The sheep section on the other hand was small, with prime lambs featuring.
Store lamb numbers were consistent with the previous week, though featured a consignment of 340 long term ewe lambs. These made up half the offering, and sold for $103-$115. The remainder of the yarding were mixed sex, and overall the market eased, with better types making $113-$125, and light, $81-$104.
Small lines of ewes with lambs-at-foot sold to keen interest and fetched $79-$98 all counted.
Prime prices continued their strong run, and heavy lambs lifted $5, with $170-$190 common for a large portion of the section. Medium types returned $130-$169.
Ewe numbers barely scraped over 300 head, and competition held across all grades. Heavy and good ewes made $122-$156, medium $94-$119, and light, $75-$90.
Much of the sale focus was on the rostrum, where 620 store, and 130 prime cattle all sold on a lifting market.
Prime steers took a lift, as buyers scrambled for the larger than usual traditional yarding. Finished lines, 550-660kg, averaged $3.08/kg, with $3.11/kg paid for the top Angus, though Belgium Blue sold to $3.14/kg. Forward stores made $3.10-$3.28/kg. Heifer prices firmed, and 450-520kg achieved $2.90-$2.97/kg, though were again bettered by Belgium Blue-cross, $3.06/kg.
The store section started off on a strong note and stayed there, as local buyers with grass took the first real opportunity offered to secure big numbers of cattle. The better 2-year beef steers make $1400-$1620, $3.17-$3.37/kg. Heifer prices lifted, and Angus-Hereford, 374-375kg, earned $3.14-$3.23/kg, and Hereford, 403-438kg, $3.05-$3.11/kg. Hereford-Friesian, 405-425kg, lifted to $3.06/kg. Traditional cattle were hard to find in the 1-year pens, though the beef-dairy offering still sold to high demand. Hand reared Hereford-Friesian steers, 248-289kg, fetched $725-$840, though lighter Hereford-cross, 215-246kg, sold for much higher $/kg at $3.25-$3.33/kg. Heifer lines were small and Hereford-Friesian stood out, with 213-232kg returning $630-$750. A consignment of 120 Friesian bulls stayed local, with all trading at $765-$845, $3.30-$3.53/kg, on a lifting market.
