Charters Towers combined agents yarded a total of 3708 cattle at their prime and store sale last Wednesday, consisting of 1407 prime cattle and 2301 store cattle.
The prime cattle consisted of 445 bullocks, 319 heifers, 512 cows and 131 bulls. The store section consisted of 979 steers, 1015 heifers and 19 x 19 cows and calves.
Cattle consisted of good lines of fat cows, some small lines of good bullocks and large yarding of fat heifers. The yarding was drawn From Torrens Creek, Belyando, Ravenshoe, Ingham, coastal and local areas.
Prime quotes:
Bullocks were quoted 10c dearer, heifers were 10c dearer, cows were 10c dearer, and bulls were unchanged on the previous week's rates.
Steers and bullocks under 500kg sold to 392c and averaged 378c, and those over 500kg topped at 386c to average 365c. Heifers over 440kg topped at 370c, averaging 350c. Cows under 400kg made 272c and averaged 259c, while cows over 400kg reached 306c, averaging 295c. Bulls under 450kg made 368c and averaged 340c, while bulls over 450kg reached 368c to average 353c.
Bullocks topped at 386.2c for a pen of 10 Ox sold on a/c Burdekin Downs that weighed 587kg to return $2266/hd. Best priced trade heifers were presented on a/c St Elmo Pastoral Co that sold for 370.2c , weighing 436kg to return $1614/hd. The top pen of cows was sold by Greengrass weighing 570kg to return $1733.94/hd. Bulls sold on a/c RE and KJ Whalan topped at 368c and weighed 540kg, to return $1988/hd.
Store quotes:
Store cattle consisted of some very good lines of steers and heifers that buyers travelled to compete solidly on. The market was fully firm to dearer.
Steers under 200kg reached 504c to average 492c, steers 200 - 320kg sold to 548c, averaging 466c, steers 320 - 400kg topped at 456c and averaged 410c and steers over 400kg sold to 426c to average 404c. Mickeys under 400kg sold to 536c, averaging 445c. Heifers under 200kg topped at 412c and averaged 399c, heifers 200 - 320kg sold to 440c, averaging 387c, and heifers 320 - 370kg made 392c to average 383c.
A pen of 137 steers a/c Hammer Grazing, Glendillon, sold for 548.2c and weighed 238.6kg, returning an average of $1308/hd. A pen of 39 mickeys a/c Fleetwood P/c made 536.2c and weighed 158kg, returning an average of $845/hd. A good pen of 38 heifers on a/c Brown and Sons made 440c weighed 258kg returning $1135/hd. 14 x 14 cows and calves sold on a/c Priestley Big Beef, Forsythe, returned $200/unit.
