THE market remained firm for the Tamworth store sale on May 27, where weaner steers sold to a top of $1040 a head.
The mixed quality yarding of 1540 head included 1200 weaners, 250 cows and calves, and 90 PTIC females.
The yarding included cattle from Weabonga, Tamworth, Ebor, Walcha, Narrabri and Woolbrook with large lines from Barry and Kay Pratten, “Redrock”, Dungowan; Graham and Leone Clarke, “Lonsight”, Boggabri; and Graham and Jeane Crane, “Kibah Downs”, Loomberah.
Lightweight weaner steers weighed from 150 kilograms to 200kg and sold from $500 to $650, middleweight steers weighing between 210kg and 250kg ranged from $600 to $750 and heavy steers weighing more than 250kg made between $800 and $1040.
Light weaner heifers weighing between 150kg and 200kg sold from $400 to $500, middleweight heifers weighed from 210kg to 250kg and ranged from $600 to $750 and heavier weaner heifers weighing more than 250kg made between $650 and $805.
PTIC cows sold from $600 to $2325 for four-year-old Hereford cows from the Crane family, and cows and calves sold from $1000 to $2175 for four- to eight-year-old cows with calves, also sold by the Crane family.
Mr Pratten sold 120 six- to nine-month-old Brangus, Angus and Droughtmaster-cross mixed sex weaners, with his steers topping at $860 and heifers reaching $665.
He sells through the May sale each year, and was very happy with the prices, considering he’d been hand feeding his weaners for the past few months.
“Other than this recent rain, we’ve had nothing since February,” he said.
“We’ve been feeding for six weeks, but we had to hold onto them because they were a bit young when it started to get dry.
“They’re the best prices we’ve ever had for weaners, up by $150 last year, and more on the year before.”
