THE winter chill was unable to cool prices at the Central Tablelands Livestock Exchange on Friday as feedlots and restockers battled it out with solid bidding across the 3373-head yarding.
The size of the yarding was also uncharacteristically large for a winter store cattle sale at Carcoar.
Some of the supply was made up of weaner steers and heifers that traditionally would have been destined for the autumn weaner sales, but were unable to be trucked to the saleyards due to the wet weather in April and May.
Related reading:
But the selling delay did little to dampen the enthusiasm from vendors, who walked away pleased with the prices received for their quality calves.
McCarron Cullinane agent Lindsay Fryer, Orange, said the market for weaners was a touch back on the autumn trend, though still quite strong for this time of year.
Weaner steers made up 57 per cent of the market, while 30pc were weaner heifers, according to data compiled by Meat and Livestock Australia.
Nearly 80pc of the offering were either Angus or black baldy, MLA data also indicated, which follows the trend of most Carcoar store sales.
Breaking down the sale results, a small number of weaner steers less than 200kg sold from about $1300 to $1660 a head, with the tops coming back at 920c/kg.
Weaner steers from 200kg to 280kg attracted bids from $1020 to $2050, while those tipping the scales at 280kg to 330kg sold from $1600 to $2300.
The heavier weaners that weighed more than 300kg were in demand for between $1940 and $2460.
Weaner heifers were not only in demand from restockers rebuilding herds, but also the feedlots looking to top up supplies to background before they enter the feedlot later in the year.
There were only a few pens of weaner heifers less than 200kg and they sold for about the $1420 mark.
Those from 200kg to 280kg ranged from $1420 to $1650 and the 280kg to 330kg pens made $1600 to $2200.
There weren't many weaner heifers that tipped the scales at more than 330kg, but those that were offered sold for $1865 to $2495.
Yearling steers sold from $1990 to $2550 and unjoined yearling heifers ranged from $1830 to $2260.
The feedlots paid up to $2385 for steers and $2050 for heifers.
Pregnancy-tested-in-calf heifers and cows started at about $2000 and climbed as high as $3740 for quality Angus.
Cows with little young calves ranged from $800 to $3000 a unit, although there were not many pens offered.
The pens of cows with calves from two to four months were also hard to find and sold from $2450 to $2980.
One PTIC Angus cow with an older calf (more than four months) sold for $2360.
Stuart and Gemma Green, Chesney Pastoral Company, Mandurama, sold six PTIC Angus heifers for $3740, while B and J Hoolison, Ecclesbourne, Lithgow, sold 17 PTIC Murray Grey heifers for $3250.
Andrew Kearney sold 17 PTIC Angus heifers for $4060 and nine Angus cows with calves for $3280.
Mark and Jenny Minehan, Inverness, Cowra, sold 11 391kg Angus steers for $2325 and another pen of 330kg steers for $2140.
Byram and Deborah Johnston, Riversleigh Pastoral, Tarana, sold a big run of Angus weaners during the sale. Their top pen of 320kg nine- to 10-month-old Angus steers sold for $2170.
Crowa Pastoral Company, Young, sold 318kg nine- to 10-month-old Angus steers for $2160.
B and J McDonald sold a lovely pen of six 444kg Angus steers for $2550, while KM and MW Nicolson sold 440kg Angus steers for $2550.
Doug Grant sold a quality pen of 12 372kg Angus heifers for $2500.
Weemalah Partnership offered nine 428kg Angus steers for $2460, while P Tracy sold three 395kg Angus steers for $2460.
The sale was conducted by Central Tablelands Livestock Agents Association.
