Among larger lines offered this week were 492 Droughtmaster weaners 6-12 months from Winton, Northwest Queensland. The steer portion (pictured) averaging 240kg made 555c/kg while the heifers averaging 242kg made 480c.

CATTLE listings on AuctionsPlus lifted by 35 percent this week, with 16,613 head offered.

Heavy feeder steers and heifers continued to attract demand and moderate rises in price, while lighter steers and heifers trended down in value – sometimes sharply.

With the larger offering, clearance rates softened week-on-week.

The softening in clearance rates, despite the lift in volume, may reflect the recent increase in feedlot deliveries, which has extended delivery windows out by two to three weeks.

Coupled with the seasonal shift, this has tempered buyer demand compared to earlier in the spring.

However, the additional flow of heavy livestock is expected to be temporary, with feedlot supply anticipated to tighten before the end of the month as rainfall is forecast across parts of northern Australia.

Even within this environment of heavier supply, heavy feeders still improved on last week’s prices, with heavy feeder heifers also seeing good demand.

Lighter steers 200–280kg attracted 1111 entries, with average price up 37c to 568c/kg, but clearing only 70pc. From Fingal, TAS, 32 Angus steers 12-13 months and average 220kg returned 618c/kg and will travel to a buyer in Conara, TAS.

Medium weights 280-330kg lost 72c/kg to average 502c, clearing only 60pc pf the offering of 2455 head, while steers 330-400kg lost 27c to average 513c, clearing a paltry 31pc of the 1032 head offered. From Bellata, NSW, 63 Angus steers 6-7 months averaging 277kg returned 606c/kg and will travel to a buyer in Bingara, NSW.

Heavy feeder steers +400kg averaged 517c/kg, up 9c on last week, clearing 69pc of the catalogue of 1554.

Among larger lines offered this week were 492 Droughtmaster weaners 6-12 months from Winton, Northwest Queensland. The steer portion averaging 240kg made 555c/kg while the heifers averaging 242kg made 480c.

Further south, 244 Brangus x Ultrablack backgrounder steers 310kg at 9-13 months from Quilpie, far western Queensland made 460c/kg.

Heifers

Heavier heifer lines over 400kg were a highlight, lifting 26c/kg to average 472c, delivering a 93pc clearance from 900 head offered. Heifers 330–400kg also strengthened, lifting 32c to average 474c, but cleared only 44pc of the offering of 2392 head.

Lighter heifer categories all lost considerable ground. Heifers 280-330kg fell 23c to average 468c, clearing 40pc of the 1762 head offering. Heifers 200-280kg lost 53c to average 449c, clearing 72pc of the 1880 offered. Weaner heifers less than 200kg lost 245c/kg to average just 319c.

Breeding females

Breeding female results trended down, in some cases sharply. NSM cows and calves produced the largest offering of 940 head, clearing only 35pc to average $2518, down $218 on the previous week. NSM heifers and calves, the second largest breeder category with552 head offered, cleared 53pc to average $2488, down a dramatic $577 on a week earlier. Station-mated cows and calves dropped almost as far, losing $434 to average $2206, clearing only 20pc, while SM heifers and calves eased $40 to average $3065, clearing only 21pc.

Listings were dominated by eastern states, with New South Wales activity with 8600 head listed, Queensland followed with 5200 head. Buyer activity followed a similar pattern, with New South Wales securing 4400 head.

Source: AuctionsPlus