Inverell agents hosted 3835 head of weaner store cattle on Thursday with the heavier Angus more than 300 kilograms pulling the top bids to a sale top of $1581 a head.
Hosted by AWN Squires, the large yarding required 15 yard hands to draft them into pens on the night prior, but the sale was back compared to its last special store sale, in-line with the rest of the market.
Good rain the day of the sale will help ensure a continuous supply of oats this winter, but lighter calves met a tough market, in line with the rest of the state.
Steers 200 to 280 kilograms, 864 head, averaged 376 cents a kilogram or $958 and reached a top of 410c/kg and $1124.
Steers 280kg to 330kg, 983 head, averaged 373c/kg or $1142 and topped at 410c/kg and $1303.
A large draft of heavier steers 330kg to 400kg, 748 head, averaged 369c/kg or $1315, with Angus steers from D and K Page, EU accredited and already weaned, 399kg making 396c/kg or $1581 to top the sale.
Heifers 200kg to 280kg, 748 head, averaged 275c/kg or $684 to top at 314c/kg and $809.
Heifers 280kg to 330kg, 267 head, averaged 290c/kg or $870 and pulled top bids of 345c/kg and $1069. Best heifers sold to $1106.
Heavy Angus weaners from John Reid, Ben Lomand, made $1452 on 365kg at 398c/kg going the same way.
His heifers topped the first offering of females, weighing 299kg at 282c/kg to make $843.
Herb Duddy, Sara Park at The Downs, Pinkett, sold Angus sired by his own bulls, 363kg for 397c/kg or $1441 also going to Stanbroke.
"The weight was better in our steers this year with most of them August and September drop," said Mr Duddy, who bought some lighter calves at the sale for his own backgrounding operation.
An enormous draft from Clerkness Pastoral Company at Bundarra, with more than 550 steers, sold to $1420 for 128 calves weighing 358.6kg at 396c/kg all going to Stanbroke.
Their Charolais/Angus steers made $1105 for 333kg at 332c/kg while Hereford-cross from the same enterprise, 340kg at 327c/kg made $1111.
The McCosker family, Lynhurst at Cherry Tree Hill via Yetman, sold Angus steers 384kg for 376c/kg or $1443, also going to Stanbroke.
The Butcher family, Bundarra, sold European Union-accredited Angus weaner steers, many of them sired through artificial insemination by Knowla So Right, to make $1204 for 319.5kg at 377c/kg.
"We had a slow start before Christmas but since then have had good rain," said Mr Butcher, who farms with his father Peter. "Our steers are heavier than last year."
The family's heifers 251kg made 282c/kg or $707.
The Lawton family, Bundarra, sold Hereford and black baldy steers 393kg for 334c/kg or $1314.
Neville and Gail McIntyre, Pinkett, sold Angus steers with Sara Park blood 340kg for 384c/kg or $1305.
Their son Troy, also from Pinkett, sold steers to $1203 for 307kg at 392c/kg to stay on the New England for backgrounding.
Angus steers off Ashford country from D and C Beveridge made $1258 for 327kg at 385c/kg.
Valtellina at Ashford, with Swanbrook blood, sold Angus steers to $1162 for 316kg at 368c/kg.
Their heifers brought $842 for 301kg at 280c/kg going to Queensland's Dawson River country through Hourn and Bishop.
Heaviest Angus heifers offered by M and L Brown made $1106 for 359kg at 308c/kg to top that portion of the sale.
Santa Gertrudis/Hereford heifers sired by Yulgilbar bulls over cows sporting Bowen, Tycolah and Ironbark blood, made $1055 for Michael and Amanda Dumble, Mount Mitchell via Glencoe, sold back to Yulgilbar through Daley Livestock to be joined and eventually included in the Clarence Valley station's annual PTIC heifer sale.
The sale was hosted by AWN Squires, with director and auctioneer Robbie Bloch noting that the trend of the bids went against the grain, due to weight in the calves.
"We were fortunate that these weaners were in very good order," he said.
