THE sniff of spring and further rain reignited confidence in the cattle market and pushed prices up about $250 to $300 a head during the Central Tablelands Livestock Exchange, Carcoar, store cattle sale last Friday.
The bulk of the 1100-head yarding were older weaners, although there was the opportunity for buyers to selectively pick up some quality young cows that were either pregnancy-tested-in-calf or with a calf at foot.
Light Angus weaner steers tipping the scales at less than 200 kilograms sold from $1000 to $1010, while Angus and Herefords from 200kg to 280kg ranged from $1330 to $1870.
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The heavier weaner steers (280kg to 330kg) attracted bids from $1590 to $2060 and those weighing more than 330kg sold for $1550 to $2000.
Weaner heifers weighing up to 200kg sold for about $800 to $1060.
The 200kg to 280kg weaner heifers ranged from $1200 to $1700, while 280kg to 330kg lines made $1600 to $2020.
Heavy weaner heifers (more than 330kg) sold from $1840 to $2130.
Most of the yearling steers weighed 330kg to 400kg and sold from $1500 to $2140.
A few pens of unjoined yearling heifers were knocked down for $1260 to $1950, while the PTIC pens topped at $1920.
Heavy PTIC cows topped at $3000, while the bonus of being PTIC with a calf at foot pushed the price up to $3625.
Unjoined cows with calves varied and sold from $1800, for Holsteins, up to $3950 for a pen of lovely Angus breeders sold by DR and RJ Price, Blayney.
DR and RJ Price also topped the PTIC cow market with their Angus females that sold for $3000.
RJ and MR Berry sold 397kg Angus steers for $2140 and 356kg Angus heifers for $2130, while GD Millar sold a quality pen of 304kg Angus weaners for $2060.
Central Tablelands Livestock Selling Agents Association conducted the sale.