Tamworth weaner steers to $1570

Restockers, backgrounders and feeders were on the rails in numbers from Narrabri, Gunnedah, Manilla, Scone, Guyra and Blackall, Queensland, and plenty of strong local demand.

Trends varied with a sluggish start through the steers owing to drafts of plainer quality product, but as the sale progressed, trends lifted with an improvement in quality and stronger competition. There were similar results with the heifer market, as lesser quality lines sold to a cheaper market. However, as the sale progressed, the better lines of heifers also sold to more robust demand.

In the quotations, Angus steer weaners sold to $1380/head, and Euro-cross steers made $1290 a head. Charolais steers sold to $1410/head, and black baldy steers made $1120/head. Yearling steers sold well, with Angus steers making almost $1600/head and Charolais $1340/head. Angus heifer weaners sold to $1260/head and black baldy heifers for $1040/head.

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Yearling steers made $1340 to feeders and heifers to $1500/head paid by restockers. Pregnancy-tested-in-calf cows with calves at foot sold for $3620/unit, while other cows and calves made $2000 to $2740/unit.

AJ and NJ Wilson Pastoral Co offered the top-selling pen of the day, Wee Waa offered Gates Performance Angus blood steers making the sale top for steers of $1590, with a pen of 19.

Another great result was nine Angus steers offered by Sharon Kelly, Burgmanns Lane on the edge of Tamworth, that sold for $1570. Ms Kelly sold another pen of 10 Angus steers that made $1420.

HJ and MJ Ham, Undarra, Niangala sold 23 Angus steers that made $1500, while a further pen of 27 Angus steers made $1360.

Bob, June and their son Duncan Kennedy, Avonlea, Duri offered a pen of 19 Angus, and Angus cross steers. Seventeen of the Angus steers sold for $1030, while two Angus-cross steers were sold separately and made $760. Mr Kennedy said the rapid onset of the dry conditions had hastened his decision to sell his weaners. "We're going a bit earlier this year," he said.

CTK Cattle Co, Barraba, sold two pens of 18 Ardrossan blood Angus steers that were bought as one line for $1040.

Peter and Morgan Etheridge, Etheridge Enterprises, Niangala, sold 28 Eaglehawk Angus blood steers for $1540.

Jeff and Jo Rogers, Willow Tree sold two pens of 14 Charolais steers for $130 while a further pen of 15 Red Angus-cross steers made $1410.

The first pen of the day was 18 Charolais steers that made $1200 for Bruce Wilson, Glencoe, Gloucester. Mr Wilson sold another pen of nine for $900, 14 Charolais/Droughtmaster cross for $940 and eight Angus steers for $900.

MCM Pastoral, Coolah, sold a pen of 16 Booragul and Collie blood Angus weaners for $1260, while a pen of 14 of the same description made $1160.

Roger and Jan McDowell, Tregoen, Pilliga offered a draft of 40 Yamburgan-blood Shorthorn weaners which made $1090 a head.

Mr McDowell was philosophical about the run of three good seasons and said the drying off was to be expected. "Our autumn break will probably be later this year," he added.

He said he'd been using Yamburgan blood since 1973, and their genetics ensured his cows calved early, cycled early and were back into calf in good time.

"These steers are only a day or two off their mother. I use a sprinkler in the weaning pens to help quieten the calves down. The drops of water give them a touch from something unexpected, and they soon become quiet," he said.

Bluestone Beef, Blackville, sold a pen of 19 Angus heifers for $1390, a pen of 14 Angus heifers for $1250 and a pen of six for $720.

Wilson Pastoral Company, Wee Waa, offered 60 heifers aged two years, pregnancy-tested-in-calf to Gates Performance bulls that sold for $1850.

Todd Whillock and family, Clovernook Partnership, Woolbrook, had a strong sale with young Angus cows with a second calf at foot, making between $2175 and $2820.

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