THE wet weather saw some vendors withdraw cattle from the Wodonga special store cattle sale on Thursday.
The yarding of about 1700 head started with about a dozen pens of cows and calves, many of which were of plain quality, according to Brian Unthank Rural’s Michael Unthank.
There were high quality exceptions, including a pen of five Angus cows with autumn drop calves at-foot consigned by Rob Leaver of Torrumbarry that achieved the sale’s top price for the units of $1150.
The joined cows and heifers tended to be better quality, Mr Unthank said.
The top price for joined females was for a pen of seven Angus heifers, Table Top bld, depastured to a stud Kiaglen Angus bull pregnancy-tested in-calf (PTIC) to calve from early August, consigned by AM Beard, Benerembah, NSW, which sold for $965/head.
Other notable joined pens included ten second-calver Angus cows PTIC to an Augus bull to also calve from August, offered by JG&V Bond, Wyandra, Tooma, NSW, which fetched $890.
There was a good run of steers, with prices overall being about firm and ranging $550 to $750, according to Paull & Scollard’s Luke Deimel.
A run of about 170 Angus steers, account Yanipe of Mountain Creek, NSW, was a feature of the sale, Mr Deimel said.
The run sold to $715 to a local restocker who plans to grow them out to bullocks. The second draft sold up to $660, Mr Deimel said.
The better bred Angus steers made 200 to 200 cents a kilogram, he said.
A run of 22 Hereford 10 months, weaned and drenched 5 in 1 steers that sold for $760/head offered by FE&JF McCormack of Bullioh that made the equivalent of 210-230c/kg, Mr Unthank said.
Heifers were dearer than the last Wodonga store sale a fortnight ago, with the many pens making 160-180c/kg, compared to 150-165c/kg last sale, he said.
Allan Heinecke of Torrumbarry sold a pen of 13 Hereford steers for $750, and his next pen of 17 made $730.
“There was a bit more competition for heifers with a few lotfeeders operating on them and pushing up demand,” Mr Deimel said.
This made price firm to a bit dearer, with most heifers making 160 to 180c/kg.
The top-price heifers were 22 Angus heifers a/c Koornong Pty Ltd, which made $695. The vendor also had another 23 Angus heifers that made $615.
Despite the area being “wet and wintry”, there was good local competition at the sale, with Upper Murray region restockers and backgrounders being well represented among the buyers, Mr Unthank said.
A few buyers for feedlots operated in the heavier end of the cattle, he said.
