THE forecast for some useful rain for the following Friday and Saturday created very solid competition for the young cattle going to the restockers with the young cattle going back to the paddock selling up to 20c/kg dearer with a number of fresh orders operating with growers wanting to make sure they have some stock on hand when it does rain.

Numbers dropped by 1000 this sale for a yarding of 3740.  It was another typical drought yarding with large numbers of young cattle mostly in store condition along with good numbers of cows a number of which were also in plain condition. There were odd lots of well finished trade cattle along with a few pens of well finished grown steers. All the regular processing and feeder orders were present and operating along with the additional restocker support.

NLRS advises the prime young cattle to the trade were 10c dearer with steer vealers selling from 272c to 325c with the medium weights averaging 311c while the heifer vealers sold to 288c/kg. The prime steer yearlings sold from 275c to 296c while the few prime heifer yearlings sold to 265c/kg.

The heavier feeder steers were 4c dearer though the lighter weight steers and feeder heifers were 8c to 12c cheaper. The feeder steers sold from 234c to 305c with the good number of heavier weights over 400kg averaging 285c/kg. The feeder heifers sold from 207c to 266c with the medium weights averaging 262c/kg.

The young steers to the restockers sold from 227c to 298c with lightweights up to 280kg averaging 266c while the heavier weights averaged 295c/kg. The young heifers to the restockers sold from 175c for very plain quality calves to 285c for good quality Angus calves. The young restocker heifers averaged around 245c/kg. The steer yearlings to the restockers sold from 190c to 290c while the heifer yearlings going back to the paddock sold from 172c to 208c/kg.

The few grown steers were 6c dearer with the prime medium and heavy weights selling from 258c to 275c/kg. Grown heifers were also dearer with the better types selling from 231c to 255c/kg.

Cows made up a third of the yarding with a large percentage of plain conditioned cows showing the effects of the season along with some very well finished heavy weights. Plain conditioned cows to the processors were 12c cheaper while the better cows were firm to 1c cheaper. 2 score cows sold from 76c to 142c while the better 3 and 4 scores sold from 137c to 211c with the prime heavy weights averaging 195c/kg. Cows to the restockers were 3c to 5c cheaper selling from 47c to 162c/kg.

Bulls were 10c cheaper with the better finished and better muscled heavier weights selling from 210c to 246c/kg. Young bulls to the restockers sold from 150c to 206c/kg.