Cattle Market Pulse

Ash Flat Livestock Auction Market Report

Ash Flat, Arkansas · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Friday, May 8, 2026

592 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers $459.40/cwt ≈ $2,591/hd at 564 lb · 14 head
heavy 4-weight M&L 2 heifers $429.43/cwt -10.54 vs last sale · ≈ $1,988/hd at 463 lb · 13 head
light 5-weight M&L 1 steers $481.70/cwt -12.97 vs last sale · ≈ $2,543/hd at 528 lb · 12 head

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 592 704 702
Feeder cattle 477 572 542
Slaughter cattle 60 60 120
Replacement cattle 55 72 40

Market comments — USDA reporter

Receipts of feeder cattle this week were moderate, with a few offerings of weaned calves over 500 lbs. selling on a strong demand. Lightweight calves under 500 lbs. were mostly unweaned and carrying moderate flesh condition. No trend comparison was available due to the absence of a reported sale the previous week. Slaughter cattle sold on a strong demand as well, though no trends could be established.

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
320 320 1 655.00 $655.00 $2,096 —
345 345 1 575.00 $575.00 $1,984 —
355 355 1 575.00 $575.00 $2,041 +25.00
355–385 370 2 585.00–600.00 $592.20 $2,191 +42.20
400–445 431 5 550.00–570.00 $556.81 $2,400 -49.78
425–440 433 2 500.00–535.00 $517.80 $2,242 -88.79
463–490 471 6 525.00–542.50 $539.04 $2,539 -12.59
480–485 483 2 500.00–510.00 $505.03 $2,439 -46.60
500–545 523 8 480.00–515.00 $492.54 $2,576 -2.13
530–545 538 4 450.00–465.00 $460.03 $2,475 -34.64
550–585 563 11 450.00–475.00 $466.99 $2,629 —
555–580 568 3 425.00–440.00 $431.55 $2,451 —
604–605 604 5 430.00–435.00 $431.00 $2,603 —
600–637 631 6 445.00–450.00 $449.21 $2,835 —
651–675 661 8 420.00–445.00 $433.28 $2,864 +24.98
705 705 1 405.00 $405.00 $2,855 —
810–820 815 2 350.00–375.00 $362.58 $2,955 —
865 865 1 350.00 $350.00 $3,028 +2.50
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 320 1 555.00 $555.00 $1,776 -20.11
385 385 1 570.00 $570.00 $2,194 +26.53
415–435 425 2 480.00–540.00 $509.29 $2,164 +12.69
455 thin fleshed 455 1 530.00 $530.00 $2,412 —
460–495 478 8 470.00–515.00 $490.98 $2,347 +40.98
505 thin fleshed 505 1 490.00 $490.00 $2,474 —
510–545 524 5 445.00–470.00 $456.15 $2,390 +2.75
550–590 571 5 400.00–440.00 $418.06 $2,387 +1.86
580 thin fleshed 580 1 455.00 $455.00 $2,639 —
630 630 1 410.00 $410.00 $2,583 —
640 640 1 350.00 $350.00 $2,240 —
670–680 675 2 385.00–390.00 $387.52 $2,616 —
685 685 1 340.00 $340.00 $2,329 —
815–820 818 2 310.00–320.00 $315.02 $2,577 -4.98

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
385–390 388 3 480.00 $480.00 $1,862 -40.00
420–440 430 3 470.00–480.00 $473.26 $2,035 -39.57
455–490 474 7 450.00–495.00 $470.54 $2,230 -4.89
485 485 1 445.00 $445.00 $2,158 -30.43
505–535 518 3 435.00–460.00 $444.84 $2,304 -15.08
535 535 1 420.00 $420.00 $2,247 -39.92
550–585 563 4 405.00–450.00 $423.37 $2,384 -2.48
580 580 1 400.00 $400.00 $2,320 -25.85
595 595 1 392.50 $392.50 $2,335 -33.35
603–640 620 11 400.00–430.00 $412.87 $2,560 —
685 685 1 335.00 $335.00 $2,295 -17.43
700–740 719 5 340.00–365.00 $351.99 $2,531 +4.49
755–770 766 4 325.00–335.00 $332.54 $2,547 —
943 943 2 280.00 $280.00 $2,640 —
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300–340 320 2 470.00–500.00 $484.06 $1,549 -1.31
360–395 374 4 450.00–465.00 $460.17 $1,721 +2.98
410–425 418 5 440.00–475.00 $464.99 $1,944 -6.42
455–495 463 13 422.50–445.00 $429.43 $1,988 +5.29
510–525 514 4 380.00–425.00 $403.91 $2,076 +6.13
555–585 570 2 390.00–400.00 $394.87 $2,251 +19.98
620–640 628 3 360.00–395.00 $374.37 $2,351 +9.45
720 720 1 330.00 $330.00 $2,376 —
820 820 1 295.00 $295.00 $2,419 —
Small 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
526 526 5 350.00 $350.00 $1,841 —
Small 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
410 410 5 370.00 $370.00 $1,517 —
Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
461 461 4 455.00 $455.00 $2,098 +5.00

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
300–340 323 3 525.00–560.00 $544.07 $1,757 —
350–380 365 2 500.00–525.00 $511.99 $1,869 —
425–435 430 3 485.00–520.00 $501.74 $2,157 -15.00
430 thin fleshed 430 1 540.00 $540.00 $2,322 —
470–485 475 5 440.00–480.00 $459.83 $2,184 -16.89
515–535 525 6 400.00–450.00 $423.05 $2,221 +23.05
595 595 1 405.00 $405.00 $2,410 +24.91
605 thin fleshed 605 1 430.00 $430.00 $2,602 —
715 715 1 370.00 $370.00 $2,646 —
765 765 1 340.00 $340.00 $2,601 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305 305 2 600.00 $600.00 $1,830 —
445 445 1 545.00 $545.00 $2,425 -7.51
470–490 480 2 470.00–475.00 $472.55 $2,268 -47.45
485 485 1 515.00 $515.00 $2,498 -5.00
510–535 523 2 475.00–495.00 $484.76 $2,535 +12.08
560 560 1 450.00 $450.00 $2,520 +10.00
640 640 2 437.50–450.00 $443.75 $2,840 —
785 785 1 345.00 $345.00 $2,708 —
810 810 1 285.00 $285.00 $2,308 —
830 830 1 350.00 $350.00 $2,905 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
785–1025 905 85-90% 2 118.00–134.00 $127.06 $1,150 —
970–1270 1076 85-90% 9 160.00–168.00 $164.74 $1,773 —
895–1205 1090 85-90% 3 154.00–156.00 $155.26 $1,692 —
1015–1455 1212 85-90% 5 170.00–178.00 $173.42 $2,102 —
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1015–1505 1204 80-85% 9 170.00–182.00 $175.93 $2,118 +0.92
1180–1520 1350 80-85% 4 192.00–200.00 $196.39 $2,651 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1395–1615 1505 75-80% 2 172.00–174.00 $173.07 $2,605 —
1520 1520 75-80% 1 160.00 $160.00 $2,432 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1330–1645 1437 3 186.00–198.00 $190.94 $2,744 —
1255–1860 1575 3 206.00–214.00 $210.51 $3,316 —
1615–2260 1956 4 226.00–258.00 $236.55 $4,627 —

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Stock Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hd
885–1145 1028 Young (2-4 yrs)Open 3 200.00–250.00 $225.13 $2,314

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1098–1350 1200 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 8 2,400.00–2,900.00 $2,593.52
1215 1215 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 3,500.00 $3,500.00
1224 1224 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd/3rd Stage (4-9 mo) 12 2,450.00 $2,450.00
1030–1425 1225 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 2,700.00–3,000.00 $2,850.48
1105–1465 1335 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 3,000.00–3,850.00 $3,524.03

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Bred Heifers

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
1120 1120 (<2 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 3,400.00 $3,400.00

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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
850 850 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 3,700.00 $3,700.00 —
1100 1100 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 3,700.00 $3,700.00 —

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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.