UPDATED 11am: REDUCED numbers at the Wodonga Blue Ribbon Female sale meant it was difficult for agents to get a clear direction of how the prices were sitting for breeding cows and females.
While the independent agents advertised 2000 head, a mixed yarding of 875 head were offered.
Brian Unthank Rural director Michael Unthank, Albury, said this was a result of higher prime cattle prices attracting large numbers to recent fat sales at Wodonga.
“A few people have decided to keep a few female cattle rather than sell them this year, knowing the job will be hard enough to replace them in the future.”
This said, those offering annual lines of good quality females were rewarded with improved prices on the same sales in 2014.
“In comparison to last year you’d probably think $200 to $300 better for most cattle, the cows and calves sold particularly well, up to $1750, which is probably their split value.”
That was for the top-priced pen of the sale, offered by L.N, S.N. and A. Hodge, Boort, Victoria.
The 21 Shorthorn cows had 22 mixed age Shorthorn calves at foot and were joined to Santa Gertrudis/Angus bulls.
They were bought by Alan and Deb Fenwick, managers of “The Chips”, Woodhouse, Victoria, who also took a second pen of 20 Shorthorn cows with calves at foot from the same vendor at $1600.
Other cow and calf packages sold mainly between $1000 and $1400, with a line of 37 black baldy cows with calves at foot, offered by David and Gail Parkinson, “Myuna”, Table Top, making to $1410 and averaging $1138.
N.K. Nichol and Co, “Connamurra”, Bethanga, Victoria, topped the small yarding of joined heifers with 30 Dunoon-blood Angus heifers, 2012-drop and pregnancy-tested in-calf to Te Mania-blood bulls.
The heifers sold to Brian Unthank Rural, Albury, at $1570.
The same agent also purchased a second pen of 16 of the same type, from the same vendor, at $1525.
Joined Hereford heifers topped at $1180, while Limousins made to $1510 and a regular line of Red Polls sold between $1060 to $1260, with one pen of later calvers making $860.
Empty heifers held their strong prices, with reports prices were slightly back on last week’s sale, but similar to the first week of weaner sales at Wodonga.
The first few runs of Angus and black baldy heifers, 300 to 400 kilograms, made from $635 to $875, averaging about 215 cents a kilograms.
A second first-cross and beef bred female sale will be held at Wodonga on Friday.
Jamie-Lee Oldfield
Livestock editor for The Land.
Livestock editor for The Land.
