Cattle Market Pulse

Ash Flat Livestock Auction Market Report

Ash Flat, Arkansas · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, February 20, 2026

758 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 3-weight M&L 1 heifers $505.33/cwt +16.20 vs last sale · ≈ $1,910/hd at 378 lb · 16 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 heifers $420.71/cwt +7.14 vs last sale · ≈ $2,221/hd at 528 lb · 16 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $477.50/cwt +12.37 vs last sale · ≈ $1,991/hd at 417 lb · 12 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 758 679 0
Feeder cattle 616 544 0
Slaughter cattle 97 75 0
Replacement cattle 45 60 0

Market comments — USDA reporter

SPECIAL NOTE: A consignment of 181 cows, including 60+ cow/calf pairs, is expected to sell next Friday, 02/27/26. Compared to last week, feeder receipts were higher with several attractive quality offerings. Feeder steers and bulls sold $5.00-$15.00 higher. Feeder heifers saw very strong demand, trading $20.00 higher. The highlight of the sale was a draft of 74 replacement heifers averaging 721 lbs that brought $3,300 per head. Slaughter cattle sold steady to $5.00 lower. The ICC High School FFA students were in attendance this week observing the marketing process and livestock evaluation. Their participation added a positive presence to the sale, and it was encouraging to see strong youth interest in the livestock industry.

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
300–320 307 3 595.00–625.00 $608.26 $1,867 +23.26
360–388 376 8 545.00–580.00 $557.35 $2,096 +29.95
380 thin fleshed 380 1 625.00 $625.00 $2,375 —
410 thin fleshed 410 3 570.00 $570.00 $2,337 —
408–440 416 5 520.00–560.00 $548.09 $2,280 +57.05
440–445 443 2 500.00–505.00 $502.49 $2,226 -35.51
460–490 471 7 485.00–560.00 $511.68 $2,410 +59.23
470–490 480 3 450.00–475.00 $464.86 $2,231 -32.77
525 525 1 400.00 $400.00 $2,100 -31.39
500–543 527 6 450.00–480.00 $461.22 $2,431 +29.83
555–590 573 6 425.00–480.00 $453.13 $2,596 +14.30
600–643 628 6 420.00–435.00 $425.72 $2,674 +5.72
630 630 1 380.00 $380.00 $2,394 -40.00
655–675 668 4 380.00–420.00 $399.89 $2,671 -7.56
710–740 720 3 360.00–370.00 $363.29 $2,616 +0.79
745 745 1 325.00 $325.00 $2,421 -37.50
750–780 763 3 350.00–360.00 $356.72 $2,722 —
815 815 5 342.50 $342.50 $2,791 ±0.00
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305–320 313 2 515.00–525.00 $520.12 $1,628 -4.88
355–375 367 3 490.00–515.00 $501.75 $1,841 -13.18
430–440 435 2 470.00–500.00 $484.83 $2,109 +46.57
475 thin fleshed 475 1 465.00 $465.00 $2,209 —
455–490 477 3 410.00–450.00 $433.01 $2,065 +8.01
505 505 1 420.00 $420.00 $2,121 —
585 585 1 380.00 $380.00 $2,223 -14.58
620–643 636 5 340.00–385.00 $353.79 $2,250 —
675 675 2 325.00–330.00 $327.50 $2,211 -18.98

↑ Back to top

Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
293 293 3 565.00 $565.00 $1,655 +15.04
326–340 332 7 525.00–565.00 $547.44 $1,818 +35.77
355–397 378 16 480.00–545.00 $505.33 $1,910 +22.37
400–430 417 12 460.00–500.00 $477.50 $1,991 +21.70
450–490 471 8 410.00–460.00 $443.55 $2,089 +5.83
495 495 1 380.00 $380.00 $1,881 -57.72
525 525 1 385.00 $385.00 $2,021 -28.57
510–536 528 15 400.00–445.00 $423.09 $2,234 +9.52
580 580 1 365.00 $365.00 $2,117 -31.70
550–595 581 5 380.00–445.00 $402.39 $2,338 +5.69
600 600 1 350.00 $350.00 $2,100 -16.84
605–643 622 10 375.00–405.00 $394.68 $2,455 +27.84
655 655 1 390.00 $390.00 $2,554 +36.44
710 710 1 335.00 $335.00 $2,378 —
720 720 1 400.00 $400.00 $2,880 —
853 853 3 385.00 $385.00 $3,284 —
860–880 867 3 280.00–292.50 $288.27 $2,499 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
721 721 74 3,300.00 $3,300.00 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320–330 328 6 465.00–500.00 $490.79 $1,610 +40.79
338 thin fleshed 338 2 565.00 $565.00 $1,910 —
350–390 367 3 460.00–490.00 $472.82 $1,735 +40.24
400–445 422 6 380.00–430.00 $404.51 $1,707 -6.40
455–490 474 7 380.00–420.00 $394.74 $1,871 +19.87
510 510 1 370.00 $370.00 $1,887 -4.81
555–585 570 2 340.00–360.00 $350.26 $1,996 -2.07
632–645 635 4 340.00–352.50 $349.33 $2,218 +1.03
830 830 1 265.00 $265.00 $2,200 —

↑ Back to top

Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
290–293 292 3 590.00–600.00 $593.31 $1,732 —
310–335 323 2 580.00–585.00 $582.40 $1,881 +8.53
354–355 354 8 565.00 $565.00 $2,000 +39.72
370 370 1 525.00 $525.00 $1,942 -0.28
410–430 421 6 500.00–555.00 $517.55 $2,179 +67.55
460 460 1 515.00 $515.00 $2,369 +90.00
505–540 520 4 425.00–465.00 $445.32 $2,316 -7.21
575 575 1 430.00 $430.00 $2,472 +10.79
625 625 1 400.00 $400.00 $2,500 +4.81
705 705 1 355.00 $355.00 $2,503 +5.00
780 780 1 360.00 $360.00 $2,808 +3.37
820 820 1 300.00 $300.00 $2,460 —
930 930 1 310.00 $310.00 $2,883 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
360–375 371 8 510.00–545.00 $519.89 $1,929 —
410 410 1 440.00 $440.00 $1,804 +10.19
450–495 473 3 425.00–430.00 $426.67 $2,018 +4.63
505–510 507 3 370.00–420.00 $399.90 $2,027 -2.72
565–585 572 6 325.00–400.00 $364.16 $2,083 -5.90
615–645 630 2 340.00–360.00 $350.24 $2,207 +0.24
660 660 1 350.00 $350.00 $2,310 +39.96
700 700 1 300.00 $300.00 $2,100 —
830 830 1 280.00 $280.00 $2,324 —
855 855 1 240.00 $240.00 $2,052 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
870–1035 940 85-90% 5 116.00–128.00 $123.78 $1,164 —
790–1220 1039 85-90% 6 96.00–114.00 $108.08 $1,123 -36.94
855–1275 1056 85-90% 12 130.00–144.00 $139.67 $1,475 —
875–1380 1153 85-90% 10 146.00–158.00 $151.04 $1,741 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1090 1090 80-85% 1 134.00 $134.00 $1,461 —
1080–1395 1235 80-85% 5 146.00–154.00 $149.30 $1,844 —
1155–1435 1243 80-85% 4 156.00–162.00 $158.40 $1,969 —
1115–1405 1304 80-85% 6 166.00–172.00 $167.50 $2,184 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1235–1535 1432 75-80% 3 158.00–162.00 $160.85 $2,303 -2.02
1520–1645 1583 75-80% 2 148.00–154.00 $151.12 $2,392 —

↑ Back to top

Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1335–2110 1707 3 190.00–194.00 $191.65 $3,271 +4.39
1595–2145 1849 4 168.00–178.00 $173.19 $3,202 —
2165 2165 1 202.00 $202.00 $4,373 —

↑ Back to top

Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1100 1100 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 3,000.00 $3,000.00
1200 1200 Young/Middle Aged (2-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 2 3,600.00 $3,600.00
1200 1200 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 7 3,100.00 $3,100.00
1300 1300 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 3,500.00 $3,500.00
1400 1400 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 3,150.00 $3,150.00

↑ Back to top

Cow-Calf Pairs

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
1200–1300 1225 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 4 3,000.00–3,400.00 $3,106.12 —
1300 1300 Middle Aged/Aged (>5 yrs)Open 4 3,700.00 $3,700.00 +550.00
1300 1300 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 3,500.00 $3,500.00 +350.00

↑ Back to top

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.