The second last sale for the year produced healthy numbers with a yarding of 4125.

It was a pretty good quality yarding with good numbers of young cattle to suit the restockers and feeders along with another top selection of well finished grown steers most of which had been supplementary fed.

Cows were also well supplied and there were also a couple of consignments of plainer quality cattle in from the far west with a couple of loads coming from Broken Hill. There was also a large consignment of Droughtmaster and Santa Gertrudis heifer weaners from South Australia which were all purchased by the restockers. Not all the regular buyers were operating with a couple of northern export processors not starting along with some feeder operators absent as the wind down to Christmas begins.

Young cattle to the trade were 5c cheaper with heifer vealers selling from 290c to 316c/kg. Almost all of the steer yearlings sold to the feeders or backgrounds while the few prime heifer yearlings to the trade sold from 255c to 299c/kg.

With the absence of some of the regular buyers NLRS advises the feeder steers and heavier feeder heifers were 3c to 6c cheaper while the lighter feeder heifers were firm to 3c/kg cheaper. The feeder steers sold from262c to 323c with the good numbers of heavier weights over 400kg averaging 293c while the feeder heifers sold from 247c to 314c with the lighter weights averaging298c/kg.

Young cattle to the restockers sold to very strong competition following the excellent rains received in most areas on the previous weekend. Young steers to the restockers were dearer selling from 320c to 380c with the good numbers weighing between 200kg and 280kg averaging 349c/kg. Good numbers of young heifers also sold to the restockers selling from 275c to 367c to average 330c/kg. The older steer yearlings going to the restockers and backgrounders sold from 317c to 344c while the heifer yearlings to the restockers sold to 297c.

Grown steers commenced the sale on a much cheaper note with the absence of a major northern export processor. The grown steers did gain a little momentum as the sale progressed finishing 2c to 5c cheaper with the prime medium and heavy weights selling from 250c to 270c to average around 266/kg. The grown steers to the feeders sold from 255c to 319c/kg. Grown heifers which were 4c to 9c cheaper sold from 240c to 265c/kg.

Cows to the processors were 3c to 7c cheaper with the 2 scores selling from 145c to 208c while the better 3 and 4 score cows sold from 200c to 235c with the prime heavy weights averaging 227c/kg. The limited numbers of cows going to the restockers were firm selling from 190c to 218c/kg.

Bulls were firm with the better muscled and properly finished heavy weights selling from 250c to 275c/kg.