A larger than anticipated yarding of 1487 cattle were offered at the Braidwood cattle sale last Friday including 1237 scale cattle and 250 store cattle.
The number increase was due to a lack of autumn rain according to Pat Cleary, ECM Livestock, Moss Vale.
“A lot of people are selling off their cattle going into winter due to the lack of feed and current high cattle prices,” Mr Cleary said. “It was a heavier market – there were a lot of killable cattle there.”
Nick Harton, Ray White Livestock, Braidwood, backed up Mr Cleary’s comments saying it was the most processor competition they have had at Braidwood for a long time.
“That was on the back of there being an extra 300 cows, which is the most cows we have ever yarded,” Mr Harton said.
“It was the those numbers that dragged the extra buyers in, producing a good outcome on the back of the rain.”
The best of the cows over 500kg returned 242 cents a kilogram and topped at $1664. Cows weighing up to 500kg averaged 187c/kg and 215c/kg for over 500kg.
Steers weighing 301kg to 400kg averaged 313c/kg and topped at to 337c/kg or $1220 with heavier steers weighing 401kg to 500kg averaged 291c/kg topping at 318c/kg or $1543.
Steers over 500kg averaged 248c/kg and topped at 295c/kg or $1861. Restocker steers averaged 322c/kg and topped at 355c/kg.
Restocker heifers weighing 301kg to 400kg averaged 280c/kg and topped at 318c/kg and $1236.
Heifers weighing between 400kg to 500kg sold to an average of 242c/kg and topped at 290c/kg or $1338. Heavier heifers weighing over 500kg averaged 267c/kg and topped at 285c/kg or $1737. Weaner heifers sold to an average of 295c/kg and to a high of 331c/kg or $916.
Braidwood cattle producer, Victoria Royds, “Clarevale”, sold 30 seven to eight-month-old Angus weaner steers averaging 230kg for 355c/kg as well as 85 same age sisters averaging 249kg for 331c/kg.
“Some were a bit smaller than I would have liked, but I don’t like carrying weaners over the winter,” Ms Royds said.
“In saying that, they made more than my top lines that were sold three months ago.
In the store sale, cows and calves topped at $1500 sold by P.J. and P.L Shoemark, “Whitakers”, Braidwood. Weaner Angus steers sold to a top of $920 and weaner Angus heifers sold to $670.
Buyers came Moruya, Canberra, Goulburn, Harden, Yass, Wagga, Singleton with a good local following. Paul Costigan of Landmark Daniel Walker, Braidwood, said the overall market was strong as most markets throughout the south “It was helped with two new buyers operating,” he said.
