Rain keeps them away from Muchea

It was a very small yarding of only 897 head of cattle at the last Muchea saleyard sale for the year.

The small yarding could possibly have been due to the flood rain experienced in northern pastoral areas of WA and good rain throughout the local area.

Total saleyard numbers also included 518 vealers in the calf appraisal sale.

All classes were constricted with pastoral cattle supplies dominating the yarding. Quality was very mixed throughout.

All regular local trade buyers were in attendance at the sale with good eastern states restocker competition recorded for store drafts.

Grown heavy weight drafts of steers and heifers saw cheaper prices due to lack of competition.

Overall, grown steer prices ranged from 130–150c/kg to average 140.5c/kg; while grown heifer prices ranged from 70–131c/kg to average 97.7c/kg.

Yearling and vealer supplies were very limited with prices valued at slightly cheaper rates.

Vealer steer prices ranged from 200–217c/kg to average 211.3c/kg; while vealer heifer prices ranged from 125–208c/kg to average 167.4c/kg. Yearling steers ranged from 139–191c/kg to average 154.1c/kg; while yearling heifer prices were cheaper, ranging from 85–164c/kg to average 135.1c/kg.

Locally bred heavy weight cows remained equal with boner grade sales and pastoral cattle sales to processors also remained equal.

Most store grade cows sold to restockers for slightly better prices.

Overall, cow prices ranged from a low of 35c/kg to a high of 118c/kg to average 87.2c/kg.

Locally-bred heavy weight bulls were cheaper due to lack of competition and were mixed quality with a large yarding of pastoral bulls recording slightly cheaper prices on average.

There were very few light weight bulls included in the sale with sales to live exporters at cheaper prices.

Bull prices ranged from 54–145c/kg to average 114.9c/kg across all weight ranges.

There was no sheep and lamb sale this week at Muchea.

The next sale to be held at Muchea will be on January 4, with both cattle and sheep to be yarded.