Mixed-quality Tamworth sale eases in price and numbers

Tamworth's combined weaner and store sale last Friday recorded a yarding 2046 head, which was back 3269 head on the sale a week earlier.

Prices also dropped across several categories by $150 to $230 a head.

It was a mixed-quality offering of weaners and a handy penning of cows with calves.

Buyers from Queensland, Walcha district, and the Central West were active after being served good lines of weaners at sales in Armidale and Tamworth earlier in the week.

Rainfalls last week reinforced the belief that forage crops and pasture growth would be off to a great start as the daylight hours begin to shorten.

Vendors were from Guyra, Willow Tree, Boggabri, Barraba and areas close to Tamworth.

Ray White Tamworth's Eric Miles described the sale as "a reasonable day".

"The usable cattle all made their money on what (recent) market movements have been doing," Mr Miles said.

"The lightweight steers held their values as buyers found positivity in the opportunity to buy well."

He said the heifers had a few highlights, but a line of 400-kilogram, pregnancy-tested empty Angus heifers from the Carolan family's Nalorac Pastoral, Lyndhurst, Armidale, sold for $1480.

Weaner steers less than 200kg sold from $380 to $680; those from 200kg to 280kg made from $520 to $1110, and weaner steers weighing 280kg to 330kg sold from $880 to $1100, according to Meat and Livestock Australia data.

Weaner heifers less than 200kg attracted bids from $320 to $510 and those from 200kg to 280kg sold from $400 to $800.

The weaner heifers weighing 280kg to 330kg made from $660 to $800.

The pens of yearling steers less than 330kg sold from $420 to $1170, while the heavier pens ranged from $1110 to $1300.

Yearling heifers less than 330kg attracted bids from $590 to $870, and the heavier heifers sold from $840 to $1580.

Pregnancy-tested-in-calf females mostly ranged from $750 to $1400.

Cows with calves mostly sold from about $825 to $2020 a unit.

Ben and Laura McNaughton, Drumalbyn, Ogunbil, sold a pen of 14 Angus steers for $1010, while another pen of 20 made $970. Jeff Budd, Moonbi Gap, bought a pen of black-baldy steers from the same vendor for $980.

BP and GL Clarke, Niangala, sold eight Angus/Hereford steers for $1100, while Plaintrees, Yarrowitch, sold a pen of 20 Angus steers for $1020. A pen of 19 heifers from Plaintrees made $530.

Corey Slade, Wallabadah, made the most of an opportunity, buying 20 Angus steers for $960. Mr Slade said more the 115 millimetres had fallen on his forage oat crops, giving him a much better start than last year.

"I bought steers around the $1300 to $1400 mark last year and they didn't give anything back," he said.

"It was a rough year in 2023."

Amos and Sarah Urquhart, Moorabee, Limbri, sold 10 Texas Angus-blood steers for $1080, while a pen of nine Limousin/Angus made $880.

Jesse Phillips, Barraba, provided his sons Lachlan and Riley a day out on the first day of school holidays.

They sold a pen of 10 Bowen bloodline steers for $1110, and then a pen of nine heifers made $$840.

LJ and FJ Coombes, Barraba sold a pen of 16 Angus/Hereford steers for $840, while a lighter-conditioned pen of 17 made $710. They also offered 56 black-baldy heifers in three pens, which made $615 m $600 and $480, respectively.

Jim McNamara, Currabubula, sold 16 Angus heifers that went for $820.

The sale was conducted by Tamworth Livestock Selling Agents Association.