Cattle Market Pulse

Ash Flat Livestock Auction Market Report

Ash Flat, Arkansas · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, May 17, 2024

583 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $282.41/cwt +8.34 vs last sale · ≈ $1,350/hd at 478 lb · 16 head
light 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $284.79/cwt ≈ $1,227/hd at 431 lb · 15 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $261.53/cwt ≈ $1,287/hd at 492 lb · 13 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 583 948 749
Feeder cattle 503 873 602
Slaughter cattle 60 60 122
Replacement cattle 20 15 25

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Supply was good but the quality of feeder steers was down compared to the previous week with feeder steers 400lb to 600lb selling 2.00 to 3.00 dollars lower. While feeder heifers 400lb to 600lb sold 2.00 to 3.00 dollars higher. Slaughter cows sold 1.00 to 2.00 higher with a light test on slaughter bulls selling 2.00 higher

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
380–390 385 2 300.00–327.50 $313.93 $1,209 -44.20
400–424 420 12 310.00–320.00 $314.16 $1,319 +14.16
450 450 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,440 -1.85
524–535 526 5 293.00–302.50 $294.93 $1,551 +24.93
555–560 557 3 280.00–300.00 $291.17 $1,622 +8.94
610–645 625 7 250.00–270.00 $263.11 $1,644 -4.62
685 685 1 265.00 $265.00 $1,815 +13.32
720–745 733 2 252.50–253.00 $252.75 $1,853 +7.76
765–775 772 3 230.00–243.00 $238.70 $1,843 -4.74
965 thin fleshed 965 1 214.00 $214.00 $2,065 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335–340 338 2 282.50–300.00 $291.31 $985 -41.19
380 380 2 265.00–310.00 $287.50 $1,092 -27.94
445 445 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,268 -11.25
460–480 470 2 270.00–286.00 $278.17 $1,307 -10.91
505–545 526 6 255.00–270.00 $262.82 $1,382 -8.49
555 555 1 255.00 $255.00 $1,415 -8.39
660 660 1 245.00 $245.00 $1,617 +13.65
700 700 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,540 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
460 460 2 292.50 $292.50 $1,346 —
559–565 560 8 269.00–275.00 $269.76 $1,511 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400–435 431 15 280.00–297.50 $284.79 $1,227 —
485–496 492 13 260.00–265.00 $261.53 $1,287 —
550–590 562 13 250.00–260.00 $256.13 $1,439 —
660–695 672 7 230.00–245.00 $240.67 $1,617 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 320 1 312.50 $312.50 $1,000 -18.50
360–380 370 2 295.00–297.50 $296.28 $1,096 -7.30
385 385 1 305.00 $305.00 $1,174 +1.42
405–440 417 5 285.00–307.50 $296.31 $1,236 +15.76
450–495 478 16 270.00–287.00 $282.41 $1,350 +8.34
535–545 540 3 250.00–255.00 $253.35 $1,368 +3.35
560 560 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,344 -15.20
560–590 572 3 262.50–282.50 $271.01 $1,550 +15.81
600–648 634 11 240.00–255.00 $248.01 $1,572 -1.60
770–785 778 2 220.00–235.00 $227.43 $1,769 —
865 865 1 207.50 $207.50 $1,795 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320–340 328 4 260.00–295.00 $281.93 $925 -3.05
365–385 376 7 260.00–302.50 $279.08 $1,049 +0.19
400–445 431 8 240.00–270.00 $255.46 $1,101 -13.62
455 455 1 242.50 $242.50 $1,103 -9.48
475–480 478 3 220.00–275.00 $253.29 $1,211 +1.31
500–535 518 2 240.00 $240.00 $1,243 +7.32
555–575 565 2 220.00–245.00 $232.28 $1,312 -10.12
600–605 603 2 230.00–240.00 $235.02 $1,417 +3.05
775 775 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,472 +20.00
800 800 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,200 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315 thin fleshed 315 1 370.00 $370.00 $1,166 —
385–390 388 3 295.00–305.00 $299.98 $1,164 -20.02
420–425 423 2 302.50–320.00 $311.30 $1,317 +6.97
480 480 1 305.00 $305.00 $1,464 +5.00
510–530 523 3 282.50–285.00 $283.31 $1,482 +4.01
510–547 value added 535 9 308.00–316.00 $310.54 $1,661 —
555–570 560 7 265.00–277.50 $273.88 $1,534 +3.91
600 600 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,320 -16.25
600–635 621 5 250.00–270.00 $261.88 $1,626 -0.62
680–695 688 2 247.50–255.00 $251.29 $1,729 +16.29
720 720 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,512 -45.00
730 730 1 222.50 $222.50 $1,624 -32.50
770–795 783 2 220.00–230.00 $225.08 $1,762 +20.03
810 810 1 205.00 $205.00 $1,660 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305 305 1 285.00 $285.00 $869 -10.91
410–440 425 3 265.00–285.00 $276.84 $1,177 -4.06
465–485 473 3 255.00–265.00 $258.31 $1,222 —
510–540 525 8 250.00–275.00 $259.92 $1,365 +10.22
585 585 1 247.50 $247.50 $1,448 —
610 610 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,525 —
665 665 1 232.50 $232.50 $1,546 —
720 720 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,548 —
750–765 758 2 210.00–227.50 $218.84 $1,659 —
810 810 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,498 —
995 995 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,393 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
450–495 474 7 277.50–285.00 $280.77 $1,331 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1045–1335 1138 80-85% 4 118.00–120.00 $119.53 $1,360 —
740–1490 1140 80-85% 16 121.00–131.00 $126.49 $1,442 —
815–1525 1229 80-85% 8 132.50–140.00 $135.00 $1,659 +2.00
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
710–1030 851 85-90% 7 93.00–100.00 $96.57 $822 —
835–1080 929 85-90% 6 105.00–112.50 $107.96 $1,003 —
925–1265 1093 85-90% 3 115.00–125.00 $121.52 $1,328 +33.52
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1330–1355 1343 75-80% 2 110.00–117.50 $113.72 $1,527 —
1220–1490 1355 75-80% 2 124.00 $124.00 $1,680 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1110–1500 1304 5 135.00–146.00 $139.64 $1,821 —
1455–1925 1636 4 157.50–161.00 $159.01 $2,601 +6.08
1325–1955 1666 4 164.00–167.50 $165.74 $2,761 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
775 775 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,075.00 $1,075.00
1030–1195 1107 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 1,500.00–1,850.00 $1,634.22
1325–1420 1373 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 1,900.00–2,050.00 $1,977.60

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
885 885 (<2 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 150.00 $150.00 $1,328

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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
1100 1100 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 2,200.00 $2,200.00 —
1300 1300 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 2,500.00 $2,500.00 —
1300 1300 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 2,650.00 $2,650.00 —

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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.