QUALITY cows, heifers and steers sold to a cheaper trend during the Forbes store cattle sale last Friday - though it was no surprise given recent falls in the prime market.
Most categories were $200 to $300 a head cheaper than the store sale a month ago.
While opening the sale, Forbes Livestock and Agency Company principal Tim Mackay said there had been indications the cattle market was due for a correction and the cheaper trend in recent weeks was to be expected.
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"The Australian market has been the highest in the world for the past two years, so we knew at some point prices would come off the boil," Mr Mackay said. Even with the cheaper trend, cattle prices were still very good historically, he said.
"The foot and mouth disease issue means we need to remain vigilant about the health of our livestock, but there's no reason for people to panic and it's not what is driving the market at the moment," he said.
Mr Mackay said the quality of the cattle was better than the store sale a month earlier.
Weaner steers sold from $900 for the lighter calves straight off their mothers to $1780 for the heavier end of the offering.
Weaner heifers ranged from $800 for light calves right up to $1650 for well-grown pens.
The pregnancy-tested-in-calf females attracted bids of between $1440 and $2510. Mr Mackay said there was about a 30 cents a kilogram premium for cows that had been pregnancy-tested compared with those described as joined or running with a bull.
There were some lovely cows (both unjoined and PTIC) offered early in the sale. Most pens of cows with calves sold from $1900 to $3540. Once again, the pregnancy status of the cows with calves affected the values on some pens.
A quality pen of cows with calves were 683kg Angus on their third calves sold by JR Limousins, Forbes, for $3400 a unit.
CD Thomas, Forbes, sold several pens of cows with calves including 644kg mixed-age Poll Herefords for $2650 and three- to six-year-old 529kg PTIC Angus for $3200.
A lovely pen of 503kg Angus cows with their first calves from Rivermead, Forbes, sold for $3340, while Kiah Partnership, Parkes, sold 628kg PTIC Shorthorn cows with Royalla-blood calves for $3540.
The dispersal of W Danburg, Oakland, Murga, attracted buyer interest. Their cows with second and third calves sold for $1980, while PTIC Charolais cows weighing an average of 699kg sold for $2460. Another pen of similar description PTIC cows, but slightly lighter at 677kg, sold for $2510. In the heifer section, the Danburg pens sold to $1390 for 262kg Charolais females.
Bidding was brisk for 363kg six- to nine-month-old Shorthorn steers that topped at $1780 and which were sold by M Carroll and son, Molong, while GA, DA and BG Ward, Cudal, sold 349kg 10- to 12-month-old steers for $1770.
Tim and Linda Moon, Condobolin, sold 330kg Angus weaner steers for $1740, while Ben and Wendy Rix, Bogan Gate, sold Te Mania-blood, 275kg weaner heifers for $1430 to Warren and Kylie Sheppard, Forbes.