RESTOCKER interest from the north west and Hunter Valley pushed prices to a high of $2725 for breeding units at the Tamworth store cattle sale on Friday.
The 2100-head yarding included cattle from Tamworth, Manilla, Gloucester, Niangala and Walcha.
The market was firm for the 700 steers yarded, but cows and calves were $20 to $40 dearer than at the previous Tamworth sale, according to local agent Chris Paterson, Chris Paterson Livestock and Property.
Lightweight weaner steers ranged from 150 kilograms to 200kg and sold from $750 a head to $880. Medium weight steers weighing between 200kg and 250kg ranged from $880 to $1050 and the heaviest steers weight up to 280kg and reached $1150.
The market remain strong for yearling steers, which weighed from 280kg to 360kg and sold from $950 to $1340.
Gloucester producers Denver and Cathy Webb topped the yearlings, selling 23 14-month-old Charolais/Angus-cross steers for $1340, $1270 and $1260.
Nearly 600 heifers were yarded. Light weaner heifers weighed from 130kg to 180kg and made between $550 and $720, middleweight weaners ranged from 80kg to 230kg and sold from $700 to $900, and the heaviest weaner heifers, weighing from 220kg to 280kg made up to $1080.
Yearling heifers weighed from 280kg to 350kg and sold from $900 to $1380 for 16-month-old Santa Gertrudis-cross heifers joined to Booragul Angus bulls from Peter Bubb, “Bellevue Hill”, Duri. A pen of Shorthorn heifers from David Stevenson, Wallabadah, made $1280.
There was plenty of competition for the 600 cows with calves, which sold from $1300 to $2725 for 45 Angus heifers with their first calves and rejoined to Angus bulls, sold by Mick Osborne and Mal Carter, “Warongah”, Manilla. The pair also sold Charolais/Santa Gertrudis-cross heifers with calves and rejoined to Heart Angus bulls for $2450.
Three- to five-year-old cows with calves and rejoined to Angus bulls sold by Mr Bubb reached $2650.
Mr Paterson said most breeding units sold from $1700 to $2100.
There was only limited competition from lotfeeders, including on young cattle, as restockers from the Hunter, Mudgee, Gunnedah and Narrabri looked to take advantage of good feed.
“The restockers outbid the lotfeeders, and it was all grass driven,” Mr Paterson said.