Cattle Market Pulse

Ash Flat Livestock Auction Market Report

Ash Flat, Arkansas · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, January 3, 2025

630 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 7-weight M&L 1 steers $256.79/cwt ≈ $1,946/hd at 758 lb · 14 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 2 heifers $253.13/cwt +15.63 vs last sale · ≈ $1,217/hd at 481 lb · 12 head
heavy 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $265.47/cwt ≈ $1,541/hd at 580 lb · 11 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 630 558 760
Feeder cattle 436 120 168
Slaughter cattle 144 100 317
Replacement cattle 50 338 275

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, feeder steers and heifers sold $8.00-$12.00 higher, while supply was good this week the trend was not well tested due to light supply last week. Demand was good with a strong demand on heifers. Slaughter cattle sold $4.00-$500 lower.

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
280 280 1 390.00 $390.00 $1,092 —
355–390 372 3 375.00–385.00 $380.16 $1,414 —
445 445 1 355.00 $355.00 $1,580 +25.58
490–495 492 3 317.50–330.00 $322.53 $1,587 +42.53
500–530 515 6 305.00–320.00 $309.58 $1,594 —
563–595 574 7 285.00–300.00 $290.67 $1,668 +5.66
600–640 615 6 272.50–292.50 $287.39 $1,767 —
615 615 1 252.50 $252.50 $1,553 —
690 690 1 277.50 $277.50 $1,915 +26.25
705–745 722 3 265.00–280.00 $269.95 $1,949 +13.70
750–775 758 14 255.00–257.50 $256.79 $1,946 —
885 885 1 242.50 $242.50 $2,146 —
960 960 1 205.00 $205.00 $1,968 —
1245 1245 1 190.00 $190.00 $2,366 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
335 335 1 320.00 $320.00 $1,072 +20.00
370–390 383 3 310.00–340.00 $325.26 $1,246 +7.44
430 430 3 287.50–325.00 $304.17 $1,308 +29.17
460–495 473 3 300.00–315.00 $306.65 $1,450 +16.65
500–530 510 6 260.00–290.00 $270.05 $1,377 —
550–590 569 6 270.00–285.00 $276.31 $1,572 +26.31
640 640 1 265.00 $265.00 $1,696 —
685 685 1 257.50 $257.50 $1,764 +55.00
745 745 1 250.00 $250.00 $1,862 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
588 value added 588 4 292.50 $292.50 $1,720 —
690 690 3 270.00 $270.00 $1,863 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
295 295 1 320.00 $320.00 $944 —
310–315 313 2 305.00–310.00 $307.52 $963 +12.52
335 thin fleshed 335 1 325.00 $325.00 $1,089 —
355 thin fleshed 355 2 305.00–310.00 $307.50 $1,092 —
360–390 375 4 270.00–300.00 $287.40 $1,078 +29.09
410–445 426 9 270.00–290.00 $281.77 $1,200 +49.87
450–495 480 3 230.00–240.00 $236.56 $1,135 -28.44
460–495 481 9 250.00–270.00 $258.66 $1,244 -6.34
510 510 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,173 -12.21
510–520 thin fleshed 515 2 267.50–270.00 $268.74 $1,384 —
500–530 519 7 240.00–260.00 $249.99 $1,297 +7.78
555 555 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,110 —
550–585 567 6 220.00–252.50 $231.39 $1,312 —
600–645 626 5 215.00–240.00 $226.91 $1,420 -10.59
650 650 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,495 +50.00
660 660 2 200.00–210.00 $205.00 $1,353 +25.00
715 715 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,573 —
755 755 1 205.00 $205.00 $1,548 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
365–380 373 2 310.00–315.00 $312.45 $1,165 +2.45
405–440 421 6 295.00–320.00 $308.18 $1,297 +18.18
450–480 462 9 285.00–310.00 $294.17 $1,359 +42.95
505–530 518 2 285.00–290.00 $287.44 $1,489 +27.44
555 555 2 255.00–257.50 $256.25 $1,422 —
560–591 586 9 255.00–272.00 $267.52 $1,568 —
625–630 628 2 240.00–242.50 $241.25 $1,515 -18.75
630 630 2 257.50–265.00 $261.25 $1,646 +1.25
650–695 667 3 252.50–265.00 $258.33 $1,723 —
698 698 3 230.00 $230.00 $1,605 —
700–735 726 4 252.50–255.00 $253.10 $1,838 —
755 755 1 220.00 $220.00 $1,661 —
763 763 3 250.00 $250.00 $1,908 —
965 965 1 200.00 $200.00 $1,930 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
552 552 3 277.50 $277.50 $1,532 —
690 690 3 230.00–245.00 $235.00 $1,622 —

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 320 1 375.00 $375.00 $1,200 —
380 380 1 330.00 $330.00 $1,254 —
375–395 385 2 360.00–370.00 $365.13 $1,406 —
470 470 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,410 -32.50
475 475 1 325.00 $325.00 $1,544 -7.50
515 515 2 300.00–312.50 $306.25 $1,577 —
525 525 2 270.00–282.50 $276.25 $1,450 —
555–585 570 2 277.50–280.00 $278.72 $1,589 +11.22
590 590 1 282.50 $282.50 $1,667 +15.00
623–635 627 3 247.50–250.00 $249.16 $1,562 —
650 650 1 257.50 $257.50 $1,674 —
690 690 2 235.00 $235.00 $1,622 —
731 731 6 233.00 $233.00 $1,703 -14.50
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290 290 1 352.50 $352.50 $1,022 —
345 345 1 325.00 $325.00 $1,121 ±0.00
385 385 1 330.00 $330.00 $1,270 -5.00
400–440 418 5 300.00–330.00 $315.38 $1,318 -0.72
465 thin fleshed 465 1 300.00 $300.00 $1,395 —
475–495 488 3 267.50–270.00 $269.16 $1,314 -28.34
510–545 528 3 275.00–282.50 $277.58 $1,466 +8.06
555–575 568 3 260.00–270.00 $264.22 $1,501 —
590 590 1 240.00 $240.00 $1,416 —
640 640 1 230.00 $230.00 $1,472 +0.32
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
740 740 2 240.00 $240.00 $1,776 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1045–1375 1234 80-85% 4 118.00–123.00 $120.84 $1,491 -0.39
1045–1480 1243 80-85% 6 99.00–109.00 $105.41 $1,310 -15.82
1070–1658 1312 80-85% 35 110.00–115.00 $111.83 $1,467 —
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
980 980 85-90% 1 85.00 $85.00 $833 -6.43
995 995 85-90% 1 70.00 $70.00 $696 -21.43
855–1180 1050 85-90% 6 90.00–100.00 $94.56 $993 —
1105–1460 1308 85-90% 4 102.00–109.00 $105.94 $1,386 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1370–1685 1593 75-80% 4 110.00–115.00 $111.31 $1,773 —
1605–1810 1695 75-80% 3 105.00 $105.00 $1,780 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1660–1970 1772 3 130.00–135.00 $131.56 $2,331 —
1650–2225 1859 6 140.00–149.00 $143.84 $2,674 —
2135 2135 1 155.00 $155.00 $3,309 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1215 1215 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,800.00 $1,800.00
1200–1400 1273 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 23 1,500.00–2,000.00 $1,826.46
1300 1300 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 4 1,825.00 $1,825.00

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
915–1055 985 (<2 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 2 1,500.00–2,300.00 $1,928.43
1175 1175 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,400.00 $2,400.00

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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
1400 1400 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 2,750.00 $2,750.00 —
1500 1500 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 2,150.00 $2,150.00 —

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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.