The first of three speciality weaner sales at Casino kicked off with Herefords first and Angus second, 2192 in total, after a week of rain and enthusiasm from western restockers and feedlotters helped push prices up 15-20c/kg on current markets.
Long lines of red and white, many of them from the Queensland border, with a view of the McPherson Range – Woodenbong, Urbenville, Old Koreelah – gave prospective buyers cause for pause as prices for steers averaged 389c/kg and topped at $442c/kg.
George and Shirley Hardcastle, McPherson Herefords, topped the sale with a steer from their own bulls making $1420.
The 529 heifers averaged 335c/kg and topped at 400c/kg to Bruce Lyle and family, Ellengowan who sold Angus heifers from their own bulls to top the sale at 400c/kg at 306kg to make $1220. They were purchased by Paul and James Hewetson, Mallanganee, who will join them to a Wagyu bull.
Best pen of Angus cross steers went to Peter and Libby Hannigan, Numulgi, who sold them to 382c/kg at 349kg to return $1333 to Wickham Farms, Killarney. The couple averaged $1173 for 86 head sold.
Champion pen of Hereford steers was awarded to the Reid family, Turners Flat, Woodenbong, which sold for 388c/kg at an average weight of 351kg to make $1364. “We’re ecstatic,” said Ian Reid, who’s family sold 100 steers and 60 heifers at Friday’s sale with sires from Turee Station at Coolah and George Hardcastle. “The sale was beyond our expectation. We just hope there’s something at the other end for the buyers to keep the whole show going.”
Best pen of Angus cross steers went to Peter and Libby Hannigan, Numulgi, who sold them to 382c/kg at 349kg to return $1333 to Wickham Farms, Killarney. The couple averaged $1173 for 86 head sold.
Rob Maloney and family, Woodenbong, sold 134 head, with 93 of them steers, topping the sale on a cents per dollar basis at 442c/kg.
Jim and Jan Smith, 'Townview' Urbenville, sold 209 Hereford steers to an average of $1138, weighing 288kg, with half going to Adrian Spence, Ironbark Herefords Barraba, and the rest going to Bob Jamieson, Inverell. Jim’s brother John, and his wife Maree, Woodenbong, had a very similar result from similarly consistent line.
Mr Spence purchased 200 steers from both John and his brother Jim and will grow them out on oats to 500kg for the feeder market. "The Smiths have very good cow herds and are proper cattlemen," he said.
Matt Larkings, Molong, bought 100 of the best Hereford heifers, paying 326-352c/kg from the Smith and Maloney families at Woodenbong and Urbenville, the Sweeney family from Fairy Hill via Casino and the Mahoney and Hill families with all cattle going to a client at Warren who is reasonably confident after some recent rain.
John Jackson, Jackson Agriculture, Armidale, said prices were dear but the quality good as he bought 95 mostly Angus steers which he will run with nearly 12,000 head on several New England properties.