RAIN couldn't dampen spirits at the Dunedoo store sale on Wednesday as about 1543 cattle sold to strong competition in a very wet market.
Highlights included weaner steers which fetched $2450 a head top money (up from $2300 last sale), pregnancy-tested-in-calf (PTIC) heifers which sold to $3125 and cows with calves which topped the day at $4450 a unit.
Most weaner steers sold from $1700 to $2270 a head. Topping the bill were a draft of standout Narranmore-blood Angus steers, six to eight months, sold by John and Julie Hunter, Mendooran, for $2450.
Other good sales included a draft of 180 Narranmore-blood Angus steers straight from their mothers, which returned $2180 for Paul McGirr, Mendooran.
A pen of Charolais-cross steers realised $2270 while David and Robin Croft, Dunedoo, sold eight- to 10-month-old Hereford steers for $2160.
Most weaner heifers sold from $1710 to $2000 with a handful of lighter Angus heifers which could be bought for between $1480 and $1540 and crossbred heifers for $1360.
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Meanwhile the best PTIC heifers were Angus, purchased by Brenda and Ken Rawlings, Merrygoen, for $3125.
Mrs Rawlings said they would be used to rebuild numbers and to replace their older cow herd.
The balance of the PTIC portion mostly sold from $2150 for Santa Gertrudis heifers in-calf to Santa and Angus bulls, to $3050 for Angus heifers in-calf to the Narranmore Angus bull.
Topping the market were Angus first-calvers with calves less than three months-old at foot, sold by Gig Bowman, Shingle Hut, Dunedoo, for $4450.
Other sales mostly ranged from $2900 to $4225 for Angus units with Charolais pens which could be bought for $2650 and Droughtmaster pens for $2450.
A draft of 26 ex-agistment Angus cows from the Narromine district, five to eight years old with one- to three-month-old calves at foot and running back to the Limousin bull, returned $4225.
Selling agents were Milling Stuart, Dunedoo, and PT Lord, Dakin and Associates, Dubbo.
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