MORE than 3000 head of cattle are set to go under the hammer at the Cooma Saleyards on April 3 as part of the annual autumn weaner sale fixtures.
Conducted by Monaro Livestock and Property, the sale will kick off at 12:30pm, and will be its second week of feature weaner sales - the first conducted yesterday.
MLP livestock agent Gary Evans said the seasonal sale would see graziers selling off their cattle with winter approaching.
"Winter is coming in thick and fast and people normally sell their cattle as it approaches," Mr Evans said.
"It's been a long standing feature sale on the Monaro sales calendar and a lot of people save their calves especially for this sale."
He said some of the feature lines would be from Dungaree Pastoral Company, Bombala, which was offering 140 Angus steers and 70 Angus heifers, all Sparta blood.
Boco Pastoral would offer 200 head.
Mr Evans said in previous years buyers had come from Corryong, Albury and further south in Victoria and across to South Australia.
"In better years cattle have gone to north western NSW... but that's probably not going to happen this year."
Dungaree Pastoral Company's Lionel Platts said the 140 Angus steers and 70 heifers they were going to offer were part of their annual turn off of surplus young cattle.
"They are pure Sparta blood, we've been on the bloodlines for probably 35 years and are completely free of North American blood, which makes them a unique type, they've got a fair bit of New Zealand blood in them," Mr Platts said.
Dungaree bought the Sparta stud about three or four years ago. It was established by Keith Murdoch in 1965.
Mr Platts said they produced fast finishing, good doers which were performing well.
"They are of good constitution and temperament, fast finishing type cattle, which we like about them. They can put up with a pretty tough winter here in the Monaro and they come through and get in calf and produce good calves."
Mr Platts said they've been selling with Monaro Livestock and Property for the past five years.
"They do a great job and have bigger runs of Angus cattle and we've had pretty good results."
Mr Platts runs Dungaree Pastoral with his wife Kathleen and his brother Stephen and wife Sharyn.
They run about 280-300 commercial cows and 140 stud cows, which calve in July-August. They sell 50-60 bulls each year.
They also run a Merino sheep flock, of 5000 ewes and 4000 dry sheep, both of which graze on native improved pastures.