THE best presented pen of Angus weaners for the second day of the annual Wodonga weaner sales went to David McDonald and family from Macsway Pty Ltd, Rosewhite near Myrtleford, Vic.
A total of 3200 Angus steers went under the hammer through selling agents Elders and Paull and Scollard Landmark, at today's Premier Angus Weaners sale at the Northern Victoria Livestock Exchange (NVLX), Barnawartha.
This followed on from day one, the Blue Ribbon Angus Weaners sale yesterday where 4125 sold.
Sold through Elders, the McDonald family's best presented pen included 33 Angus steers that weighed 426 kilograms and sold for $1270 a head, or 298 cents a kilogram.
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The February and March 2018 drop calves were of Jarobee, Witherswood and Rennylea blood, vendor bred and straight off their mothers, vaccinated twice with 8 in 1 and grass-fed only.
Sponsored by Angus Australia, the McDonalds received a $250 cash prize for best presented pen.
In total the McDonald's sold 79 steers across three pens and one pen of 20 heifers that weighed 334kg.
Their pen of 34 steers weighed 380kg and sold for $1105 or 291c/kg, while their last pen of 12 steers weighing 331kg made $920 or 278c/kg.
Running a self-replacing herd, David McDonald said they are running 160 breeders at the moment which is down from their normal 250 due to drier conditions.
This is the second time they had won best presented pen, taking out the title in 2018 when they last were vendors at the Wodonga January weaner sales.
"Last year we didn't sell here," he said.
"It was a tougher season so we chose to sell them earlier through AuctionsPlus."
In an area where annual rainfall is around 1000 millimetres, Mr McDonald said they had around 700mm this year which suits their pastures and country well which resulted in their stock presenting and weighing well.
"We usually sell here, and this year both the steers and heifers we offered were heavier," he said.
"We had a good winter, but didn't get rain in spring ... they still weighed well, the heifers could have been heavier than some the steers we sold today."
