TOP quality Angus weaner steers sold to a top of $1360 a head at the first of this year's annual Wodonga weaner sales on Thursday.
Weaner heifers sold to a top of $1090 a head.
The yarding slipped to just 4125 head, mostly as a result of the Victorian bush fires. This was back about 2500 head on the expected yarding.
Buying support was mostly local and a few notable buyers were missing, also due to the bush fires.
However, overall the market trend was solid and balanced out the reduction in the size of the yarding with the reduction in buyers on the rail.
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Northern feedlot buyers were a notable and welcome presence on the buyer's rail, particularly on the heavier weaner steers.
A buyer was also present from Tasmania and picked up several pens of weaner heifers weighing from 320kg to 350kg.
Corcoran Parker director Justine Keene, Wodonga, said the bulk of the weaner steers made about 300 to 320 cents a kilogram which as a solid result.
"There were plenty of cattle at the heavier end which formed the base in the market," he said.
"These heavier weights meant a lot of cattle were falling into the feedlot weights and hence bought by feedlots.
"The lighter cattle were mopped up by the local producers."
The top priced pens of weaner steers were offered by JA and ST Adams, Mill Park, Staghorn. These European Union- accredited steers sold across four pens (80 head in total) for a top of $1360. They were Dunoon-blood and had an average weight of 425kg.
The top weaner heifers were sold by Marcus Oats, Living Springs, Indigo Valley, for $1090 a head. These 10- to 11-month-old females had an average weight of 392kg and were by Murra- and Witherswood-blood bulls. These heifers were also judged the best presented pen of heifers.
The award for the best presented pen of steers went to a pen of 388kg nine- to 10-month-old Angus weaners sold by Steven Clark, Deepdale, Tallarook, Vic. They sold for a healthy $1180 a head and were by Witherswood, Anvil and Riga bulls.
The sale was conducted by Brian Unthank Rural, Peter Ruaro Livestock/Rodwells Wodonga, Corcoran Parker and Schubert Boers.
- The sales at Wodonga continue tomorrow (Friday) with an estimated 3500 Angus weaners expected by selling agents Elders and Paull and Scollard Landmark to go under the hammer. Keep up-to-date with all the action here.