Cattle Market Pulse

McAlester Union Livestock Auction Market Report

McAlester, Oklahoma · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, August 18, 2026

640 head sold ·Official USDA report

This is an archived report. See the latest McAlester Union Livestock Auction report →

heavy 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $401.72/cwt -25.18 vs last sale · ≈ $1,846/hd at 460 lb · 48 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 steers $443.47/cwt -42.71 vs last sale · ≈ $1,925/hd at 434 lb · 43 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 heifers $424.18/cwt -34.64 vs last sale · ≈ $1,813/hd at 427 lb · 33 head
McAlester 4-weight heifers sold at $411/cwt, in line with the state average—$1/cwt above the OK average ($410)—and $20/cwt under Beaver, OK ($431). The class is down $68 from its early July peak of $465/cwt. What this means — computed from this report and its neighbors

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 640 690 775
Feeder cattle 550 580 725
Slaughter cattle 65 83 37
Replacement cattle 25 27 13

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week; Steer calves 10.00 to 12.00 lower. Heifer calves 10.00 to 16.00 lower. A large number of calves ,( steers and heifers) , with QBN qualities that made them value added. Demand was moderate to good. Slaughter cows; Breakers and Boners 2.00 to 5.00 lower, Lean s 8.00 higher. Slaughter bulls 20.00 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
315–340 324 7 500.00–555.00 $543.85 $1,762 +6.46
365–390 385 6 435.00–465.00 $457.56 $1,762 -52.45
391 value added 391 9 479.00 $479.00 $1,873 —
400–440 434 43 440.00–463.00 $443.47 $1,925 -45.20
450–495 470 28 380.00–445.00 $427.60 $2,010 -17.07
473 unweaned 473 3 450.00 $450.00 $2,128 +36.30
515–540 532 25 391.00–415.00 $401.51 $2,136 -13.40
550–595 562 9 370.00–385.00 $379.09 $2,130 -10.59
612–643 623 17 374.00–397.00 $393.07 $2,449 +6.87
660–695 677 3 350.00–365.00 $359.86 $2,436 -11.88
735–740 736 5 353.00–360.00 $358.59 $2,639 +2.25
775 775 1 340.00 $340.00 $2,635 -0.82
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
340 340 1 455.00 $455.00 $1,547 —
490 490 1 350.00 $350.00 $1,715 -43.40
515–543 531 6 371.00–385.00 $379.56 $2,015 +21.56
635–640 638 2 353.00–360.00 $356.51 $2,275 +11.51

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305–345 322 11 430.00–475.00 $447.37 $1,441 -58.56
350–375 356 7 427.00–480.00 $445.88 $1,587 -45.29
381 value added 381 15 449.00 $449.00 $1,711 —
370–392 unweaned 383 5 418.00–422.00 $420.46 $1,610 -49.54
403–440 426 30 410.00–440.00 $417.10 $1,777 -43.78
442 value added 442 3 495.00 $495.00 $2,188 —
450–461 value added 453 35 408.00–442.00 $411.58 $1,864 —
460–495 477 13 350.00–387.00 $375.17 $1,790 -53.58
503 unweaned 503 3 368.00 $368.00 $1,851 —
505–530 515 20 355.00–389.00 $378.90 $1,951 -49.78
537 value added 537 5 473.00 $473.00 $2,540 —
562–597 578 11 340.00–373.00 $351.80 $2,033 -25.39
610–641 628 7 330.00–370.00 $338.75 $2,127 -18.85
685 685 2 328.00 $328.00 $2,247 -18.41
795 795 1 310.00 $310.00 $2,464 -2.00
805 805 1 260.00 $260.00 $2,093 -36.40
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
310–340 325 2 382.00–425.00 $402.51 $1,308 -47.49
360–395 382 3 314.00–425.00 $384.93 $1,470 -70.07
407–445 425 12 302.00–404.00 $383.64 $1,630 -37.53
595 595 1 304.00 $304.00 $1,809 -41.66

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Feeder Bulls

Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305–345 319 7 450.00–560.00 $499.21 $1,592 -48.25
370–391 384 8 452.00–465.00 $458.02 $1,759 -44.39
400–430 416 12 425.00–452.00 $440.33 $1,832 -30.57
460–495 481 9 383.00–412.00 $390.38 $1,878 -32.59
505–545 520 4 380.00–392.00 $385.19 $2,003 -28.78
553–595 567 10 345.00–376.00 $360.81 $2,046 -21.26
630–645 635 3 352.00–365.00 $360.60 $2,290 +14.68
670–690 680 4 322.00–347.00 $337.70 $2,296 -24.96
715–745 728 4 313.00–332.00 $325.64 $2,371 -36.36
750–765 755 3 293.00–314.00 $306.91 $2,317 +8.33
Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
330 330 1 427.00 $427.00 $1,409 +72.00
425 425 1 387.00 $387.00 $1,645 -22.56
465 465 1 355.00 $355.00 $1,651 +7.02
515 515 1 351.00 $351.00 $1,808 -15.64
595 595 1 341.00 $341.00 $2,029 —

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Slaughter Cows

Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1150–1275 1213 80-85% 2 174.00 $174.00 $2,111 +5.99
1200–1270 1238 80-85% 9 158.00–163.00 $160.54 $1,987 -7.47
Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1000–1100 1050 85-90% 2 177.00–180.00 $178.43 $1,874 —
1005–1130 1070 85-90% 8 158.00–163.00 $160.01 $1,712 -20.79
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1450–1485 1465 75-80% 3 172.00–177.00 $174.00 $2,549 +3.08
1300–1870 1533 75-80% 5 163.00–168.00 $165.79 $2,542 -10.50
1600 1600 75-80% 1 182.00 $182.00 $2,912 —

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1425–1900 1580 6 192.00–197.00 $195.09 $3,082 -11.46
1610–1810 1686 4 201.00–206.00 $203.32 $3,428 —
1710–1875 1810 3 208.00–211.00 $209.65 $3,795 —

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Bred Cows

Medium and Large 1-2 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt AgeStage Head Price range Avg $
825 825 Young (2-4 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,350.00 $2,350.00
875–1095 957 Young (2-4 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 3 2,175.00–2,750.00 $2,464.94
1020–1215 1110 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 4 2,500.00–3,350.00 $2,947.49
1125–1205 1153 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 3 2,450.00–3,300.00 $2,900.47
1190 1190 Aged (>8 yrs)2nd Stage (4-6 mo) 1 1,775.00 $1,775.00
1225 1225 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)1st Stage (1-3 mo) 1 3,075.00 $3,075.00
1265 1265 Aged (>8 yrs)3rd Stage (7-9 mo) 1 2,150.00 $2,150.00

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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
960 960 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 2,750.00 $2,750.00 —
1005 1005 Aged (>8 yrs)Open 1 1,925.00 $1,925.00 —
1175 1175 Middle Aged (5-8 yrs)Open 1 3,225.00 $3,225.00 —

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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.