Charters Towers combined agents yarded a total of 2172 cattle on Wednesday, consisting of 965 prime cattle and 1207 store cattle. Prime cattle yarded: 309 bullocks, 104 heifers, 414 cows and 138 bulls. Store cattle yarded: 902 steers, 298 heifers and 7 x 7 cows and calves.
Cattle were of mixed quality. The prime yarding consisted of small runs of good conditioned bullocks and cows considering the season conditions. The yarding was drawn from Cloncurry, Mt Isa, Normanton, Georgetown, Cairns, Burketown and local and coastal areas.
Prime Quotes:
Bullocks were quoted 6-8c dearer, heifers were unchanged, cows were 10-12c dearer and bulls were 5c dearer on last week’s rates. Steers and bullocks under 500kg sold to 271c and averaged 228c, and those over 500kg topped at 274c to average 264c. Heifers under 440kg sold to 212c and averaged 201c, while heifers over 440kg topped at 258c, averaging 250c. Cows under 400kg made 207c and averaged 161c, while cows over 400kg reached 225c, averaging 213c. Bulls under 450kg made 250c and averaged 216c, while bulls over 450kg reached 257c to average 215c.
Bullocks topped at 269c for a pen of ox sold on a/c J Halloran, Cape Cleveland, that weighed 659kg to return $1774/hd. Best priced trade heifers were presented on a/c P & M Frasson, Burdekin, that sold for 258c to weigh 500kg and return $1291/hd.
The top pen of cows were sold on a/c Mann Beef Pty Ltd, Charters Towers, for 225c to weigh 578kg and return $1300/hd. Bulls sold on a/c Peter Hembrow, Charters Towers, topped at 257c and weighed 710kg to return $1826/hd.
Store Quotes:
Store cattle consisted of larger lines of steers from the north that sold to good rates, with a strong buying panel. Store heifers were of mixed quality with isolated quality pens selling to limited heifer restockers. Steers under 200kg reached 268c to average 242c, steers 200 – 320kg sold to 268c, averaging 239c, and steers 320 – 400kg topped at 264c and averaged 234c. Heifers under 200kg topped at 192c and averaged 172c, heifers 200 – 320kg sold to 210c, averaging 179c, while heifers 320 – 370kg made 237c to average 205c.
A pen of 21 steers a/c C F Easton, Ravenswood, made 268c weighed 229kg and returned an average of $613/hd. A run of 204 Brahman steers a/c Morr Morr Past Co, Normanton weighing 322kg, averaging 236c to return $762/hd.
A good pen of 25 heifers on a/c CT & JL Poole, Prairie made 237c, weighed 323kg returning $766/hd. Two x two cows and calves sold on a/c P Ferguson, returned $820/unit.
