Cattle
Ballarat
September 11. Yarding: 123. Change: down 16.
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Prices were mainly 5c to 15c/kg cheaper in the slightly reduced sized yarding that was of mostly plain to average quality.
A near regular following of buyers attended and operated with competition steady from processors and restockers alike.
The yarding comprised of 65 steers, 32 heifers, 17 cows and 9 bulls.
The few C2 and C3 vealers all went to processors from 247c to 280c, with an odd sale down at 218c/kg.
Most C muscled yearling steers made 242c to 279c, with restockers paying 240c to 274c/kg.
The D1 restocking steers made from 184c to 195c/kg and were dairy and beef breeds.
Only the odd C2 and C3 yearling heifers came forward and sold at 230c and 254c/kg.
Restockers paid 246c and 266c/kg for their C2 replacements.
The odd few C3 to C5 cows sold between 220c and 238c, with the B3 grown heifers making 260c and the C3's at 250c/kg.
The D1 cows made 184c to 193c/kg.
Light weight C2 bulls to restockers made from 216c to 237c/kg.
Hamilton
Friday, September 9
Cattle numbers remained similar to last week in a typical winter yarding.
A mixed offering of cattle sold to the usual field of buyers and remained firm on last week’s rates.
Restocker steers sold to a top of 2.99c/kg, weighing 288kg.
Heifers to the trade, sold to a top of 2.58c/kg to remain fully firm on last week.
Heavy Cows, over 600kgs, sold to 250c/kg to finish firm to 5c easier.
Light Cows sold to 2.34c/kg.
Colac
September 7. Yarding: 111. Change: down 101.
Numbers were back to 111 head this week at Colac, amid the ongoing wet weather with more than 50mm of rain in the past few days.
The quality was plain to average, with cows making up the majority of the penning.
The usual buying group attended and operated in a mostly firm market, with heavier cows around last week’s levels and lighter cows selling a few cents dearer.
Heavy dairy bulls made to 251c/kg.
Beef bred cows sold from 206c to 242c, with heavier dairy cows selling from 185c to 230c and lighter E muscle cows ranging from 165c to 180c/kg.
The yarding included six grown cattle, six vealers, 89 cows, two bulls and eight open auction calves.
The low number of vealers and yearlings sold from 250c to 270c, steers sold to 280c and grown heifers sold to 247c/kg.
Heavier beef bred cows made to 242c, with D muscle cows selling from 206c to 232c/kg.
Heavy dairy cows ranged from 190c to 230c, the medium weights sold from 185c to 192c and the E muscle cows sold from 165c to 180c/kg.
Sheep and lambs
Bendigo
September 11. Yarding: 23,580. Change: down 1763. Lambs:16,068. Change: down 2922.
Lamb numbers dropped to 16,068 head, nearly 3000 less than the previous week.
Quality in the young lambs varied from very good down to plain types lacking finish.
All the regular processors attended but appeared price sensitive, with some buyers stepping in and out of the market which caused bidding to fluctuate across the sale.
Prices for most domestic and export young lambs averaged $3 to $7/head cheaper, with the heavier types least affected.
Only a few store orders competed for light weight lambs and this enabled processors to purchase the bulk at rates up to $10/head cheaper.
Heavy young lambs sold to $190/head three times for pens estimated at 28-30kg c/wt.
This was followed by about 30 pens in the 26-28kg weight bracket, which made from $165 to $185/head.
The majority of the trade weight young lambs to domestic processors sold from $135 to $164, with the main drafts of crossbreds in the 22-24kg range averaging $150 to $155/head.
On a carcass basis most domestic and export pens worked out to be between 600c and 620c/kg, although there was sales above and below this range due to market fluctuations.
Store buyer competition was limited to a handful of orders at $105 to $116/head.
Processors secured most of the young lambs under 20kg c/wt at bids ranging from $92 to $127/head.
The supply of old season lambs continues to decline and quality remains very mixed.
Buyers still gave reasonable support to any of the better finished trade weight types, while the odd lots and secondary lambs were discounted.
Sheep: 7512. Change: up 1159.
Sheep numbers lifted to 7500 as more ewes are sold off shears.
The yarding was dominated by Merinos, with several bigger lines of over 200 head on offer.
All the regular buyers competed but at reduced rates, with most mutton ranging from $3 to $10/head cheaper.
The best competition was on lean and light trade sheep, which still commanded premiums of over 400c/kg c/wt.
A store buyer paid the top price of $146/head for full wool Merino ewes to shear.
Heavy crossbred ewes sold from $115 to $144/head.
Most of the heavy shorn Merino sheep ranged from $90 to $110/head, with an average run of Merino mutton estimated as costing processors around 370c/kg c/wt.
Naracoorte
September 5. Yarding: 2707. Change: up 1424. Lambs: 2048. Change: up 1315.
Lamb supply rose to 2048 head this week with several agents advising that the recent wet conditions held back numbers.
The quality over the young lambs was average to good, considering the recent lack of sunshine.
The usual buying group attended and operated in a mostly firm market, with the lighter young lambs a few dollars dearer.
Heavy new season young lambs made to $180, with the general run of domestic young lambs selling from $144 to $167/head and averaging 640c/kg cwt.
There were a few pens of old lambs yarded and they made to a top of $150, with hoggets making to $105/head.
Sheep: 659. Change: up 109.
There were 659 sheep yarded covering all weights.
Heavy crossbred ewes sold to $92 and Merino ewes sold to $91/head.
Rams made to $100/head.
Light weight 2 score young lambs made from $103 to $105/head.
The light trade 2 and 3 score young lambs sold from $109 to $125/head and averaged 610c/kg cwt.
Trade weight 3 and 4 score young lambs sold from $144 to $167/head and averaged 640c/kg cwt.
Heavy 3 and 4 score young lambs sold from $168 to $180/head to average 645c/kg cwt.
Restockers paid from $75 to $115/head for young lambs.
Hoggets made from $88 to $105/head.
Medium weight 2 and 3 score sheep made from $68 to $80/head.
Merino mutton averaged 350c/kg cwt.
Heavy Merino ewes sold from $73 to $91, with heavy crossbred sheep selling from $74 to $92/head.
Rams made from $30 to $100/head.