LANDMARK, John Mooney & Co, and Boller & Co, combined to offer a good quality yarding mostly of 2014-drop steer and heifer calves at last week's Cooma cattle sale.
Local district breeders have benefited from a fantastic summer, with quality rain assisting in most of the 2015 yarding averaging 30 kilograms liveweight heavier than last year.
Much of the competition came from feedlot buyers, and was complemented by orders from Mt Gambier, SA, Goulburn, NSW, north-east Victoria, the Riverina and local producers.
The buyers bid on a small selection of yearling steers, which sold to $1060 for a pen of Hereford-Simmental steers sold by DR McPhie, Ravensworth.
Top of the autumn 2014-drop steers calves were offered by T Burke & Sons, Cooma. Their 64 Angus steers sold to $940 to average $806. ER&EJ Hopkins, Jerangle, sold 51 Angus and Angus-Hereford steers from $680-$850, av $800.
Many of the steers penned were in forward store to prime condition, and a few pens were purchased for slaughter.
PJA&MH Bright, Nimmitabel, sold 34 Murray Grey-Poll Hereford steers from $715-$795, and these went for slaughter.
An estimation of live weights saw most steers realise 235-265c/kg.
Cooma sales are generally made up of younger steers, as the winter snow has a great bearing on these sales.
M&A Hain sold eight yearling Hereford steers for $805, but the balance of 76 Hereford and Angus-Hereford steers were calves, which sold from $505-$685, av $640.
Many of the younger steers, 5-7 months, sold from $550-$700, with some purchased to background for later grain feeding.
This sale saw smaller drafts of steers with many pens of similar age offered.
MA&MB Siracusa sold steers from $655-$740, and TJ&PM Fitzgerald, 38 Hereford and Hereford-Angus steers from $545-$665.
Yearling Hereford heifers set the top price in the heifer section of the sale.
R Johnston's Hereford heifers topped the sale making $875.
Many of the heifer calves were purchased for grain feeding or for slaughter.
PJA&MH Bright, sold 37 Murray Grey-Poll Hereford heifers from $600-$780, all of which went for slaughter.
D&S Afflick, Morouya, were volume buyers of heifers paying mostly between $650 and $780.
Many of the younger heifers sold well making from $470-$600.
ER&EJ Hopkins, Jerangle, sold 44 Angus heifers from $585-$650, while M&A Hain offloaded 32 Hereford heifers from $470-$600.
Peter Kostos
Prime stock analyst analyst for Stock & Land.
Prime stock analyst analyst for Stock & Land.
