There was another increased sized, good quality offering of 2 to 5 score C muscled cattle of all weights yarded.

A small field of buyers attended and price trends varied, with cows equal to 6c and 8c cheaper, while young cattle sold up to 10c/kg dearer.

Grown steers were 3c to 5c easier and grown heifers made 10c/kg less.

The yarding comprised of 57 steers, 92 heifers, 52 cows and six bulls. Several C2 and C3 vealers sold between 270c and 285c with a restocker paying 274c/kg.

The yearlings made from 230c to 267c/kg and the heifer portion gained the best rise in prices.

Restockers paid 264c to 289c for their steers and 249c to 275c/kg for heifers.

There was a good to very good quality yarding of C3 and C4 grown steers, which sold from 240c to 270c/kg. The C3 to C5 grown heifers were between 225c and 250c/kg.

The better covered, good to very good quality C3 to C5 cows received the smallest price reduction and made from 225c to 240c, while D2 grades were 8c cheaper at 190c to 200c/kg.

The D3 cows made from 198c to 218c/kg.

Two B2 heavy weight bulls were only of average to good quality and sold for 225c and 240c/kg.

Friday, September 22 

An increase in cattle numbers saw some quality runs of grown heifers penned but overall the market did show a cheaper trend.

A small run of steers were penned and sold to a top of 2.48 c/kg.

Some excellent quality pens of grown heifers were on offer and sold at cheaper rates than last week.

Angus heifers, over 600kg, showing great finish reached a top of 2.42 c/kg to average 2.35 c/kg.

Heavy beef cows over 600kg sold to 2.30 c/kg to be up to 15 cents cheaper. Only a small run of bulls were on offer and made to a top of 2.40 c/kg.

September 21. Yarding: 195. Change: down 18.

Demand was weak for cattle, with most categories 10c to 15c/kg cheaper but more in places.

The overall plain to good quality, similar sized offering sold to a small field of participating buyers.

There was a good yarding of grown steers but grown heifers were of plain quality.

Young cattle were mixed and cows provided the limited competition with a mostly lean conditioned selection of dairy bred types.

The yarding comprised of 33 grown steers, 14 grown heifers, 57 young cattle, 75 cows and 16 bulls.

The few C muscled yearlings made 220c to 254c with restockers paying 225c, 260c and 308c/kg.

There were a few good B muscled yearlings that processors purchased and they paid 270c, 280c and 285c/kg.

The C3 grown steers made 245c but the better quality C4's were between 260c and 264c/kg.

The D2 grown heifers were from 185c to 210c/kg.

E1 cows made 130c to 160c, with E2 grades from 170c to 174c and the D1 cows were at 170c to 185c/kg.

The C5 cows sold at 220c and 230c/kg. A heavy weight A2 bull sold for 275c while two B2's made 250c and 280c with D1 dairy bulls from 165c to 200c/kg.

September 25. Yarding: 33,681. Change: up 8692. Lambs: 25,011. Change: up 7083. 

Lamb numbers increased by 7083 head with the majority of the yarding now made up of 21,600 young lambs and the quality was good as the spring flush continues to flow at Bendigo.

All the regular buyers were present and operated in a slightly more selective manner as the market tended to fluctuate in an overall easier market from $2 to $7/head cheaper for the heavy and medium weight young lambs.

Light weight lambs sold to more competition due to more restocker enquiry from mostly Ballarat, Birchip and locally, selling $5/head either side of firm depending on the actual quality.

They paid mostly $107 to $138 for good store lambs and $83 to $110/head for lighter lots.

Light trade weight 2 and 3 score new season lambs made $103 to $120 averaging 615c/kg cwt.

Medium trade weights 2 and 3 scores sold from $123 to $148 with heavier trade weight lambs 3 and 4 scores selling from $145 to $158/head as the costs ranged from mostly 580c to 640c to average an estimated 610c/kg cwt.

Heavy young lambs 3 and 4 score made $157 to $172 with the extra heavy export lambs $166 to the market top of $195/head as they averaged close to 595c/kg cwt.

A limited number of old lambs were penned as the medium trade weights sold from $110 to $148 with the heavy old lambs making $144 to $178 and a pen of extra heavy Merino hoggets reached $180/head. 

Sheep: 8670. Change: up 1609. 

There was also a lift in the sheep supply of 1600 as a total of 8670 head were penned.

It was dominated by lines of Merino ewes off shears and heavy crossbred ewes of mixed quality with all weights and grades represented.

Restockers did purchase some Merino ewes for $97 and $115/head.

Prices for sheep also showed an easier trend as light sheep sold $2 to $4 lower, medium weights were $3 to $7 back and the heavy sheep sold from mostly $10 to $20/head cheaper on last sale.

Light 1 and 2 score mutton made $53 to $72, medium 2 and 3 score sheep sold from $70 to $84 with full wool Merino ewes making $103/head as the Merino ewe mutton averaged 370c/kg cwt.

Heavy crossbred ewes 3 scores made $81 to $108 to average 315c and the extra heavy weights 4 and 5 scores sold from $91 to $118/head averaging 292c/kg cwt.

Heavy Merino ewes sold to $114 as the medium to heavy Merino wethers made from $81 to $101/head as they averaged an estimated 365c/kg cwt. Rams of all breeds made from $25 to $80/head.

September 19. Yarding: 7328. Change: up 3653. Lambs: 6317. Change: up 3129. 

Agents yarded the much larger number of 6317 mainly new season lambs and 1011 sheep, up more than 3500 head on the previous week as numbers continue to build into the spring.

he quality of the new season lambs continues to lift week-on-week, with more weight available for the buying group.

The usual trade and processor buyers were all operating, along with a larger number of restockers looking for lambs to turn back out.

There was strong competition for a run of first cross mixed sex lambs, the ewe portion of which returned to the paddock for between $134 and $160/head.

The lamb market ranged from firm to slightly dearer while sheep saw a lift in prices.

Light weight lambs to the trade ranged from $80 to $105, with restockers very active.

They sourced lambs ranging from $77 to $122 for crossbreds and Merinos from $77 to $87/head.

Light weight trade 2 and 3 score lambs ranged from $106 to $123 while the trade weight 3 score types ranged from $120 to $152, averaging around 620c/kg cwt.

Numbers of heavy lambs improved as they ranged from $149 to a market high of $179/head.

A small number of old lambs ranged from $115 to $133/head. Hoggets ranged from $64 to $133/head. 

Sheep: 1011. Change: up 524.  

Ewes lacking weight sold to a high of $75 with the heavier selection ranging from $83 to a high of $100/head.

Rams ranged from $65 to $102/head.