Cattle Market Pulse

Ash Flat Livestock Auction Market Report

Ash Flat, Arkansas · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, December 20, 2024

563 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 $299.77/cwt -2.49 vs last sale · ≈ $1,258/hd at 420 lb · 10 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $273.40/cwt +3.61 vs last sale · ≈ $1,564/hd at 572 lb · 10 head
light 4-weight M&L 2 heifers $270.75/cwt -4.31 vs last sale · ≈ $1,174/hd at 434 lb · 10 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 563 563 304
Feeder cattle 469 512 222
Slaughter cattle 59 36 79
Replacement cattle 35 15 3

Market comments — USDA reporter

**SPECIAL REPLACEMENT COW SALE ON DEC. 27TH NEXT FRIDAY, COWS WILL START SELLING @5:00PM** *CLOSE* Compared to last week, feeder steers and bulls sold $4.00-$8.00 higher, while feeder heifers sold steady to $2.00 higher. Slaughter cattle sold $5.00-$6.00 higher. Attendance was good with a good demand on a moderate supply

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
335–340 338 2 385.00–400.00 $392.56 $1,327 —
340 340 1 360.00 $360.00 $1,224 —
355 355 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,242 -17.53
355–380 367 3 360.00–370.00 $363.32 $1,333 -4.21
405 405 2 360.00–365.00 $362.50 $1,468 +6.17
425–440 434 5 332.50–355.00 $346.52 $1,504 +3.29
450–490 469 5 320.00–350.00 $329.49 $1,545 +3.47
498 498 2 310.00 $310.00 $1,544 +3.87
500–530 512 6 300.00–325.00 $316.72 $1,622 +18.67
565 565 2 275.00 $275.00 $1,554 -10.62
555–570 567 8 280.00–300.00 $285.26 $1,617 -0.36
600 600 1 262.50 $262.50 $1,575 -15.52
600–645 617 7 272.50–290.00 $279.97 $1,727 +1.95
650–665 657 3 260.00–272.50 $265.00 $1,741 +10.00
700 700 1 265.00 $265.00 $1,855 —
755 755 1 262.50 $262.50 $1,982 +12.50
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 thin fleshed 300 1 365.00 $365.00 $1,095 +2.50
320 320 1 335.00 $335.00 $1,072 -15.00
350 thin fleshed 350 1 355.00 $355.00 $1,242 -10.00
385 385 1 325.00 $325.00 $1,251 +7.64
400 thin fleshed 400 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,400 +6.44
410 410 1 305.00 $305.00 $1,250 -9.30
492 492 3 277.50 $277.50 $1,365 -1.53
530–535 531 4 262.50–265.00 $263.13 $1,397 -10.67
575–595 585 3 220.00–240.00 $233.22 $1,364 -23.32
595 thin fleshed 595 2 275.00 $275.00 $1,636 —
605–615 thin fleshed 610 2 270.00 $270.00 $1,647 —
620 620 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,488 -23.77
660–685 666 5 215.00–245.00 $230.94 $1,538 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
508 508 6 284.00 $284.00 $1,443 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330–340 334 5 310.00–325.00 $316.48 $1,057 -2.78
360–370 365 2 315.00–317.50 $316.23 $1,154 +2.42
375 375 1 295.00 $295.00 $1,106 +15.00
400–425 416 7 295.00–315.00 $306.45 $1,275 +4.19
425–430 428 3 280.00–287.50 $284.18 $1,216 -18.08
450–498 471 8 270.00–295.00 $288.84 $1,360 +2.59
475 475 1 255.00 $255.00 $1,211 -31.25
505–548 526 9 275.00–295.00 $287.21 $1,511 +34.71
555–585 572 10 260.00–295.00 $273.40 $1,564 +0.31
610–635 624 6 250.00–255.00 $252.93 $1,578 -3.49
615–640 630 3 220.00–245.00 $235.17 $1,482 -21.25
655–695 672 4 240.00–250.00 $246.27 $1,655 -1.23
680 680 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,496 -27.50
700 700 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,540 —
700 700 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,680 —
790 790 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,738 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
315–340 328 2 280.00–310.00 $295.57 $969 +11.57
310–336 thin fleshed 332 6 325.00–327.50 $325.39 $1,080 —
360–395 383 4 260.00–295.00 $281.63 $1,079 +11.04
420–435 thin fleshed 428 2 280.00–290.00 $284.91 $1,219 -1.41
420–443 435 8 260.00–272.50 $267.21 $1,162 +3.41
455 thin fleshed 455 1 275.00 $275.00 $1,251 —
460–495 481 4 240.00–262.50 $252.06 $1,212 -2.60
505–535 521 5 250.00–257.50 $253.06 $1,318 +9.29
530 530 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,219 -13.77
555 thin fleshed 555 1 260.00 $260.00 $1,443 —
555–585 573 4 225.00–245.00 $232.36 $1,331 -8.72
620–645 632 3 220.00–230.00 $226.68 $1,433 -8.32
666–670 667 6 200.00–220.00 $216.65 $1,445 -19.60
705 705 1 207.50 $207.50 $1,463 —
750 750 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,500 +37.50
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
307 thin fleshed 307 6 345.00 $345.00 $1,059 —
518 518 2 265.00 $265.00 $1,373 —
638 638 8 240.00 $240.00 $1,531 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300 300 1 325.00 $325.00 $975 -20.00
305 thin fleshed 305 1 375.00 $375.00 $1,144 +10.00
360 thin fleshed 360 1 360.00 $360.00 $1,296 —
360–375 368 2 310.00–330.00 $319.80 $1,177 -20.20
405–435 thin fleshed 420 2 330.00–335.00 $332.59 $1,397 —
445–448 447 3 280.00–312.50 $290.78 $1,300 -30.07
470–490 480 2 250.00–260.00 $255.10 $1,224 -19.94
505–545 517 9 245.00–275.00 $255.81 $1,323 +25.81
560–585 573 2 240.00–250.00 $244.89 $1,403 -21.11
630–640 637 3 220.00–227.50 $224.15 $1,428 —
720 720 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,728 —
765 765 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,606 —
935 935 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,496 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300–315 308 2 375.00–390.00 $382.32 $1,178 +11.33
350 350 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,225 -26.24
370–380 375 2 370.00–375.00 $372.47 $1,397 -3.77
400–415 404 4 350.00–365.00 $353.85 $1,430 +1.53
435 435 1 330.00 $330.00 $1,436 -22.32
450 450 1 312.50 $312.50 $1,406 -4.83
465 465 2 320.00–325.00 $322.50 $1,500 +5.17
540 540 1 285.00 $285.00 $1,539 -6.79
555–578 565 4 270.00–285.00 $276.31 $1,561 +10.12
580 thin fleshed 580 1 310.00 $310.00 $1,798 —
600 600 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,440 -27.50
655–660 658 2 240.00–242.50 $241.25 $1,587 +6.25
700 700 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,750 —
795 795 1 215.00 $215.00 $1,709 —
830 830 1 210.00 $210.00 $1,743 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
579 579 6 280.00 $280.00 $1,621 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
725–1040 918 85-90% 6 86.00–95.00 $89.69 $823 +2.28
850–1320 1085 85-90% 2 72.50–76.00 $74.63 $810 —
1040–1165 1103 85-90% 2 98.00 $98.00 $1,081 +28.00
1110–1240 1192 85-90% 3 107.00–115.00 $110.09 $1,312 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1070–1320 1155 80-85% 4 118.00–119.00 $118.53 $1,369 —
1175–1460 1298 80-85% 6 120.00–129.00 $123.66 $1,605 +10.99
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1280–1535 1420 75-80% 3 121.00–126.00 $123.94 $1,760 —
1660–1685 1673 75-80% 2 116.00–118.00 $116.99 $1,957 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1275 1275 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,300.00 $2,300.00
1275–1290 1283 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,800.00–1,850.00 $1,824.85
1285–1600 1404 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 5 2,000.00–2,250.00 $2,128.70
1185–1690 1476 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 7 1,700.00–2,150.00 $1,939.35
Small 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
775 775 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 1,150.00 $1,150.00
776 776 Aged (>8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 4 820.00 $820.00
785 785 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 1,025.00 $1,025.00
915 915 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,125.00 $1,125.00

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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 2,700.00 $2,700.00 —
1350 1350 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 2,950.00 $2,950.00 —

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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.