February 19. Yarding: 213. Change: down 57.  

A drop in numbers this week saw 213 cattle yarded at Ballarat. Quality was average with a few pens of quality young cattle, and steers through the yarding. The usual buying group attended and operated in a mostly firm market with 3 and 4 score cows selling to 3c better, heavy steers improved 5c/kg and most young cattle sold around last week’s levels. Heavy beef bulls sold firm, and made to 230c/kg. Vealers to the trade sold from 220c to 253c, with feeders paying from 214c to 267c/kg. Yearlings sold to the trade from 200c to 250c and feeders paid from 215c to 230c/kg. Light and medium grown steers sold from 200c to 225c, with heavier weights a little dearer and ranging from 209c to 231c/kg. Bullocks sold from 215c to 230c/kg. Manufacturing dairy steers sold from 172c to 185c/kg. The grown heifers sold similar and ranged from 190c to 226c/kg. Heavy C muscle cows were a little dearer making from 195c to 220c, with D muscle cows selling from 172c to 213c/kg. Medium C and D muscle cows sold from 172c to 192c, light E muscle cows sold to 155c and restockers paid from 150c to 159c/kg. Heavy dairy bred cows sold from 179c to 180c/kg. Heavy beef bred bulls sold from 200c to 230c, most others ranged from 170c to 200c/kg.

HAMILTON

February 16 

Agents yarded a total of 47 cattle consisting of one bull, 28 cows, two bullocks, nine steers and seven heifers. Steers 450-500kg sold from 217 to 246 cents and averaged 232 cents. Heifers over 600kg sold from 200 to 215 cents and averaged 206 cents. Bullocks made 230 cents cows under 600kg sold between 150-196 cents  Heavy beef cows over 600kg sold between 205 and 210 cents and averaged 206c/kg. The one bull sold at 246c/kg.

COLAC  

February 15. Yarding: 220. Change: down 274. 

Quality was only plain to average in a yarding reduced by over half and competition from the small field of buyers was limited, with prices mainly weaker.  Cows were the exception and remained unchanged but all other categories of cattle sold cheaper even when allowing for the plainer quality.  Vealers and yearlings were from 5c easier, but, generally, 10c lower and grown steers sold up to 5c/kg cheaper. The yarding was comprised of 27 grown steers, 9 grown heifers, 133 young cattle, 44 cows and 7 bulls. The average quality, mainly C2 vealers, were from 240c to 275c and restockers paid up to 268c/kg.  Most C2 and C3 yearlings were between 210c and 248c, with restockers paying to 255c/kg. The D1 and D2 yearlings sold from 145c to 202c, with restockers going to 225c/kg. The plain to average quality C3 grown steers made from 225c to 234c, while the C2 grades made from 216c to 230c/kg. The D2 manufacturing steers sold at 200c and 205c/kg. Light to medium weight E1 cows were between 135c and 175c with D1 cows from 165c to 185c/kg. The few D2 cows made 180c to 195c. C muscled 3 to 5 score beef cows were from 200c to 205c/kg. The single B2 bull made 233c/kg.

WARRNAMBOOL

February 14. Yarding: 1028. Change: 67. 

It was a mixed quality, slightly larger sized yarding of cattle that sold to a mainly usual following of buyers. 

Most young cattle, the well covered beef cows and C muscled grown steers were unchanged in pricing. The manufacturing steers sold 2c to 5c dearer and dairy bulls were 15c higher while most 1 and 2 score dairy cows made 2c to 8c/kg less. Processors and restockers paid 245c to 295c/kg for C2 and C3 vealers which made up the bulk of the young cattle penning.  The small number of yearling steers sold from 232c to 275c to processors while restockers paid 250c to 259c/kg for heifers to feed-on. The C3 and C4 grown steers made from 240c to 264c with the D2 grade of dairy bred manufacturing steers from 196c to 210c and D2 beef breeds sold between 210c and 219c/kg. Poor to plain conditioned E1 cows made 137c to 177c with the poorest from 100c while the plain quality D1 grade sold between 174c and 185c/kg. The D2 cows sold from 183c to 194c and the C3 to C5 beef cows made from 199c to 212c/kg. 

BENDIGO

February 19. Yarding: 11,687. Change: down 4757. Lambs: 7898. Change: down 4546. Sheep: 3789. Change: down 211. 

Lamb numbers declined to less than 8000 head following last week's cheaper results. There was a better selection of trade weight lambs on offer. One major domestic processor was absent, and other buyers didn't operate to capacity. The market varied, opening easy before improving. It meant there were sales that only matched last Monday, although the market showed a dearer trend of $3 to $8/head across most classes due to stronger results later in the auction. The best demand was for neat domestic lambs. Prices reached a top of $208 and $206/head for extra heavy lambs in a varied result for export weight stock. In carcase terms there was an estimated range of 560c to 615c/kg cwt across heavy lambs due to the fluctuating market. Most export lambs under 30kg cwt sold from $171 to $195/head. The main drafts of good trade weight lambs to domestic orders made from $148 to $168, with the medium types from $130 to $138/head. Plainer and secondary lambs varied from $72 to $130/head, depending on size and condition. On a carcase basis the good domestic lambs were trending over 600c, select pens reaching upwards of 630c/kg cwt at times. A couple of bigger lines of unshorn young lambs sold to restockers from $111 to $123/head, with few very shorn lines available to suit the paddock. Sheep numbers also declined with 3789 head yarded. Not all processors attended in another fluctuating market. Some of the heaviest ewes were cheaper, while the main lines of trade and light mutton were dearer in carcase price terms compared to a week ago. One pen of extra heavy crossbred ewes sold to $161, with the next best price $140/head. Heavy Merino ewes in a skin sold to $145 and wethers to $133/head. The general run of sheep made from $70 to $115/head, at an estimated 380c to 410c/kg cwt for most.

NARACOORTE

February 13. Yarding: 4856. Change: up 900 

Lambs: 3314. Change: up 218. 

Sheep: 1542. Change: up 682.

Numbers increased as agents yarded 3314 lambs and 1542 sheep to total 4856 head. The usual field of trade and processor buyers contracted by one to give slightly less competition on the trade lambs, while restocker orders were present and operating on a mixed quality offering. There were a number of well-presented heavy and extra heavy pens with a wide range of lighter weighted lambs suitable for the light trade or restocker buyers. The market ranged from firm in most areas to $5 to $6/head easier for the heavy trade types. Light weight lambs to the trade made from $52 to $71 for the very light while those with a bit more condition made from $85 to $126.50/head. The light weight trade 2 and 3 score types sold to a high of $129.50/head. Restockers were active across a number of categories as they purchased from $80 to $130/head for crossbreds. Merino lambs returned back to the paddock from $65 to $103/head. Trade weight lambs remained firm in price as they sold from $128 to $144/head to make between 580c and 620c/kg cwt. Heavy trade and heavy lambs eased by up to $6 as they made from $137 to $167 with the few extra heavy types from $164 to a market high of $184/head. Hoggets sold from $73 to $120 with light weight ewes ranging from $70 to $81/head. Light Merinos returned to the paddock at $59/head. Medium weighted ewes sold from $80 to $92 as the heavier selection returned from $86 to a market high of $122/head. A number of pens of Merino wethers came forward and the lighter types sold from $65 to $76 with some pens of old fashioned heavy Merino wethers from $110 to $130/head. Rams made from $36 to $80 and up to a high of $93/head to a restocker.