IT'S starting to sound like a broken record: the demand for female cattle just keeps pushing up the prices at store and prime sales.
For weeks across these market pages, agents have been expressing their surprise and pleasure at the record breaking prices achieved for clients.
Cows with calves are hot property, if you have them to sell, while heifers have been a favourite of restockers, feedlots and the processors.
Meat and Livestock Australia confirmed last week what many suspected: cows selling to slaughter are at an all-time high.
Related reading:
MLA's report said the tighter supplies of female cattle had pushed the domestic cow market into unprecedented territory.
"Since the start of February, the National Over The Hooks Medium Cow Indicator has averaged 550 cents a kilogram (carcase weight), the highest on record," MLA reported.
"Saleyard indicators were not exempt from these trends, with the National Medium Cow Indicator lifting to 595.5c/kg for the week ending February 26, 21c/kg shy of the record levels in November 2020.
"Increased restocker competition has continued to exacerbate the upwards movement of OTH prices as the national herd recovery gains momentum."
Restockers were certainly out in force during the 32nd Annual Angus and Angus-Cross Female Sale at Maitland at the weekend.
Bowe and Lidbury agent Michael Easey said there was a great line-up of females offered and the market was very strong right across the sale.
He said buyers came from Bathurst, Camden, Bingara, Mudgee, Tamworth and the Upper and Lower Hunter.
There were 1314 head offered and 100 per cent were sold.
Weaner heifers were about $50 dearer than recent sales, selling from $1100 to $1700 a head. They averaged a healthy $1400.
Unjoined heifers sold from $1600 to $2600. The average, at $1900, was $75 better than recent sales.
Pregnancy-tested-in-calf heifers attracted plenty of interest and Mr Easey said they were $80 dearer.
Aged 18 months to 2.5 years, the PTIC heifers sold from $2000 to $3050 and averaged $2600.
In the cow section, there was a premium for PTIC, with those having been tested selling for $1600 to $2500 (average $1750), while the pens of joined cows sold from $1500 to $2000 (average $1650).
Cows with calves topped the market at a hefty $4300 a unit.
The cheapest pen sold for $2100.
Mr Easey said cows with calves averaged $2900 and were $100 dearer.
Mark and Cindy Fisher, Wallabrook Angus, Dungog, sold a pen of ready-to-join Angus yearling heifers for $2150 to Troy Matthews. The Fishers also sold a pen of seven-month-old weaner heifers for $1450 to Bob Pittman of Dungog.
Tony Lindley, Congewai, dispersed his herd and his top run at the sale were Angus cows rejoined to an Angus bull with six- to seven-month-old calves that sold for $4300 a unit. Overall, Mr Lindley's cows with calves averaged $4230.
The Doyle family at Vacy sold PTIC Angus heifers for $3050 to Todd and Julie Bowd, Wards River.
Boambee Angus, Seaham, offered six lovely PTIC females for $2950 and 43 Angus heifers for $1400.
Love agricultural news? Sign up for The Land's free daily newsletter.
