Prime Cattle

Yarding:  665

Numbers increased and the quality was mixed. Yearlings made up the bulk of the offering, with some well finished lines to suit the trade, along with some good pens to suit the feedlot buyers and also some plainer types. There were some good runs of heavy grown cattle, 108 cows for processing and 69 cows and calves returning to the paddock. All the usual buyers were operating, selling mostly to a cheaper trend.

Yearling steers to suit the trade slipped 8c, selling from 470c to 540c and the heifers to process were also cheaper making from 460c to 520c/kg. Feeder steers were cheaper, with the medium weights ranging from 450c to 540c and those over 400kg reached 542c to average 486c/kg. There were not enough feeder heifers to quote. Weaner steers returning to the paddock, were a few cents better, selling from 512c to 610c and the heifer portion ranged from 505c to 575c/kg.

Heavy grown steers were back 6c, making from 400c to 476c and grown heifers were also cheaper, receiving from 381c to 438c/kg. Heavy prime cows eased 9c, selling from 355c to 400c/kg. The best heavy weight bull topped at 352c/kg. Cows cows and calves ranged from $2500 to $3900 per unit.

Market Report: MLA’s National Livestock Reporting Service. Click here to download the full market report.

Photo: 8 Simmental Steers sold for 520c/kg, ave 392.5kg, $2041ph by Holman Tolmie on behalf of E Rickett & Son, Harden.