Cattle Market Pulse

Topeka Livestock Auction Market Report

Topeka, Indiana · USDA-reported Auction Livestock

Sale of Tuesday, October 24, 2023

132 head sold ·Official USDA report

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

HeadThis saleLast saleLast year
Total receipts 132 451 160
Feeder cattle 281
Slaughter cattle 132 170 160

Compared to last week, slaughter cows were 4.00 lower. Light receipts today as local farmers had a break in the rainy weather and had a nice fall day to focus on the harvest. Note: No Topeka Livestock Auction next week because of the horse sale.

New to these tables? Plain-English explainers ↓

Lean ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
925–1575 1192 85-90% 19 68.50–79.00 $73.65 $878 +5.84
1010–1565 1300 85-90% 10 57.00–67.00 $62.90 $818
1065–1670 1411 85-90% 19 80.00–91.50 $85.99 $1,213
Boner ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1390–1690 1514 80-85% 4 88.00–91.50 $89.75 $1,359 -8.71
1360–1760 1560 80-85% 2 103.50–109.00 $106.60 $1,663 -5.44
1165–1765 1564 80-85% 7 93.50–102.00 $97.17 $1,520 -14.87
Breaker ($/cwt)
Weight (lb) Avg wt Dressing Head Price range Avg $ ≈ $/hdΔ last sale
1780 1780 75-80% 1 100.50 $100.50 $1,789
1800–1935 1855 75-80% 5 84.00–89.50 $87.30 $1,619 -7.09

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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.