Charters Towers Combined Agents yarded a total of 519 head on Wednesday, consisting of 61 prime cattle and 458 store cattle. The prime cattle consisted of four bullocks, nine heifers, 25 cows and 23 bulls. Store cattle consisted of 296 steers, 125 heifers and 14 mickeys and 23 cows and calves.
Prime cattle were very limited in this week's sale with insufficient numbers to quote. The yarding was drawn from Einasleigh and local areas. Steers and bullocks over 500kg averaged 232.2c. Heifers under 440kg sold to 151.2c and averaged 150.1c. Cows under 400kg made 169.2c and averaged 144.1c, while cows over 400kg reached 162.2c, averaging 158.2c. Bulls under 450kg made 262.2c and averaged 229.5c, while bulls over 450kg reached 268.2c to average 247c.
Bullocks topped at 232.2c for four bullocks sold on a/c ML Fuber that weighed 525kg to return $1219/head. Best priced trade heifers were presented on a/c ML Fuber that sold for 151.2c and weighed 400kg to return $556/head. The top pen of cows were a pen of 10 Brahman cross cows sold by ML Fuber for 162.2c, weighing 435kg to return $705/head. Bulls sold on a/c ML Fuber topped at 268.2c and weighed 650kg to return $1743/head.
The 458 store cattle generally were firm on last week's sale despite a considerably smaller yarding a large line of store steers met with good competition and sold at similar rates to last week. The store cattle consisted of good lines of store steers with a mixed quality of heifers and two good pens of cows and calves.
Steers under 200kg reached 264.2c to average 263.1c, steers 200 - 320kg sold to 280.2c, averaging 249.3c, while steers 320 - 400kg topped at 259.2c and averaged 251.6c. Mickeys under 400kg sold to 242.2c, averaging 239c. Heifers under 200kg topped at 220.2c and averaged 200.2c, heifers 200 - 320kg sold to 216.2c, averaging 167c, while heifers 320 - 370kg made 216.2c to average 179.1c.
A pen of seven steers a/c CC & T Archer made 280.2c and weighed 213kg, returning an average of $596/head. A good pen of six heifers on a/c RD & LA French made 220.2c, weighed 150kg returned $330/head. A good pen of nine heifers on a/c Townsville Correctional Centre made 216.2c, weighed 347.8kg to return $752. 12 cows and calves sold to $1020 on a/c LT & CP Curley, Georgetown.