Cattle
Ballarat
September 18. Yarding: 158. Change: up 35.
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This week, overall quality was the best seen for a while and was mostly good, with C muscled 3 and 4 score cattle making up the bulk of the offering.
There was a good run of beef cows and more grown steers were penned. The regular meat companies and restockers were present and active but prices did not meet the improved quality.
Nearly all cattle were again from unchanged to 10c/kg cheaper.
The yarding was comprised of 50 steers, 73 heifers, 22 cows and 13 bulls. The C3 and C3 vealers were from 240c to 288c with restockers paying to 302c/kg.
Yearling steers made from 240c to 281c and yearling heifers were between 220c and 246c/kg. Restockers paid 246c and 266c for steers and 227c/kg for heifers.
The C3 and C4 grown steers were between 243c and 264c, while the grown heifer portion made from 238c to 255c/kg.
A few D2 cows sold from 197c to 207c, while the several larger pen lots of C3 to C5 cows made from 222c to 242c/kg.
There was a good to very good line up of B2 heavy weight bulls and they were from 240c to 260c/kg.
Hamilton
Friday, September 15
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 to slightly easier on last week’s rates.
Restocker steers sold to a top of 2.80 c/kg, weighing 370kgs. Heifers 300-350kgs sold to a top of 2.69c/kg to remain firm on last week.
Heavy cows over 600kgs sold to 2.46c/kg to finish 5 cents easier.
Heavy weight bulls sold to a top of 2.60 to average 2.44c/kg.
Colac
September 14. Yarding: 213. Change: up 102.
Cattle supply nearly doubled and the overall quality had improved for the similar field of buyers.
Prices generally eased a little despite the better selection on offer. There were a few excellent quality heavy weight bulls and good drafts of grown heifers.
Cows were mostly 1 and 2 score dairy breeds, while C2 and C3 yearlings made up the bulk of the young cattle penning.
The yarding comprised of 8 grown steers, 50 grown heifers, 75 young cattle, 70 cows and 10 bulls.
The odd few vealers made 265c to 280c, with yearlings making from 250c to 280c and restockers paying from 265c to 289c/kg.
The selection of C3 grown steers were at 265c and 270c, while the grown heifers were from 250c to 260c/kg.
The D2 grown heifers made from 215c to 230c/kg.
Most E1 cows were between 150c and 188c with the few D1s from 184c to 205c/kg.
Heavy weight D2 cows sold from 204c to 225c and the odd C3 cows made 225c to 230c with a sale at 255c/kg.
The very good quality A2 bulls made 275c and 290c while the average to good C2s were from 220c to 270c/kg.
Sheep and lambs
Bendigo
September 18. Yarding: 24,989. Change: up 1409. Lambs: 17, 928. Change: up 1860.
Lamb numbers lifted to nearly 18,000 head, with supplies boosted by a couple of big drafts of Dorpers and young Merinos sent down from Ivanhoe in NSW.
The main runs of locally bred young lambs presented in very good order, although there wasn't as much weight in the top pens compared to a week ago.
The market remained solid, with prices tracking a few dollars either side of last week on the good trade weight and export lambs.
The market did show a correction of $5 to $6/head on the plainer bred and finished young lambs around 18-20kg cwt, with interest from store buyers still at low levels.
Prices reached a top of $184 for heavy young lambs estimated at 28kg cwt, and it was just one of three sales over $180/head.
This was followed by about 20 pens at $170 to $178/head for lambs estimated near 26-27kg cwt.
The main runs of heavy trade weight lambs sold from $142 to $170, and lighter domestic types with good finish from $130 to $140/head.
On a carcass basis there was still a spread of 570c to about 620c across slaughter lambs, with the best trade weights commanding over 590c/kg cwt.
Plain light lambs under 20kg cwt sold from $100 to $120/head to record some of the lower carcass price averages of the sale as they fell outside most processor specifications and store demand was limited.
Some lambs did sell to Ballarat and Shepparton restockers at up to $114/head.
The big line of Dorpers from the north made from $76 to $96 and the run of young Merinos, with a lot of seed in the pelts, from $55 to $99/head.
Sheep: 7061. Change: down 451.
Sheep numbers again topped at 7000, with the yarding dominated by recently shorn crossbred and Merino ewes.
Not all regular buyers followed the sale and prices were generally $4 to $6/head easier, with bigger corrections for some heavy first-cross ewes seen late in the sale as the market fluctuated.
Holding their value the best were the lean trade weight Merinos.
In dollar per head terms the general run of mutton ranged from $80 to $110, with extra heavy crossbred ewes out to $132/head.
Restockers stepped in and purchased a run of first-cross ewes at reduced prices due to the draft being in a withholding period which restricted processor support.
Naracoorte
September 12. Yarding: 3675. Change: up 968. Lambs: 3188. Change: up 1140.
Lamb supply increased to 3188 head and there were 487 sheep offered this week at Naracoorte.
Quality over the new season lambs was good, and plenty of weight on offer.
The usual buying group attended and operated in an easier market, with medium and heavy weight young lambs selling from $4 to $8/head down on last week.
Young lambs suiting domestic orders sold to $159/head and averaged around 610c/kg cwt.
The best heavy young lambs sold to $179/head and estimated at 27kg cwt. Restockers were active on suitable young lambs and paid mostly from $100 to $115, with a few lighter pens selling from $60 to $89/head.
Sheep mostly sold around last week’s levels, with Merino ewes making to $98 and a pen of heavy Merino wethers selling to $105/head.
Light trade 3 score young lambs sold from $106 to $127/head and averaged around 610c/kg cwt.
Trade weight 3 and 4 score young lambs sold from $129 to $159/head and ranged from 580c to 630c to average around 610c/kg cwt.
Heavy 3 and 4 score young lambs sold from $160 to $179/head and averaged around 620c/kg cwt.
The best of the old lambs made from $146 to $162/head to sell a few dollars up on last week.
Sheep: 487. Change: down 172.
Light weight sheep sold to $45/head. Medium weight 2 and 3 score sheep sold from $72 to $78/head, with the Merino mutton averaging around 360c/kg cwt.
Heavy Merino ewes sold from $80 to $98, with heavy shorn Merino wethers selling from $92.50 to $105/head. Heavy crossbred sheep sold from $76 to $95, and rams made from $42 to $95/head.