A colourful yarding of just under 1900 head featuring large lines of Queensland-born trade cattle, Fresian calves and Bos indicus infused steers greeted buyers at the Tamworth store sale on Friday.
The peak of the market was back on the previous fortnight, reflective of the quality on offer, but Davidson Cameron agent Chris Gooch opened the sale and alerted those in attendance that wide spread showers earlier in the week had created some great opportunities.
Yearling steers were limited with most weaners selling from $1200 to $1400 and heifers highly sought after from $1300 to $1500.
The top of the steer market reached $1710 compared with $1830 the fortnight before for a pen of 12-month-old Braford steers from Westside Pastoral.
Quality Angus cattle that normally secure a premium were scarce which saw a pen of Angus heifers from Timor Cattle top the heifer portion at $1740 ($1845 last sale).
Their pregnancy-tested-in-calf heifers also reached the height of that category at $2350, back from $2600 last sale.
Bruce Danson, Mentone, Narrabri saw an opportunity when he paid $1560 for a pen of 14 steers from Westside Pastoral as he looked to restock.
"It (the market) is too dear but it's not that simple," he said.
"I can't have no cattle and the drought left a lot of people like me without them."
His pen were part of a line of 234 steers and heifers from NSW-based Westside Pastoral.
Selling agent Phillip Hetherington of Garvin and Cousens said the vendor had purchased the cattle in from Queensland as young weaners and was now selling them as part of the trade.
Cows and calves reached $3450, up from $3380 the previous week, for Angus cows and their first and second calves from Bregot Grazing and also for second calvers on account of North Ningle that were rejoined to Booroomooka bulls.
Read the full report in The Land next week.
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