This line of rising two-year-old PTIC Shorthorn heifers from Hay, NSW made $1820 on Friday.

CATTLE numbers decreased again this week on AuctionsPlus with the offering of 6456 head down 15pc on the previous week. Harvest activity across eastern Australia’s mixed farming grazing areas was blamed as a contributing factor, and with near-record crops in many areas, that’s easy to understand.

Another contributor may have been the softening evident in the cattle market, with restockers holding onto stock with plenty of spring feed to keep them going into the summer months.

PTIC female numbers were low in this week’s eastern states listings with unjoined heifers and cows and calves the hot item.

A solid line of rising two-year-old heifers from Hay, NSW in the heart of the Riverina, made top dollar this week. The 501kg Shorthorn heifers, PTIC to Angus bulls due to calve towards the end of spring, made $1820.

Young cow and calf units presented well with the top priced females for this category located in Holbrook, NSW making $2905 with an average of $2418. These Red Angus heifers are joined back to Hicks Composite bulls and had sappy 158kg Red Angus calves at foot. The heifers are heading south into Victoria to enjoy the warmer months ahead.

A line of four-year-old Charbray cows from Delungra, NSW, joined to Black Limousin bulls and with Charolais-sired calves at foot, made an impressive $2270. This age bracket averaged $2020 in Friday’s sales.

Another nice line of five-year-old Murray Grey cows and calves from Bathurst made $2500. The young cows are unjoined and have 93kg Murray Grey calves at foot.

Proven breeders presented well this week with lines spread evenly across all states.

A line of seven-year-old Angus cows and calves from Ballan, VIC made a solid $2470. The Coolana blood cows are EU accredited and have Campbell Farm Angus calves at foot, averaging 105kg. Proven breeders averaged a huge $2075 this week.

These young Red Angus cows from Holbrook, joined to Hicks Composite bulls and with Red Angus calves at foot made $2905 yesterday.

In a breakdown of young cattle sold on Friday, by weight:

• Steers weighing less than 250kg sold from 440c to 454c/kg to average 447c, up 27c; while heifers less than 250kg sold from 336-407c, averaging 380c, down 65c
• Steers 250-300kg sold from 361-446c, with an average of 404c, down 6c; while heifers sold from 317-406c to average 363c, up 7c
• Steers 300-350kg sold from 293-401c, averaging 366c, up 16c; while heifers sold from 333-348c, averaging 340c, down 6c
• Steers 350-400kg sold from 315-409c, with an average of 355c, up 1c; while heifers sold from 322-559c/kg, averaging 476c/kg
• Steers +400kg made 352c; while heifers +400kg made 350c.

A line of 15-17-month-old F1 Speckle Park X Angus heifers from Cudal, NSW made $2080.

A Texas, QLD vendor sold 59 Angus steers, 13-16 months at 390kg, for $1400/head; and their sisters, 71 NSM Angus heifers 13-16 months at 377kg for $1320.

Wagyu offering

Wagyu steers, also from Texas, made impressive prices this week. A line of 39 13-16-month-old F1 Wagyu X Angus steers averaging 311kg made 643c/kg or $2040. The same vendor also had a line of F1 Wagyu X Angus heifers on offer that made 647c/kg or $1870.

Another standout line of Fullblood Wagyu cows made huge money this week. The young Samaria Valley bloodline cows from the Megalong Valley, NSW made $3000.

These F1 Wagyu X Angus heifers from Texas QLD made 647c/kg or $1870 yesterday.

Click here to access a summary of Friday’s full AuctionsPlus sales results.

Source: AuctionsPlus