PRICES held firm at the Landmark special calf sale, Goulburn, last Thursday with buyers shelling out slightly more money to lift the average on the previous week’s weaner sales in the area.
In a smaller yarding compared to the same sale a month ago, 1338 cattle were presented for auction including 823 steers and 515 heifers.
Steers topped at $1110 and averaged $871 while heifer lines managed a high price of $855 and $707 average.
The $1110 top pen of 67 seven- to eight month-old black Angus steer calves averaging 332 kilograms was sold by Neville Christie, Wondonga Pastoral Pty Ltd, Gurrundah.
They were selected and purchased by Neville Alcorn of “Lindenview”, Harden, who also took home another 138 Wondonga brothers averaging 294kg for $1010.
In total Mr Alcorn averaged $1043 for 205 steers.
Mr Alcorn, who runs 1100 Angus breeders on 2430 hectares with his two sons, said the steers would be hand-fed for about a week to get them settled before grazing on oat and wheat crops to get them to an ideal feedlot weight of about 480kg.
Ventoria Pty Ltd, Bannister, managed by John Croker, sold 25 seven- to eight-month-old Angus steers averaging 345kg for $1095, while their pen of 45 brothers of the same age returned $925.
Mr Croker said he was happy with the prices, admitting he was worried after the fall in the southern markets last week.
Other notable prices included a pen of seven Angus steers selling for $1010 by Tom Frame, Tarago, who also sold a pen of 18 Angus heifers averaging 278kg for $850.
Ian Culley, Grabben Gullen, sold 17 Angus steers for $860 with 17 same age sisters making good money at $845.
The $855 top-priced heifers were sold by Andy Cassim, Braidwood, for a pen of eight Angus with a second pen of five sisters reaching $720. Mr Cassim also sold 18 Angus steers returning $880.
Landmark Goulburn manager Daniel Croker said the outcome was better than he expected.
“Looking at what happened a week before with sales around the region, I was worried prices were going to be back,” Mr Croker said.
“Compared to the sale last week the average was up about $130, but the real difference was in the lighter cattle – they were up by about $150 more than expected and $60 to $70 better on the top end.
“Unfortunately, the yarding was smaller than first anticipated. Because of the prices the week before, people chose to hang on to their cattle and pray for rain.”
