Cattle Market Pulse

Ash Flat Livestock Auction Market Report

Ash Flat, Arkansas · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, October 18, 2024

693 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

light 3-weight M&L 1-2 heifers $274.81/cwt ≈ $869/hd at 316 lb · 18 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $284.54/cwt +21.37 vs last sale · ≈ $1,487/hd at 523 lb · 15 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $230.08/cwt +6.81 vs last sale · ≈ $1,226/hd at 533 lb · 14 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 693 737 847
Feeder cattle 610 653 689
Slaughter cattle 58 54 128
Replacement cattle 25 30 30

Market comments — USDA reporter

*SPECIAL NOTE THERE WILL BE A PRE-VAC SALE ON 11/1/24* Compared to last week: Feeder steers and feeder bulls sold $16.00-$17.00 higher. Feeder heifers 300lb-500lb sold steady to $2.00 higher while feeder heifer 600lb-700lb sold $9.00-$10.00 higher. Slaughter cattle sold steady to $2.00 lower on a lighter test.

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
355–380 368 2 320.00 $320.00 $1,178 +16.20
410–440 428 8 312.00–332.50 $322.45 $1,380 +29.95
440 440 1 284.00 $284.00 $1,250 -8.50
450–485 463 4 268.00–282.50 $274.95 $1,273 -9.67
450–495 478 3 298.00–310.00 $305.86 $1,462 +21.24
505 505 1 265.00 $265.00 $1,338 —
500–545 524 14 275.00–292.00 $285.94 $1,498 +36.41
550–580 565 3 262.50–273.00 $266.76 $1,507 +17.64
605–635 615 13 242.50–262.00 $254.26 $1,564 +20.07
650–685 662 8 247.50–256.00 $254.20 $1,683 +34.20
705–745 713 9 242.50–255.00 $246.94 $1,761 +40.94
800 800 1 222.50 $222.50 $1,780 +1.50
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330 330 2 297.50 $297.50 $982 +12.50
380–395 388 2 255.00–270.00 $262.65 $1,019 -27.35
410 410 1 265.00 $265.00 $1,086 +15.00
455–460 458 2 250.00–260.00 $254.97 $1,168 -6.54
515–545 531 4 235.00–255.00 $243.18 $1,291 +15.93
550–580 565 2 220.00 $220.00 $1,243 +6.64
675–680 678 2 220.00–232.50 $226.27 $1,534 +16.27

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 320 1 255.00 $255.00 $816 -9.96
350–392 385 6 260.00–268.00 $266.79 $1,027 +10.28
428–443 435 6 235.00–245.00 $239.22 $1,041 +9.22
450–485 468 4 220.00–227.50 $223.78 $1,047 -22.67
458–490 470 7 237.00–242.50 $241.68 $1,136 +13.63
510–540 525 3 190.00–220.00 $206.48 $1,084 -21.00
530–545 535 11 231.00–238.00 $236.52 $1,265 +9.04
555–560 558 2 220.00–225.00 $222.49 $1,241 -1.54
560–580 570 6 190.00–217.50 $205.56 $1,172 -18.47
600–615 607 3 199.00–215.00 $207.93 $1,262 +14.61
603–635 616 10 216.00–230.00 $221.76 $1,366 +28.44
660–675 668 2 202.50–211.00 $206.80 $1,381 +16.80
650–695 673 5 207.50–230.00 $213.35 $1,436 +23.35
703–740 727 4 205.00–224.00 $213.76 $1,554 +23.76
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305–330 318 3 230.00–255.00 $241.34 $767 +0.71
355–390 368 4 220.00–245.00 $234.35 $862 +12.18
400–440 428 5 220.00–235.00 $229.14 $981 +10.87
435 435 1 170.00 $170.00 $740 -48.27
455–495 476 12 203.00–225.00 $214.01 $1,019 +4.13
500–535 515 9 190.00–220.00 $207.71 $1,070 -3.86
560 560 1 175.00 $175.00 $980 -25.72
550–595 577 6 180.00–210.00 $201.58 $1,163 +0.86
620 620 2 180.00–210.00 $195.00 $1,209 -5.00
695 695 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,286 —
725 725 1 196.00 $196.00 $1,421 +28.55
815 815 1 180.00 $180.00 $1,467 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
314 thin fleshed 314 4 298.00 $298.00 $936 —
303–336 317 14 260.00–275.00 $268.19 $850 —
426 426 7 240.00 $240.00 $1,022 —
496 496 4 220.00 $220.00 $1,091 -5.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
358 358 5 329.00 $329.00 $1,178 +33.74
425–430 428 2 308.00–315.00 $311.48 $1,333 +19.68
415–445 430 4 270.00–282.50 $275.15 $1,183 -16.65
515 515 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,288 +4.40
500–545 521 11 260.00–280.00 $271.38 $1,414 +25.78
565 565 1 246.00 $246.00 $1,390 +16.89
585 585 1 225.00 $225.00 $1,316 +16.36
620 620 1 245.00 $245.00 $1,519 +22.46
610–645 630 3 200.00–212.50 $206.55 $1,301 -15.99
690–695 693 2 200.00–205.00 $202.49 $1,403 +20.03
700 700 1 208.00 $208.00 $1,456 +10.36
780 780 1 190.00 $190.00 $1,482 -15.00
815 815 1 183.00 $183.00 $1,491 +3.00
960 960 1 162.50 $162.50 $1,560 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320–345 333 2 250.00 $250.00 $832 -9.76
335–340 thin fleshed 338 2 285.00–315.00 $299.89 $1,014 -20.11
370–395 389 4 240.00–241.00 $240.25 $935 -9.41
390 thin fleshed 390 1 280.00 $280.00 $1,092 —
410–445 423 4 241.00–260.00 $252.72 $1,069 +7.32
470–495 480 3 227.50–257.50 $238.64 $1,145 +7.79
530–545 538 2 220.00–222.50 $221.27 $1,190 +15.06
640 640 1 185.00 $185.00 $1,184 -14.70
660–675 668 2 191.00–200.00 $195.55 $1,306 —
705–745 729 4 190.00–210.00 $200.75 $1,463 —
865 865 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,384 —
980 980 1 125.00 $125.00 $1,225 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
455 455 2 262.50 $262.50 $1,194 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1015–1315 1201 80-85% 6 125.00–130.00 $127.60 $1,532 —
1060–1385 1228 80-85% 10 114.00–123.00 $118.63 $1,457 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
885–985 935 85-90% 2 89.00 $89.00 $832 —
935 935 85-90% 1 118.00 $118.00 $1,103 —
855–1165 1070 85-90% 4 92.00–102.00 $97.84 $1,047 -27.88
955–1155 1077 85-90% 6 104.00–112.00 $106.96 $1,152 -18.76
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1425 1425 75-80% 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,710 —
1435–1620 1528 75-80% 2 126.00–130.00 $127.88 $1,954 +9.83

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1250–1600 1381 4 132.50–137.50 $134.98 $1,864 —
1275–1745 1498 4 140.00–152.50 $144.49 $2,164 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
1000 thin fleshed 1000 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 135.00 $135.00 $1,350
1090 1090 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 124.00 $124.00 $1,352
1105 1105 Aged (>8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 122.00 $122.00 $1,348
1180 1180 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 120.00 $120.00 $1,416
1240 1240 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 121.00 $121.00 $1,500
1460–1510 1485 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 121.00–123.00 $122.02 $1,812
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1005 thin fleshed 1005 Young (2-4 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,425.00 $1,425.00
1080 1080 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,900.00 $1,900.00
1325–1400 1375 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 1,950.00–2,175.00 $2,102.73
1435 1435 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,500.00 $2,500.00
Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
925 925 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,625.00 $1,625.00
1050 1050 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,700.00 $1,700.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
965 965 (<2 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 157.50 $157.50 $1,520

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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 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 2,000.00 $2,000.00 —
1100 1100 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 2,500.00 $2,500.00 —
1250 1250 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 2,100.00 $2,100.00 +250.00
Medium 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
900 900 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 1 1,500.00 $1,500.00 —
900 thin fleshed 900 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 1,400.00 $1,400.00 —

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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.