Charbray steers spark solid bidding at Emerald

The 108-head light feeder offering, drawn from Lake Elphinstone Partnership, Nebo, featured Charbray steers and Droughtmaster Limousin cross, made 372.1c/kg, averaged 330.5 kilograms and returned $1229 per head.

In comparison to last sale's rates, steers weighing between 280-350kg only peaked at 316c/kg in the April 4 sale.

The lead 21-head Charolais pen, averaged 307.9kg and made 388.2c/kg to return $1194/hd, while the lead 12-head Droughtmaster cross pen, averaged 335kg, and made 364c/kg to return $1220/hd.

Lake Elphinstone Station manager Darren Gilliam said they were "over the moon" with the prices their cattle received on the day.

"We just thought we'd test the feeder market. We'd just completed our first muster of the year at one of our Nebo blocks and these steers are from the tail end and we still have the lead stock at home," Mr Gillman said.

"These steers had a lot of bone and quality about them.

"I wasn't expecting this result just on how the market has been in the last few months.

"We grow bullocks out to but we mostly target the feeder market, aiming for our steers to be around 320 kilograms and around 18 months to two-year-old, pending on the season."

Mr Gillman said they've been enjoying a relatively good season at Nebo, but would like to see more rain in the lead up to Winter.

"The season has been great but it's starting to dry off abit and would be nice if we got another 50mm of rain to push us through Winter," he said.

Next week, Lake Elphinstone is planning to send 140 Charbray heifers to the Emerald saleyards for April 18 sale.

"Those heifers will be similar ages to the steers we just sold, but there might be a heavy lead in the heifers," he said.

"When you've got younger cattle coming through behind these feeder cattle at home, you gotta keep turning them over."

Another 18-head Charolais cross weaner steer run, drawn from S and K Schoo, made 392c/kg.

Emerald combined agents yarded just over 2000-head on Thursday, an increase of 1235 head on April 4 sale's numbers.

Cattle were mostly drawn from the local areas, including a large run drawn from Nebo and Springsure.

This week's yarding was dominated by prime cows and bullocks, with all regular buyers in attendance and operating.

The prime market at Emerald saw decline in prices, anywhere between 10-20c/kg for cows and bullocks, with agents attributing the lack of competition on an influx of cattle supply across the state.

A highlight in the cow market included a pen of Droughtmaster cows, from an undisclosed vendor, which hit 260c/kg and averaged 770kg to return $2002/head.

Another highlight in the feeder market was a run of Droughtmaster steers, drawn from the Prince family of Melaleuca. Capella, which made out to 317c/kg.

A large run of 83 Brahman heifers and cows on account of Trevor and Trina Dunne, Petrona, Springsure, sold well, with their lead heifer run making 268c/kg.

Full market report to come.