PRIME SALE
Charters Towers combined agents yarded 1653 prime cattle last Wednesday, consisting of 840 bullocks, 111 heifers, 469 cows and 233 bulls.
Cattle comprised some good quality lines of bullocks and feeder steers as well as smaller lines of heavy cows. The yarding was drawn from Croydon, Mt Surprise, Georgetown, Mt Garnet, Richmond, Hughenden, Clermont, as well as local and coastal areas.
Bullocks were quoted 5c dearer, heifers 10c dearer, cows were 5c dearer and bulls unchanged on last sale's rates.
Prime quotes: Steers and bullocks under 500kg sold to 464c and averaged 445c, and those over 500kg topped at 452c to average 437c. Heifers over 440kg topped at 484c, averaging 424c. Cows under 400kg made 386c and averaged 336c, while cows over 400kg reached 396c, averaging 390c. Bulls under 450kg made 460c and averaged 367c, while bulls over 450kg reached 385c to average 351c.
Bullocks topped at 452.2c, sold on a/c Laroona Past Co that weighed 605kg to return $2735/hd. Eight feeder steers sold on a/c DC and JE Cairns sold for 464c weighed an average of 413kg to return $1916/hd. Export heifers sold on a/c Mt Douglas Pastoral Co, sold for 424c weighed 555 to return $2354/hd.
Best priced trade heifers were presented on a/c DG and JE Cairns that sold for 484c and weighed 345kg to return $1672/hd. The top pen of cows was sold by Mt Douglas Pastoral Co, for 396c, weighing 584kg to return $2314/hd. Bulls sold on a/c CR Tritton Pty Ltd for 365c, weighing 753kg returned $2747/hd.
STORE SALE
There were 3983 cattle yarded at Friday's store sale, consisting of 1755 steers, 531 mickeys, 1664 heifers and 33 cows and calves.
Store cattle were offered to a large buyers' gallery and sold to a dearer trend for all categories. Lotfeeders competed strongly on good lines of feeder steers and heifers and restockers were active on good lines of weaners and offspring offering compensatory gain.
The yarding was drawn from Mt Isa, Normanton, Croydon, Georgetown, Tablelands, Tully, Einasleigh, Forsayth as well as local and coastal areas.
Store quotes: Steers under 200kg reached 766c to average 680c, steers 200 - 320kg sold to 686c, averaging 583c, steers 320 - 400kg topped at 582c and averaged 518c and steers over 440kg sold to 532c to average 470c. Mickeys under 450kg sold to 728c, averaging 529c. Heifers under 200kg topped at 682c and averaged 561c, heifers 200 - 320kg sold to 630c, averaging 495c, and heifers 320 - 370kg made 514c to average 473c.
A pen of 13 Brahman steers a/c Kenilworth Brahmans made 518.2c, weighing 495kg, returning an average of $2567/hd. A pen of 30 Brahman weaner steers a/c Cattle JV Pty Ltd made 766.2c and weighed 122kg, returning an average of $934/hd.
A good pen of 10 heifers sold on a/c Callan Farming made 514c, weighing 329kg returning $1691.72/hd. A pen of 13 Brangus weaner heifers on a/c RJ and JP McDonald sold to 682.2c, weighing 132kg returning an average of $900.50/hd. 14 x 14 cow and calves sold on a/c Amac Farms returned $2600/unit.