Cattle numbers increased slightly this week, with 1661 head offered, up 196 from last week. Bidding activity was largely concentrated around weaners, as AuctionsPlus weaner and yearling sales will run weekly, as of June 22.
Weaner steers weighing up to 300kg averaged 288c and sold to a top of 321c. From Toobeah, JH Fairfax & Son offered a line of Angus steers aged 8-10 months which achieved the top price. These 166 steers are EU accredited and are travelling to Inglewood, Qld. A line of 65 weaned steers, offered by BR & EJ Mulckey at Bungunya returned $623 or 264c. These Angus composite steers are 7-10 months old and were weaned in April to present a good opportunity for the feeder market or a backgrounding program.
Weaner heifers weighing up to 300kg averaged 236c, with a top price of 275c. A line of 93 Brahman cross heifers at Jericho, a/c BB & AH Currie achieved the top price. These heifers are aged 5-8 months and weigh 152kg. 103 unweaned steers, the brothers of these heifers, weighed 155kg and returned 287c. A line of 124 Angus cross heifers, from Texas achieved $490 or 243c. Offered by AC & KR Gray these heifers are aged 5-7 months old and weigh 200kg.
A line of 32 Angus cows and calves returned $1100, from Columba, Inglewood. These cows are 3-5 years old and weighing 426kg with Angus calves at foot, ranging in age from 1-12 weeks. These cows are station mated, continuously joined to Angus bulls. A line of 54 PTIC Red Angus cows from Warroo Station, Stanthorpe returned $495. Weighing 383kg, these cows range in age from 4-10 years and are PTIC to Red Angus bulls.
Sheep and lamb numbers dropped again this week to 2436 head, down 2264 on last week with clearance sitting at 60 per cent.
From Winton Station, Goondiwindi, a line of 167 Aug/Sept ’17 drop Merino ewe lambs returned $116. Weighing 39kg, these ewes are based on Coddington Polls and Umbercollie bloodlines and shorn in February 2018. These ewe lambs present as a good opportunity for restockers looking for flock builders.
R Thorne, Stanthorpe, offered 340 SIL Merino ewes weighing 44kg. These ewes are aged 5-5.5 years and returned $134. Scanned in lamb to Poll Dorset rams, these ewes were last shorn in August 2017.
A line of 545 SIL SAMM/Merino ewes from Stanthorpe, a/c Melinda Shackleton Pty Ltd returned $135.50. Weighing 52kg, these ewes are SIL to White Suffolk rams from Milton Park. Ranging in age from 5.5-6.5 years, these ewes were station bred at Beltana.