If you've ever spent a Monday morning leaning against a metal rail while an auctioneer’s chant rattles your eardrums, you know the Tulsa stockyards market report isn't just a sheet of paper. It’s the heartbeat of the regional cattle trade. Honestly, it’s where the rubber meets the road for producers in Northeast Oklahoma.
Things have been wild lately. We aren't just talking about the usual seasonal swings. As of January 2026, the cattle industry is staring down some of the tightest supplies we've seen in decades. This isn't just "talk" at the coffee shop; it’s reflected in the cold, hard numbers coming out of the Monday sales at Tulsa Stockyards Inc.
The market is tight. Really tight.
What’s Actually Moving the Tulsa Stockyards Market Report Right Now
When you pull up the latest report, you’re looking at more than just weights and prices. You’re looking at a collision between multi-decade lows in cattle inventory and a demand for beef that just won't quit.
Basically, the 2025 year ended with a massive market correction that had everyone on edge. But January 2026? It opened with a bang. Fundamentals are back in the driver’s seat. We are seeing feeder steers in the 800-850 lb range hovering around that $320.00 to $340.00 mark, depending on the day and the "fancy" factor.
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Why the Price Tags Look So Different
There's a lot of nuance people miss. You’ll see a price range that looks wider than a barn door.
- Weight Matters (The Slide): A 300 lb steer might pull in over $650.00 per cwt, while those big 800 lb yearlings are naturally lower on a per-hundredweight basis.
- Condition: "Fleshy" cattle get docked. Buyers want them "green"—thin enough to pack on weight at the next stop.
- Genetics: If they look like they’ll grade Prime on a rail, you’ll see the bidding war start.
The USDA reports for the second week of January 2026 showed total receipts across Oklahoma holding steady, but the shortage of calves is the real story. Derrell Peel from Oklahoma State University has been saying it for months: we are at a cyclical low. We aren't just "low" on cows; we are at the point where keeping a heifer to rebuild the herd means one less animal for the feedlot, which just squeezes the supply even harder.
The Monday Grind: How Tulsa Differs from OKC
People often confuse the Tulsa Stockyards with the Oklahoma National Stockyards in OKC. Don't. They’re different beasts.
Tulsa is a Monday sale. They start at 9:00 AM. It’s a 25-acre facility located right off I-44 at 161st E. Ave. While OKC might handle the massive volume of the Central Plains, Tulsa is the hub for the "Green Country" producers.
Reading Between the Lines of the Receipts
In the most recent Tulsa stockyards market report, we saw feeder cattle making up the vast majority of the volume—roughly 92%. Slaughter cows and bulls took up the rest. This tells you that the local market is heavily geared toward the stocker and feeder transition.
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If you're bringing in a load of "odds"—those singles or small groups that don't match—you have to be prepared for a different price than the guy bringing in a uniform load of 50 black-hided steers. The report often groups these "Medium and Large 1" cattle together, but the premium for uniformity is real.
The "Screwworm" Factor and the Border
Here is something most people outside the industry aren't tracking, but it's all over the market analysis this year. The Mexico border closure.
Because of the New World screwworm (NWS) outbreaks, live cattle imports from Mexico have been halted or severely restricted. Usually, those Mexican "corriente" or feeder types help fill the gaps in the Southern Plains. Without them? That's nearly 800,000 head missing from the U.S. supply chain over the last year.
That shortage trickles all the way up to Tulsa. When the big feedlots in Texas can't get Mexican cattle, they start looking harder at the local auctions in Oklahoma. Competition goes up. Prices follow.
Modern Realities for the Cow-Calf Producer
It’s not all sunshine and high checks, though. Costs are still a monster.
If you’re looking at the Tulsa stockyards market report and thinking about buying replacements, be careful. The market is currently providing "price signals" to encourage production, but the cost of "harvested feed"—that's hay and grain to the rest of us—is the biggest profit killer.
Honestly, the "smart money" right now is on managing the herd you have rather than chasing the high-priced replacements. Some producers are seeing record revenues per head, but if your input costs are through the roof, you're just trading dollars.
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Actionable Insights for Your Next Sale
Don't just show up and hope for the best.
- Check the Facebook Page: Tulsa Stockyards Inc. posts their sale times every Sunday evening. Depending on the volume, they might start as early as 6:30 AM or as late as 9:00 AM.
- Watch the "Flesh": If your calves are too fat, the buyers will hammer you. They don't want to pay steer prices for fat.
- Group Them Up: If you have enough for a uniform load, do it. The "per unit" price for a single 250 lb calf might look high (like $1650.00 a head), but you'll almost always do better on a "per cwt" basis with a matched set.
- Weather Watch: Rains moved through Oklahoma recently, but much of the state is still dry. If the dust is flying, people get nervous about buying stockers. If the grass is growing, everyone wants to buy.
The Tulsa stockyards market report is a snapshot of an industry in transition. We are seeing a move toward better genetics and higher carcass weights to make up for the lack of actual "head count." It’s a volatile time, but for the producer who knows how to read the report and time their movement, the opportunity for equity building is the best it's been in a generation.
Focus on cost management. Watch the futures, but don't let them spook you out of a solid cash trade. The fundamentals of 2026 are leaning heavily in favor of the seller, provided you have the quality the buyers are hungry for.