Friday’s weekly Eastern States AuctionsPlus cattle sales (664, 665, 666) produced another very large catalogue totalling 9732 head, including listings from both Victoria and South Australia well up on recent weeks.

Northern producers were not lacking for competition, with feedlot operators chasing feeders paying well above their published feeder rates to secure cattle. The heavier end of feeder weight steers again saw some outstanding prices.

These 15-16 month old Hazeldean blood Angus steers at Walcha averaging 388kg, made 323c/kg to return $1255 on Friday.

Typical was this line of 27, 15-16 month old Angus steers at Walcha, Hazeldean and Bonny Brook blood, averaging 388kg that made 323c/kg to return $1255 when bought by a feedlot buyer.

For the first time in many weeks steer rates behaved along more conventional lines, with lighter and younger cattle again attracting c/kg premiums – however the differential between the lightest and heaviest class was only 27c.

Light steers under 250kg made 265-336c, averaging 303c, up 15c, while equivalent heifers made 208-268c, to average 237c, down 24c.

Steers 250-300kg made 252c-324c to average 292c, down 2c, and heifers sold from 217c to 264c to average 240c, up 9c.

Steers 300-350kg made 256c-316c averaging 282, down 9c and heifers in the same weight range dropped 7c to average 236c.

Heavy steers made 241-323c to average 276c, up 13c, and saw some of the standout prices of the day including the Walcha Angus steers mentioned above, as well as a line of Charolais, Shorthorn and Droughtmaster cross steers, 8-16 months, averaging 368kg at Muttaburra selling for $985 or 268c.

Cows with calves at foot in Friday’s sale were primarily mixed-age lines out of Queensland, selling from $830 to $1230, and in WA a line of five year old Hereford cows with Angus calves at foot sold for $1805. Heifers PTIC for their first calf were sought-after in Friday’s sale, making from $1025 to $1300 for Wattletop-blood Angus heifers in calf to Wagyu bulls at Condobolin.

Click here to view the full sale results