The sun was shining brightly at Casino on Thursday with honey gold Charolais cross weaners waiting under cover at the Northern Rivers Livestock Exchange where steers topped at $2356 and heifers were not far behind.
On day two of the special George and Fuhrmann weaner sales 3394 weaner steers and heifers were yarded, filling the aisles with a uniform likeness that was noticed by buyers who keenly bid all the way through.
Steers averaged 563 cents a kilogram or $1792 at 318kg to reach a top of 700c/kg and $2356 while the heifer portion averaged 557c/kg or $1623 at 291kg reaching a top of 640c/kg and $2165.
"It's been a perfect storm of factors to come to this," commented Palgrove Charolais director and sale sponsor David Bondfield, Dalveen, Qld. "But buyers come here for a reason. It's the broken baldy face that indicates speciality breeding for sales such as these. Buyers come here for good cattle."
He awarded champion pen to Stephen and Paul Boland, East Coraki, who sold Palgrove Charolais/Hereford steers 444kg at 500c/kg to bring $2220 going to repeat buyer and onto feed at Kindon Station, Goondiwindi.
Nathan and Kim Charters (nee Boland), also East Coraki, sold to weaner steers to a top of $2010 for Charolais over Simmental/Hereford - with those cows initially out of Jeogla blood and lately Mallanganee bred - to bring $2010 at 429c/kg going to the Macquarie valley through Nutrien Warren.
Ron and Colleen Dean, Clifton pines Mallanganee, sold Dalkeith Hereford over Barana Simmental to a top of $2188 at 520 cents a kilogram at 421kg also going to the same part of the wet west while most of their steers went to repeat buyer Greg Upton, Walcha and averaged $1970, all of them off their mothers on the day before the sale and only ever exposed to Kikuyu and Rhodes grass over scrub soil.
Peter and Libby Hannigan, Numulgi, sold EU accredited Charolais over Angus cross steers, 10-11 months and straight off their mothers, 396k, to a top of $2130. Their volume buyers were repeat buyers included Hayden Lamb, Wickham Farms Killarney - who purchased their champion pen for 540c/kg. Another sold for 606c/kg at 299kg to bring $1811.
"We had creep feeders in the paddock. They didn't eat very much," said Mr Hannigan. "But the recent wet weather did set them back."
Simmental Charbray steers, 298kg made $1650 for Ross McQueen, Wiangaree.
First cross Charolais/Brahman sold by Peter and Shane Standfield, Geneva, 330kg made 530c/kg or $1750.
Charolais over Santa Gertrudis cross, Charbray and Angus cross cows by Les and Kerryn Hellyar, Wiangaree, averaged 595c/kg at 271kg or $1617 for the steers and 253kg and $1496 for the heifers, going to districts that included central Queensland through Horne and Bishop as well as Gunnedah through Davidson Cameron and Co and Walcha to the Malpas River Partnership through Nutrien Boultons. A calves were straight off their mothers with no grain assist and the youngest being September drop.
"I buy my cows as I don't keep replacement heifers and they all cross well with Charolais," Mr Hellyar said.
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