Among larger lines offered this week, these 141 weaned Ultrablack heifers 235kg at 7-9 months from Augathella Qld made 335c or $790.

MOST young cattle categories trended down in c/kg price on AuctionsPlus this week, with the largest falls seen in the heifer offerings.

Listings rose by 17 percent to 17,509 head, with the clearance dropping 22 percentage points to 53pc.

Listings were fairly steady across the country, but in NSW producers offered an extra 2000 head this week.

Heifers

Heifer prices fell dramatically, with average falls from $43-192/head across the five weight categories, or between 5c and 72c/kg lower than the previous week.

Mediumweight heifers 280-330kg recorded the biggest dip on a c/kg basis with a fall of 72c/kg or $181 a head, averaging 302c/kg, while clearing on 40pc. Heifers 330-400kg were back 45c/kg to average 271c, and heavy heifers +400kg were back 50c to average 279c.

From Armidale, a line of 100 Angus heifers 8-9 months averaging 294kg returned $1060/head, or 361c/kg and will travel to a buyer near Walcha, NSW.

Steers

With two exceptions, steer categories largely experienced milder price drops, with falls of up to 39c recorded for heavy feeders +400kg averaging 344c/kg.

Going against the trend were lighter steers 200-280kg which lifted 1c to average 395c, and steers 330-400kg which lifted 7c to average 364c.

From Dalveen, QLD, 22 Angus steers 10-12 months averaging 278kg returned $1115/head or 401c/kg and will travel to a buyer near Yarranlea, QLD.

Among larger lines offered this week, 112 Grey Brahman backgrounder steers 284kg at 12-14 months from Bowen, North Queensland averaged 261c/kg or $740, while 102 weaned Angus steers 326kg at 7-10 months from Taroom, Central Qld made 418c or $1270. Further south, 141 weaned Ultrablack heifers 235kg at 7-9 months from Augathella Qld made 335c or $790.

Breeding females

There were some big losses on a week-on-week basis in this week’s breeding stock as well.

On offering of 540 station-mated cows looked to be the only bright spot, with an $87/head increase from the previous week. Substantial losses were recorded for other breeding female categories, including a large offering of 2212 PTIC cows, back $46/head to average $1738, and station-mated heifers back $45/head to average $1465. Despite fielding only small offerings, NSM cows & calves and heifers & calves lost $125 and $231 on average, respectively. Station mated cows and calves lost $507 on the previous week, to average $1646.

From Bathurst,  29 Angus cows three years averaging 522kg returned $2360 and will travel to a buyer near Blayney, NSW.

Prices as at 2pm Friday, 24 May.

Source: AuctionsPlus