The 280-330kg steers remained largely steady, edging $24 higher on the previous week, to average $2,051/head, with a very healthy 94% clearance rate for the 1,286 head offered.
The two heaviest steer categories both declined considerably this week, with 330-400kg lines back $105 on last week, to $2,164/head.
The 78% clearance rate for the 1,769 head offered signalled some buyer hesitancy, especially when compared to the over 90% clearance rate of the three lighter categories.
A line consisting of 114 Angus feeder steers (pictured) from Heywood, Victoria, aged 16-17 months and weighing 396kg liveweight returned 644c/kg, or $2,550/head.
A reduced number of lighter steers, less than 200kg, jumped considerably last week, as competition for a thin offering remained fierce, averaging $1,361/head.
Feeder steer prices slipped back 10c for the week, to average 535c/kg liveweight, or $2,357/head, with an 81% clearance rate for the 1,396 head offered. Tipping the scales at 425kg was a line of 46, 10-11-month-old Angus steers from Penola, South Australia, which returned 636c/kg or $2,675/head.
With lower clearance rates than in previous weeks, four-out-of-five young heifer categories declined in price this week, with the largest offering of 330-400kg heifers back $67 on last week, averaging $2,141/head. 280-330kg heifers averaged $29 lower for the week, at $1,950/head, with an 81% clearance rate for the 1,482 head offered. From Kingston South Australia, a line of 97, 11-12-month-old Angus weaner heifers, averaging 317kg liveweight, returned 690c/kg, or $2,190/head.
PTIC heifers took a step back this week, averaging $152 lower on last week, at $3,053/head, even though there was a comparatively high clearance rate for the category of 74% for the 1,977 head offered.
Out of Gracemere, Central Queensland, 26 Angus/Brahman cross PTIC heifers sold to $2,760/head. Ranging from 18-24 months of age, the heifers averaged 398.4kg liveweight and had been joined to Black Brangus and Angus bulls.
While there was a jump in the number of PTIC cows offered this week, buyers were cautious, with only 48% of the 1,782 head finding a sale. Quality was the driving factor behind PTIC cows averaging $192/head higher for the week, at $3,029/head.
SM cows with CAF averaged $121 higher this week, at $3,664/head. 20 SM Brangus cows with 20 CAF out of Tansey, Southern Queensland, sold to $3,530/head, with the 8–11-year-old cows averaging 505.6kg liveweight, with CAF averaging 108kg.
-AuctionsPlus