Cattle Market Pulse

Ash Flat Livestock Auction Market Report

Ash Flat, Arkansas · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, May 31, 2024

556 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 2 steers $271.19/cwt ≈ $1,567/hd at 578 lb · 23 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $253.23/cwt -9.27 vs last sale · ≈ $1,322/hd at 522 lb · 22 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers $257.26/cwt -11.74 vs last sale · ≈ $1,739/hd at 676 lb · 16 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 556 350 1,021
Feeder cattle 490 284 783
Slaughter cattle 35 50 188
Replacement cattle 31 16 50

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week: Feeder steers sold $2.00 to $3.00 dollars lower. Feeder heifers sold $9.00 to $10.00 lower and feeder bulls sold $6.00 to $7.00 lower. Slaughter cows remained steady to $1.00 higher and slaughter bulls sold steady.

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
380 380 1 332.50 $332.50 $1,264 +6.28
400–430 411 4 320.00–337.50 $326.87 $1,343 +4.35
450–495 480 5 307.50–320.00 $314.02 $1,507 —
508–545 521 11 270.00–292.50 $282.15 $1,470 -16.66
560–595 583 6 280.00–300.00 $285.48 $1,664 +5.63
588 588 3 260.00 $260.00 $1,529 -19.85
600–645 627 14 255.00–275.00 $260.01 $1,630 —
650–685 676 16 250.00–270.00 $257.26 $1,739 -22.74
705–740 724 9 240.00–255.00 $251.00 $1,817 -21.00
755 755 1 252.50 $252.50 $1,906 +8.50
985 985 1 202.00 $202.00 $1,990 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305–340 323 2 320.00–337.50 $328.28 $1,060 —
430–445 438 3 300.00–312.50 $304.09 $1,332 +12.14
450–495 475 7 270.00–295.00 $285.41 $1,356 -3.30
550–595 578 23 264.00–275.00 $271.19 $1,567 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
400–445 420 4 285.00–315.00 $296.01 $1,243 +17.41
450–480 465 7 265.00–283.00 $273.40 $1,271 +17.31
470–495 482 3 240.00–250.00 $246.57 $1,188 -25.93
500–545 522 22 247.50–262.50 $253.23 $1,322 -9.27
550–595 561 15 248.00–257.50 $251.67 $1,412 -3.48
605–645 627 9 240.00–262.50 $247.72 $1,553 +0.22
680–685 682 3 232.50–242.50 $237.49 $1,620 -4.97
700–735 718 4 220.00–245.00 $233.10 $1,674 +0.60
995 995 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,890 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315–325 320 2 275.00–290.00 $282.38 $904 -31.49
375 375 1 250.00 $250.00 $938 -38.92
370–395 386 6 270.00–287.50 $279.51 $1,079 -9.41
400–445 418 11 255.00–280.00 $266.97 $1,116 -14.60
455–490 478 4 230.00–245.00 $239.96 $1,147 -15.15
500–545 533 10 240.00–242.50 $240.26 $1,281 -3.76
545 545 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,199 -24.02
550–586 573 9 235.00–245.00 $237.98 $1,364 +2.98
600 600 1 235.00 $235.00 $1,410 —
685 685 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,233 -42.50
700 700 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,400 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
345 345 1 327.50 $327.50 $1,130 ±0.00
355–395 375 2 330.00–332.50 $331.32 $1,242 —
415 415 1 315.00 $315.00 $1,307 +6.17
455–475 466 4 285.00–302.50 $294.45 $1,372 -4.91
505–535 525 10 260.00–287.50 $273.49 $1,436 -16.60
535 thin fleshed 535 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,712 —
555–590 576 4 257.50–276.00 $267.04 $1,538 -1.50
603–615 607 3 252.50–257.50 $255.81 $1,553 -29.19
700 700 1 242.50 $242.50 $1,698 —
760–790 777 3 237.50–251.00 $244.47 $1,900 +5.47
800–830 815 2 225.00–235.00 $229.91 $1,874 +0.91
1075 1075 1 190.00 $190.00 $2,042 —
1190 1190 1 165.00 $165.00 $1,964 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365 365 1 270.00 $270.00 $986 —
420–440 431 4 280.00–307.50 $297.39 $1,282 —
455 455 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,138 -26.97
675–687 685 6 220.00–236.00 $233.37 $1,599 —
705 705 1 232.50 $232.50 $1,639 +7.63

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
905–995 960 85-90% 4 113.00–122.50 $119.42 $1,146 +14.42
895–1060 978 85-90% 2 102.00–104.00 $102.92 $1,007 -2.08
915–1210 1063 85-90% 2 130.00 $130.00 $1,382 +6.75
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1070–1340 1228 80-85% 5 132.00–140.00 $135.24 $1,661 —
1280–1340 1310 80-85% 2 126.00–130.00 $128.05 $1,677 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1555 1555 75-80% 1 128.00 $128.00 $1,990 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1075 1075 1 145.00 $145.00 $1,559 —
1155–1945 1635 7 155.00–167.50 $160.64 $2,626 +1.15
1645–1980 1802 3 170.00–174.00 $171.68 $3,094 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1200–1280 1240 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 2 126.00–131.00 $128.42 $1,592
1245–1400 1323 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 2 120.00–149.00 $135.35 $1,791

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
935 935 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 122.50 $122.50 $1,145
1330 1330 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 128.00 $128.00 $1,702
1085–1620 1359 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 4 120.00–135.00 $127.21 $1,729
1750 1750 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 127.50 $127.50 $2,231

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
800 800 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,300.00 $1,300.00
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
960 960 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 140.00 $140.00 $1,344

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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
700–1000 867 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 3 1,325.00–1,750.00 $1,635.58 -14.42
900–1000 933 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 3 1,700.00–1,950.00 $1,861.61 —
950 950 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 1,700.00 $1,700.00 —
800–1100 967 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 3 1,550.00–2,450.00 $2,063.79 —
1000 1000 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 2 2,000.00–2,050.00 $2,025.00 —
1000 1000 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 1,975.00 $1,975.00 —
1100 1100 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 3,050.00 $3,050.00 —

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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.