A total of 1700 head were yarded for the weekly store and prime sale at Emerald on November 30.
The quality was solid throughout the yarding with weaners in demand with restockers from the local area and the south.
Slaughter cattle saw a slight drop in price as processors start to wind down for the year, with limited space available until 2018.
Bullocks over 550kg topped at 266c/kg to average 258c/kg, heavy steers 500–550kg reached 268c/kg and averaged 260c/kg, heavy heifers over 400kg made to 267c/kg to average 247c/kg, heavy cows over 520kg topped at 219c/kg and averaged 216c/kg, 450-520kg cows made to 217c/kg to average 203c/kg, while heavy bulls over 600kg reached 248c/kg to average 233c/kg.
In the store section, heavy feeder steers 400–500kg topped at 304c/kg and averaged 284c/kg, trade feeder steers 350-400kg reached 318c/kg and averaged 287c/kg. Backgrounder steers 280-350kg made to 400c/kg and averaged 346c/kg, weaner steers 200-280kg sold to 400c/kg and averaged 351c/kg, while light steers under 200kg are unable to be quoted due to insufficient numbers.
Feeder heifers 350–400kg reached 286c/kg and averaged 247c/kg, backgrounder heifers 280-350kg topped at 338c/kg to average 301c/kg, while weaner heifers 200-280kg reached 349c/kg to average 312c/kg.
Eight lots of cows and calves were on offer, a pen of large framed Charbray cross cows with calves nearly ready to wean, made $1700 per unit.
Sale Highlights: The Louden family ‘Karinda’ of Springsure consigned Euro cross steers reaching 303c/kg to weigh 449kg and returning $1359, while the Jansen family ‘Riverview Station’ of Alpha offered Droughtmaster cross steers topping at 318c/kg weighing 355kg or $1129. The Barlow family ‘Amaroo’ of Comet consigned a top quality line of Brangus steers attracting the top price for the day of 400c/kg and weighing 318kg to return $1273, while Kerry Burrows ‘Wongalea’ Gindie sold Brangus heifers to 346c/kg weighing 226kg and returning $783.
