Nearly 1500 head were yarded at the September store sale at Grafton last Thursday with selling nearly wrapping up in the dark.
While prices weren't quite as strong as the remarkable buying festival of last month, buyers were keen. Weaner heifers made a record 620 cents a kilogram or 200c/kg more than their light brothers.
Steers to 400kg averaged 432c/kg (455c/kg last month) and heifers to 540kg averaged 414c/kg (417c/kg in August).
Milk-tooth Charolais-cross, 515 kilograms sold for 380c/kg or $1957, going to Bindaree Beef, Inverell.
Milk-tooth Angus from a new generation of Coolarmagh blood, 452kg, made 408c/kg or $1847 going to Tamworth through Nutrien.
Even dairy-cross turned heads, with a pen of two-tooth, 435kg steers making 340c/kg or $1479 selling to the mid North Coast.
Bronc Riley, Springrove Grazing, paid $1612 for a milk-tooth Limousin-cross, 510kg at 316c/kg, saying the price had to be paid if a producer wanted the article.
Gordonbrook Station sold a run of 16 milk-tooth Charolais steers from Brahman-cross cows, 357kg for 402c/kg to make $1437 going to West Talgai feedlot at Allora, Qld. Station manager Lance Abraham also sold Simmental/Brahmans, 371kg at 398c/kg to make $1480 going to Tamworth and another lighter pen of the same for $1234 heading up to the New England.
Ray and Helen Donovan, Kangaroo Creek, sold a run of 82 milk-tooth steers including Charolais, Brangus and Droughtmaster cross to average 414c/kg or $1440.
Mark Strong at Coombadja Station sold Angus including a pen 371kg, making 402c/kg or $1494.
The Chapman family, Fineflower, sold genuine Brahman/Hereford steers 297kg for 416c/kg or $1239.
Ramornie Station sold Angus-cross, 228kg at 458c/kg or $1044 going to New England country near Glen Innes, as did milk-tooth Angus off the Lower Clarence, 202kg at 524c/kg or $1061.
Angus heifers tested in calf and wearing red tags made $1575 at open auction. Empty Brangus heifers, 359kg, made 378c/kg or $1357.
Yearling Hereford heifers, 266kg made 414c/kg or $1104 going to Tamworth through Nutrien. Charolais/Angus, 202kg, brought some bids making 466c/kg or $941.
South Grafton butcher Mark Carleton paid $947 for light Murray Grey, 205kg at 462c/kg putting the heifer back in the paddock at Ulmarra. The Guest family, Nana Glen, sold Angus heifers for $1575.
The best cow with calf price was $2580 for a Charolais produced by Brian and Vida Fahey, Lilydale.