Part of a line of 140 Droughtmaster weaner steers 5-9 months from the droughted Corfield region of northwest Queensland which made 337c/kg or $716 on AuctionsPlus on Friday.

A BIG jump in cattle numbers listed on AuctionsPlus sales on Friday did little to impact demand or prices last week.

Cattle numbers were up 1100 to 9010 head, with vendors taking advantage of the steadily climbing prices as the EYCI pushes relentlessly closer to the now inevitable 600c/kg mark.

Quality young cattle last week again pushed beyond 400c, though not at the weight and frequency seen in the previous couple of weeks, and with only a handful under 300c/kg, prices were relatively stable for backgrounder weights.

Steers under 250kg liveweight sold from 250c to 402c averaging 332c, up 1c, while heifers in the lightest weight category made 226-356c, averaging 303c to jump 22c.

Steers 250-300kg made 286-409c to average 350c, down 4c, and heifers made 287-327c to average 309c, down 10c.

Steers 300-350kg made 312-377c averaging 342c, up 8c, while heifers made 280-313c to average 303c, down 10c.

Steers over 350kg sold from 251-360c to average 323c, down 18c, and yearling heifers over 350kg made 272-291c, averaging 282c, down 16c.

Highlights included:

• A line of 160 212kg Droughtmaster steers 5-9 months near Corfield in Northwest Queensland selling for 337c or $716
• 376kg Droughtmaster & Droughtmaster cross No.5 steers at Moura, Central Queensland selling for 323c or $1219, and the heifer portion at 317kg making 305c or $968
• A line of 78 255kg Booroomooka blood Angus steers at Hannaford, Central Qld making 409c or $925
• 377kg Angus steers out of Coonabarabran selling for 360c or $1358
• Hereford heifers at Merriwa weighing 330kg selling for 313c or $1035, and
• 420kg kg Angus steers out of Benalla, Vic making 335c or $1405.
• In Western Australia, 21 Angus x mixed sex yearlings 14-17 months, from Northcliffe made 546c, while 40 lighter Angus and Angus x heifers, same vendor, made 545c.

Joined female demand was strongest for mixed age lines primarily out of Queensland, topping at $1600 for a small line of two to six year old Charolais cows joined back to Charolais, while lines showing more variance in age made from $1160 to $1460 averaging $1230.

Young breeders made $865 to $1370, and yearling heifers made $1400 to a top of $1460 for Angus/Santa heifers in southern Qld joined to Angus.

Cows with calves are now regularly tipping over $2000, this week topping at $2150 for three year old Angus cows with Angus calves out of Deniliquin, and Angus first-calvers twice making $2000. Proven breeders made from $1480 to $1910, and mixed age lines sold from $980 to a top of $1850 for two to nine year old joined Charolais cows with Charolais calves.

Click here to access Friday’s full AuctionsPlus cattle sale results.