Shorthorn cattle prices
Shorthorn price history from breed-labelled New Zealand cattle sale results, shown as an indicative liveweight benchmark.
The quick read
Shorthorn cattle are averaging $4.40/kg liveweight in the latest tracked benchmark. Recent movement is 1 month: down 13.6%; 3 months: down 6.6%; 6 months: up 1.9%; 12 months: up 1.4%. In the recent comparable rows, results most often reference the Heifers class, the 481-580 reported weight band, and Stratford. Treat the benchmark as context: weight, class, quality, region and sale date can materially change an individual result.
Shorthorn are currently reading at $4.40/kg liveweight in the latest weekly benchmark. That is 8.4% below last week and not yet comparable with 52 completed weeks earlier.
Use this as a market starting point, then account for breed, weight, yard, quality, transport, fees and the specific sale conditions.
Weight, breed, cattle class, quality, condition, region, buyer demand and sale timing can all move an individual result away from the benchmark.
The line is a cleaned weekly saleyard price series from 11 Oct 2021 to 20 Jul 2026. Public reporting varies and the benchmark may not include every lot sold.
Class mix
matching rowsBreed variants
source labelsRecent comparable sales
Shorthorn · latest first| Sale date | Saleyard | Class | Avg $/kg | Avg $/head | Head sold | Weight band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Jul 2026 | Tuakau | Cows | $4.20/kg | $2,426 | 2 | 481-580 |
| 21 Jul 2026 | Rongotea | Heifers | $4.79/kg | $1,820 | 1 | 351-400 |
| 19 Jul 2026 | Temuka | Heifers | $4.66/kg | $1,946 | 2 | 401-480 |
| 15 Jul 2026 | Stratford | Heifers | $5.38/kg | $1,130 | — | 151-250 |
| 14 Jul 2026 | Stratford | Heifers | $5.38/kg | $1,130 | 1 | 151-250 |
| 29 Jun 2026 | Christchurch | Bulls | $3.50/kg | $3,255 | 1 | 901-1000 |
| 29 Jun 2026 | Cambridge | Weaners | $4.66/kg | $2,410 | 5 | 481-580 |
| 24 Jun 2026 | Temuka | Steers | $3.93/kg | $1,120 | 1 | 251-350 |
| 24 Jun 2026 | Taranaki | Steers | $5.28/kg | $2,840 | — | 481-580 |
| 23 Jun 2026 | Stratford | Steers | $5.28/kg | $2,840 | 5 | 481-580 |
Value or list a Shorthorn mob
Use this breed as the calculator benchmark, then turn the estimate into a buyer-ready listing.