WEEKS of wet weather meant a smaller yarding at the Carcoar store sale last Friday, but prices were still red hot, with cows with calves reaching $2250.
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A good quality yarding of 1538 head from across the Central West was offered for sale, with 813 steers, 466 heifers, 36 pregnancy-tested-in-calf (PTIC) females, and 137 cows with calves.
Agents said recent and widespread rain across the region kept stock numbers down but it encouraged prices to remain strong.
Weaners made up a majority of cattle at the sale, with prices similar to the June sale.
Weaner steer lines weighing less than 200 kilograms sold from $530 to $870 a head, while steers in the 200 to 280kg ranged from $340 to $1150 a head. The 280kg to 330kg steers sold from $920 to $1210 a head.
Weaner heifers weighing less than 200kg fetched $390 to $670 a head, heifers in the 200kg to 280kg range made $460 to $920 a head and those weighing more than 280kg reached $890 a head.
Yearlings were in limited supply, with yearling steers ranging from $845 to $1280 a head, while yearling heifers fetched $690 to $1020 a head.
Only seven PTIC heifers were offered for sale, reaching a top of $1000, while a small run of PTIC cows sold from $1150 to $1395 a head.
Cows with calves less than two months old made $1275 to $2250, cows with calves aged between two and four months old sold for $1500 to $2175, and cows with calves aged between four and six months reached $2150.
A quality line of 90 Angus cows with 92 calves, owned by David and Julie Price, “Allonby”, Blayney, reached a top price of $2250.
The cows, which were from Victorian Angus stud Te Mania bloodline, had been rejoined from May 1 and were on their fourth calf.
Paul Davison, “Sunview”, Molong, sold 19 Angus steers for $1135 a head, weighing an average of 298kg.
They were bought by Frank Bartorilla, “Fernleigh”, Meadow Flat, who finishes steers on his 200-hectare property.
Mr Bartorilla said he was restocking his herd, and planned to finish the steers on pasture, hay and silage over the winter.
Mr Davison also sold a pen of 10 Angus steers for $955 a head, and a pen of 22 Angus heifers for $920 a head.
Mr Davison, who runs about 140 Angus and Angus-cross cows, said the steers and heifers had come straight off their mothers.
“It was just time to sell them,” he said. “I’m very happy with the price.”
Ian Dowson, “Gethsemane”, Tarana, was also restocking with steers, buying 11 Angus and Angus-cross steers for $815 a head, which averaged 224kg.
“They were just the weight I was looking for,” he said.
Mr Dowson plans to finish the steers on pasture and native grasses on his 40ha property until they reach about 600kg.
