Part of a line of 140 Poll Hereford heifers 7-8 months averaging 221kg from Wantabadgery, NSW that returned $900/head or 407c/kg on Friday. A further 140 brothers from the same vendor averaging 227kg returned $1050, or 461c/kg.

Online cattle trading followed the clear trend seen in physical sales earlier this week, with substantial further declines in most young cattle and some breeding cattle categories.

Listings reduced by five percent for the week, reaching 17,584 head, while clearance rate slipped to 38pc.

Results reinforced the trend of buyers cherry-picking the best breeding females. Competition for a select group of breeding stock supported higher value over reserve, while deteriorating restocker demand for young cattle, which contribute 62pc of listings, has weighed down on clearances.

Prices were mostly lower across steer and heifer categories except for the heavier 400kg+ categories which saw solid gains – suggesting that feeder and processor demand is currently stronger than restocker demand.

Steers 200-280kg registered 2832 head for competition and averaged 425c/kg, down 26c from last week for a 50pc clearance. Prices ranged from 338-498c. A line of 61 Angus steers 9-10 months averaging 279kg from Booborowie, SA, returned 422c/kg.

The 2322 steers catalogued in the 280-330kg range dropped 20c/kg to average 412c this week, while steers 330-400kg registered 1605 head and averaged 391c/kg, down 18c from last week for a 52pc clearance.

Prices ranged from 302-470c. From Alexandria, Victoria, 100 Angus steers 9-11 months averaging 343kg returned $1610 or 470c/kg.

Heifers

Heifers 200-280kg registered 1594 head and averaged 347c – down 19c from last week for a 47pc clearance. Prices ranged from 255-407c. A line of 140 Poll Hereford heifers 7-8 months averaging 221kg from Wantabadgery, NSW, returned $900/head or 407c/kg. A line of 140 brothers to those heifers from the same vendor averaging 227kg and returned $1050/head, or 461c/kg.

Heifers 280-330kg registered 876 head and averaged 337c – down 45c from last week for a 38pc clearance. Prices ranged from 157-418c. From Koorawatha, NSW, 24 Shorthorn heifers 9-10 months averaging 311kg returned $1300 or 418c/kg.

Breeding females

PTIC heifers registered 1977 head, 45pc down on last week as the industry moves away from the peak supply period. Prices averaged $1528/head – down $106 from last week for a 30pc clearance. Forty-six Angus PTIC heifers 15-24 months averaging 500kg from Taroom, Queensland returned $2040/head.

Listings of PTIC cows increased 10pc to 1929 head and listings of SM cows lifted 78pc to 1028 head as the industry approaches the peak supply period for joined cows as producers consolidate breeding herds heading into winter.

PTIC cow prices averaged $1927 – down $39 from last week for a 27pc clearance. A line of 55 four-year-old Angus PTIC cows 565kg from Guyra, NSW returned $2560.

Prices as at 2pm Friday, 12 May.

Source: AuctionsPlus