These Poll Hereford joined heifers 25-32 months from Inverell NSW topped the overall PTIC female prices this week at $1455, selling to to Currabubula, NSW ready to drop mid-winter.

THE market remained firm for most categories in AuctionsPlus cattle trading this week, where numbers fell about 25 percent to 7436 head.

The catalogue was dominated by northern feeder and backgrounder cattle, which were readily available to restockers and feedlot operators. Clearance rates tended to be down this week but vendor expectation and urgency to sell wasn’t critical, which could have been a direct result.

PTIC females were scarce this week but low numbers didn’t stop high prices being paid across the Eastern States.

Young PTIC heifers averaging $1306, with this category being topped by a line of Angus heifers from Tara, QLD joined to Dance Angus bulls, due to calve in the spring, making $1450.

An impressive line of 35 Poll Hereford heifers 25-32 months topped the overall PTIC female prices this week at $1455. The heifers were joined to Mountain Valley blood Poll Hereford bulls and will be making a short 250km journey from their home paddock near Inverell, NSW to Currabubula, NSW ready to drop mid-winter.

Cow and calf numbers were also low in this week’s offering, but with large numbers of females due to calve in the spring, numbers will slowly build back supply. A stand-out line of Angus/Brahman cows and calves from Wee Waa, NSW topped the category at $2040. The second-calvers are joined to Angus bulls and have fresh, sappy Angus calves at foot with an average weight of 172kg.

The cow calf units will be traveling south-west to Condobolin, NSW to a lush oasis of green feed where large amounts of rainfall have fallen in the area over the autumn and winter months.

A small line of Droughtmaster cross cows and calves from Meandarra, QLD also presented well this week. The 4-7 year old cows, joined to Cooke Black Simbrah bulls with Droughtmaster calves at foot averaging 150 kg, made $1890. This was one happy purchaser, technically getting three for the price of one.

These PTIC Droughtmaster cows from Meandarra Qld, separated from their calves for this photo, made $1890.

In a breakdown of young cattle sold, by weigh trange:

• Steers under 250kg sold from 353c to 444c to average 392/kg; while heifers in the same weightrange sold from 329c to 355c to average 344c/kg
• Steers 250-299kg sold from 325c to 412c to average 369c/kg; while heifers sold from 314c to 421c to average 347c/kg
• Steers 300-349kg sold from 299c to 394c to average 362c; while heifers sold from 332c to 366c to average 343c
• Steers 350-399kg sold from 326c to 394c to average 364c; while heifers 350kg+ made 354c/kg
• Steers 400-449kg sold from 349c to 395c average 361c/kg
• Steers +500kg made 330c/kg.

F1 Wagyu/Angus weaner steers and heifers again broke records this week, with one vendor, Wycliffe Partnership from Emmaville, near Glen Innes taking the title for both sexes. The 32 steers weighing 268 kg live made 667.8c/kg or $1795 a head. These steers, weaned in April are by sons of renowned F1 calf producer, Japanese fullblood sire Michifuku,  to reach the optimum marbling content. The heifers, weighing 246 kg live, also broke records, making 632.3c/kg or $1560 a head.

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

Coming up:

Landmark has scheduled a National Organic Cattle special sale on AuctionsPlus on Friday, July 22, drawing attention to lines of Certified Organic breeders, backgrounders and restocker cattle for those involved in organic beef production.