THE complete dispersal of the Tarcoola beef herd drew a good crowd of keen onlookers and healthy bidding competition at last Thursday's Wodonga store cattle sale.
Offered by Thomas B Cottrell, Tarcoola, Mountain Creek, Holbrook, NSW, the draft of 160 Shorthorn and Shorthorn-Angus cows and spring-drop calf units and 88 heifers were such an outstanding line of vendor bred Spry-blood females that the local agents decided to switched the running order of the sale around to put up cows and calves first, and then young stock.
Of the Tarcoola cows and calves, the top-price of $1520 per unit was fetched for a pen of eight third-calver Shorthorns each with a calf at-foot (CAF) that were snapped up by Davis and Cameron. This was also the top-price of the entire sale.
Olive Shearer of Bungowannah, NSW, purchased the second top-price of the run by fending off heated competition to secure a pen of seven third-calver Shorthorn with CAF.
The Tarcoola cows and calves averaged a strong $1418.
The operation's heifers sold to $780 for 20 Angus-cross 15-month-old heifers, Ardrossan and Spry-blds, av live-weight 472 kilograms. The line of 88 heifers av $709.
Another notable draft was offered by Mundoora Farming Co, Coleambally, NSW. Of its Angus cows, Scotts Angus-bld, redepastured to St Pauls bulls, with 8-12-week-old CAF, 15 first calver units sold for $1400; a further nine first calvers for $1300 and 9 second calvers for $1260.
The sale was quite strong, including of cows and calves that sold fully firm on current market rates, Pat Kindellan of Landmark said.
Steers were fully firm on last month's sale and the odd pen was slightly dearer, Mr Kindellan said.
"There were some processors acting and strong feedlot competition, that was backed up by strong local restocker competition," he said.
"The quality was good, we're lucky to still be at the peak of our season locally, and we could do with rain, but right at this moment, the feed is OK."
In the steer section, a single well-grown (505kg) Angus-cross weaner steer, offered by the BR&EC Lundstrom, made the sale's top-steer price of $875.
Tarabah Livestock Company, Tiverton, Holbrook, NSW, offered its annual feature draft of outstanding weaner cattle, consigning 452 EU accredited Hereford and Poll Hereford steers, 10-11mths, Wiruna-bld, made to $725 for a pen of 13 Hereford steers, 347kg, av $536.
Also with the white faces, AH Odewahn, Bona Vista, Walla Walla, NSW, offered 36 Poll Hereford steers, 14-14mths, Rotherford-bld, that made to $784 (for a pen of 17 Hereford steers, 437kg), av $767. Also on the account were 22 heifers, same breeding, 348kg, that made $540.
Marketing Services Benalla purchased Yammatree Family Trust's whole draft of 120 Angus and Angus-cross weaner steers, for a top-price of $640 (for a pen of 26 steers, 289kg), av $605.
P&L Olver offered mixed sex weaners including 31 Simmental-cross steers, Brewers Black-bld, which sold to $735 (for a pen of nine steers, 368kg) and av $609; and 32 heifers, both Simmental and Angus crosses to $595, av $538.
Hillcrest Plantations, similarly consigned mixed sex weaners including 28 Angus and Angus-cross steers, that sold to $640 (for a pen of 25 steers, 274kg) and one at 235kg for $420, two at 150kg for $380. Its 12 heifers, av weights 227-268kg, all made $440.
The top-priced heifer was a single Angus-cross, 545kg, offered by CB Macgill and WE Dugdale, which made $810.
Cocoran Parker's David Meehan agreed the market's strength was thanks to the good local season, as well as the "bit of confidence" in the beef job.
"People who had sold bullocks in the prime market for reasonable prices have come back to buy replacements."
