More than 2500 head were yarded at Casino on Friday with prices for Euro-British/F1 weaner steers around $900 reflecting a resurgent market desire for the old cross.
More than 500 of these weaner steers created an apricot line of consistent quality in the 220-250 kilogram range which looked like something from further west, and most impressive for this time of year. Equally unusual was the market demand heading into winter as a result of a warm autumn on the Tablelands, plenty of grass in Victoria and forecast rain for the North Coast.
Steers, 1787 in total, averaged 269kg to make 373 cents per kilogram or $1104 with grown bullocks for the Jap Ox trade blowing out that middle figure by topping at $1905.
Top lightweight steers went to 440c/kg for Angus, under 200kg, which were sent to Victoria for backgrounding. However the best of the Charolais/F1 steers, 230kg, sold to 432c/kg with Upton Pastoral at Walcha and Yugilbar Station, Baryulgil, competing for the same pens.
Heifers, 439 in total, averaged 205kg to make 347c/kg or $773 topping at 432c/kg for a pen of Santa/Hereford weaners produced by Figtree Bend. Of those heifers 89 were sold open auction, most PTIC, topping at $1660.
Cows and calves sold at open market and averaged 1438, reaching a top of $2000 for Brangus bought by Andrew Hall, Urbenville, who will put them to an Angus bull. Other females went to the Tablelands and some back to the coast.
Cows, 118 sold at open auction to average $1050 topping at $1400 for a red tagged F1 put to a Charolais bull.
With timely rain Yugilbar overseer Brett Ellem was keen to buy feedlot backgrounders to graze a ready crop of oats and rye on ‘Tooloonki’. As a result he purchased 114 Charolais over Santa/Hereford steers, 240kg at $984, many of them produced by Paul Fuhrmann, Mummulgum, with Cass bulls over heifers supplied by the Smith Brothers at Woodenbong and Urbenville. The best pens, 280kg, sold to 4.30c/kg. As keen on purchasing the proven cross was Greg Upton, ‘Upton Pastoral’ Walcha.
“You breed what the market wants to buy,” said Mr Fuhrmann. We aim for an EU job with steers fat at four teeth, or two and half years. We switched to Santa/Hereford from F1 because on our country they delivered more fat cover. They were easier to finish.”
Max and Clint McCabe, Murwillumbah, sold 80 Charolais cross steers with Cass blood over Brahman/Hereford F1 mothers to average 250kg to make 400c/kg. The elder McCabe described the F1 mum as old breeding strategy made very relevant for today because “It’s what the market wants right now. You can cross them with anything.”
Shirley and George Hardcastle, ‘McPherson Herefords’ Old Koreelah, sold 68 heifers from their stud cows at 233kg to make $890 with many going to Inverell while 24 steers at 222kg made $862.
Paul McKey, Woodenbong, sold heavy Hereford steers with McPherson blood 255kg to make 387c/kg or $974 while his lighter steers 188kg made 384c/kg or $722. Heifers 206kg sold to 338c/kg to return $697 and headed towards Inverell.
Jim Owen, Mongogarie, sold a pen of lightweight Hereford steers with Stannum and Franco blood, 189kg to make 383c/kg or $723 which went to Victoria for backgrounding. Another pen at 218kg made $834.
The Dockrill family, Clovass, payed 308c/kg for 45 grown bullocks averaging 530kg which they will put on feed for up to six months and turn out for the Jap Ox trade. They also bought 10 weaners, 250-280kg averaging 360c/kg, to supply the butcher’s trade.
The sale was hosted by George and Fuhrmann, Casino.