Heralding in the new financial year, saw Corcoran Parker, Elders and Landmark, offer 2210 cattle at Barnawartha.
Although this was their first market for 2018-2019 financial year, there was none of that EOFY competition.
While agents quoted the market a little dearer for steers, there were certainly no extremes that had been seen last week at some sales.
Opening the sale was a small selection of cows and calves. R&C Marsh from Binya, NSW, sold 30 pure Rockingham blood Santa Gertrudis cows with calves by Angus and Charolais bulls at foot.
Their prices may not reflect the bidding, but selling for $1600 for the top pen and $1275 for the next, which were significantly lighter in weight, was a good result.
A feature line of 132 yearling Hereford steers, offered by R&S Trethowan, Lindawarra, Cookardinia, NSW, were drafted into good even lines, and their condition was very good, having had some time on a crop.
Selling from $1260-$1365, all pens sold over 300c, and averaged 311c/kg lwt. Buyers of feeder steers were front and centre, but they didn’t have all their own way.
Most of the yearling steers weighed under 400kg, some selling to feedlots, the balance purchased mostly by local producers.
Weighing in at mostly 310-375kg, the balance of the steers, 12-14 months, sold between $915 and $1100. Liveweight prices equaled mostly 265-300c/kg.
Spring 2017 drop steers varied greatly in weight due to the poor season.
Bluedog Pastoral Co, Dri Dri Station, Hay, NSW, sold 75 Angus steers from $740-$1020.
While some sales of lighter weight steers did equal 320c, most sold to tempered demand, as their condition going through winter did not inspire competition, and many sold from 285-300c/kg lwt.
Roche Pastoral, Weeroona, Adelong, NSW, sold 37 Hereford steers, 248-340kgs, from $670-$915.
“Hellfire”, Holbrook, NSW, sold 47 Hereford steers, 11-12 months, from $760-$870.
Many breeds were noted - Charolais and their crosses, Limousin-Angus, Simmental-Angus, Speckle Park, Red Angus, and others all sold at similar rates.
One sale that stood out was 44 Black Simmental-Angus steers of S&P Macoun, Boongala, Peake Hill, NSW.
“We have had just over 50mm of rain for the year, and the steers would normally weigh 280-320kg so we had to sell them,” Stan Macoun said.
However, weighing from 143-200kg, and selling from $420-$700, the heaviest 44 head equaled over 350c/kg lwt.
Nixon Partnership, Mulwala, sold 27 yearling Hereford heifers (397kg) to the top price of $940.
P&A Sagliettie, Pokeen, Tarcombe, sold 49 Simmental-Hereford, Hereford, and Angus-Hereford heifers from $595-$730, most equaling in the mid 250c/kg lwt range.
G&D Macaulay, Huon, sold a range of 40 Angus and Angus cross heifers of varying age and weight.
The heifers’s liveweights were 176-279kg, and sold from $400-$630.