WEANER steers attracted strong bidding at the Carcoar cattle sale on Friday, topping at $1150 a head.
The good quality yarding of 5463 head included stock from across the Central West, with 2720 steers, 1884 heifers, 290 pregnancy-tested-in-calf (PTIC) females and 148 cows and calves.
Agents said the recent rain helped boost prices for the bigger yarding.
Weaner steers improved by $60 to $80 a head, and weaner heifers were also in hot demand, with prices up by $50 to $75 on the previous sale.
Steer lines weighing less than 200 kilograms sold from $430 to $805, and steers in the 200kg to 280kg range sold from $530 to $1040.
The 280kg to 330kg steers gained ground, ranging from $850 to $1020 a head, while heavyweight steers sold from $1095 to $1150.
Weaner heifers weighing less than 200kg fetched $320 to $635, the 200kg to 280kg lines made $270 to $845 and heifers weighing between 280kg and 330kg sold from $805 to $990.
Yearlings remained in short supply, with yearling steers making $520 to $1290, while yearling heifers sold for $570 to $1130.
PTIC heifers were also rare, ranging from $1130 to $1250, while the number of PTIC cows increased on the April sale, selling from $680 to $1700.
Cows with calves that were less than two months old fetched $960 to $1800, cows with calves between two to four months old sold from $1260 to $2000, while PTIC females with calves aged four to six months ranged from $1400 to $2000.
A quality line of 227 Angus weaner steers owned by Michael and Matthew Johnston, who recently sold “Middle Station”, Taralga, reached a top price of $1070.
They also sold 155 Angus cows for a top of $1620 and 210 heifers for a top of $910.
The pair has sold half the Taralga property, with the remaining 728-hectare “Mingary Park” currently on the market, as they move to the Cowra region to continue producing beef as well as breeding Merinos.
Michael Johnston said they were happy with the prices.
“After the rain we were pretty confident. We were pretty nervous a few weeks ago,” he said.
Jeremy and Peter Pittman, "Coolmatong", Lidster, near Cargo, bought 30 Angus/Charolais-cross steers averaging 240kg for $780.
Jeremy Pittman said the sale was an opportunity to restock his herd with quality British breeds, which he will finish and sell.
"I am really happy with our buy – what an opportunity to buy quality stock for an undervalued price,” he said.
Liam Murphy from Kevin Miller Whitty Lennon and Co, Blayney, said the cattle market was looking positive.
“I can’t really see the price dropping off, given the amount of feed we are seeing starting to grow,” he said.
