Charters Towers Combined Agents yarded a total of 1814 head on Wednesday. Cattle consisted of 826 prime cattle and 988 store cattle. The prime cattle consisted of 63 bullocks, 13 heifers, 707 cows and 43 bulls. Store cattle consisted of 809 steers, 176 heifers and three cows and calves.
Cattle comprised a mixed yarding of bullocks and cows as well as a good quality line of 428 PTIC cows a/c Walhallow Pastoral Co Tennant Creek which averaged $626.38/head.
The yarding was drawn from Tennant Creek, Hughenden, Chillagoe, Georgetown, Gumlu as well as local and coastal areas.
Prime quotes:
Heavy bullocks were quoted as 15c easier, heifers were 15c dearer, cows were 6c dearer and bulls were 10c dearer on last week's rates.
Steers and bullocks under 500kg sold to 270c and averaged 230c, and those over 500kg topped at 290c to average 268c. Heifers under 440kg sold to 211c and averaged 171c, while heifers over 440kg topped at 208c, averaging 208c. Cows under 400kg made 173c and averaged 130c, while cows over 400kg reached 216c, averaging 162c. Bulls under 450kg made 280c and averaged 240c, while bulls over 450kg reached 293c to average 264c.
Bullocks topped at 290c/kg, for 12 ox sold on a/c ET and B Terry that weighed 630kg to return $1828/head. Best priced trade heifers were presented on a/c G and C Connolly that sold 208c and weighed 450kg to return $936/head. The top pen of cows were sold by G and C Connolly for 199c and weighed 512kg to return $1019/head. Bulls sold on a/c Philipson Holdings topped at 293c and weighed 770kg, to return $2257/head.
Store quotes:
Store cattle comprised of two good lines of steers from Chillagoe and Gumlu as well as a good line of heifers from Hughenden, as well as local and coastal areas.
Steers 200 - 320kg sold to 271c, averaging 230c, steers 320 - 400kg topped at 246c and averaged 237c and steers over 400kg sold to 273c to average 273c. Heifers under 200kg topped at 280c and averaged 244c, heifers 200 - 320kg sold to 200c, averaging 161c, while heifers 320 - 370kg made 198c to average 171c.
A pen of nine steers a/c Watts and Bridgeman made 271c and weighed 253kg, returning an average of $685/head. A good pen of six heifers a/c K and E Harriman made 188c, weighed 270kg and returned an average of $508/head. One cow and calf sold on a/c Greg and Jocelyn Condon returned at $1000/unit.