $1,541.04
1000–1250 1140 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 5 1,100.00–1,550.00 $1,418.42
1150 1150 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st/2nd Stage (1-6 mo) 3 1,550.00 $1,550.00

↑ Back to top

Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
950–1100 1050 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 7 1,025.00–2,100.00 $1,722.79 -124.83
1100 1100 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 1,475.00 $1,475.00 -428.33
1100 1100 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,800.00 $2,800.00 +896.67
1100 1100 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 1,100.00 $1,100.00 -803.33

↑ Back to top

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.