Cattle Market Pulse

Topeka Livestock Auction Market Report

Topeka, Indiana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, October 17, 2023

451 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

Receipts

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 451 182 333
Feeder cattle 281 43 173
Slaughter cattle 170 137 160

Market comments — USDA reporter

Compared to last week, Holstein slaughter steers were trending higher based on a limited comparison. Holstein slaughter heifers were trending higher based on a limited comparison. Slaughter cows were mostly steady. No other comparisons are available because of light receipts.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Feeder Steers

N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1225–1290 1258 2 166.00–170.00 $167.95 $2,113 —
1315–1405 1348 3 172.00–182.50 $177.78 $2,396 —
Medium and Large 1 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
945 945 1 152.50 $152.50 $1,441 —

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Feeder Heifers

Medium and Large 2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
320 320 1 275.00 $275.00 $880 —
420 420 4 157.50 $157.50 $662 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1120 1120 1 160.00 $160.00 $1,792 —

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Slaughter Cows

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
890–1435 1188 85-90% 19 61.00–70.50 $67.81 $806 —
880–1525 1219 85-90% 28 72.00–83.00 $78.23 $954 -2.30
1035–1705 1386 85-90% 35 85.00–95.50 $88.73 $1,230 -0.67
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1195–1795 1480 80-85% 11 85.50–94.00 $91.23 $1,350 —
1365–1680 1526 80-85% 15 95.00–105.00 $98.46 $1,502 —
1480–1675 1595 80-85% 3 108.00–116.00 $112.04 $1,787 —
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1615–1955 1802 75-80% 3 101.50–104.50 $102.82 $1,853 —
1835 1835 75-80% 1 84.50 $84.50 $1,551 -6.35
1785–1995 1882 75-80% 5 90.00–98.50 $94.39 $1,776 +10.38

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Slaughter Bulls

YG1-2 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1645 1645 1 104.00 $104.00 $1,711 —
1370–2275 1845 3 113.00–122.00 $119.77 $2,210 —
1900–2105 2003 2 128.00 $128.00 $2,564 —

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Dairy Heifers

Large 3 ($/head)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ Δ last sale
187 187 2 225.00 $225.00 —
252 252 10 435.00 $435.00 -55.00
301–345 311 5 150.00–375.00 $288.60 -101.40
358–386 372 13 275.00–450.00 $422.69 -137.31
417–443 424 27 675.00–785.00 $755.19 —
455–485 457 29 550.00–800.00 $783.67 —
545 545 3 575.00 $575.00 —
635 635 1 500.00 $500.00 —
695 695 1 725.00 $725.00 —
705–737 728 14 650.00–1,200.00 $1,045.83 —
760–785 781 27 785.00–1,275.00 $867.28 —
806–849 814 45 700.00–1,335.00 $1,222.44 —
870–874 873 6 1,200.00–1,275.00 $1,262.55 —
910–935 913 32 1,150.00–1,400.00 $1,373.27 —
977 977 2 1,350.00 $1,350.00 —
1020 1020 1 1,185.00 $1,185.00 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1085–1370 1257 3 138.00–141.00 $139.23 $1,750 +8.04
1245–1495 1370 3 118.00–125.00 $120.70 $1,654 —

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Dairy Steers

Large 3 ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
305 305 1 110.00 $110.00 $336 —
445 445 1 120.00 $120.00 $534 —
675–695 685 2 115.00–120.00 $117.46 $805 —
N/N/A ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1560–1910 1756 4 154.50–159.50 $156.33 $2,745 -3.17

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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.