SOME PRODUCERS do not prefer Angus cattle, and there was many of them at Barnawartha, Thursday, for the first of the colored cattle sales.
Corcoran Parker, Elders, and Landmark-Paull&Scollard offered a yarding of 6200 head, mostly of good to very good quality.
Starting at 9am, on a large penning of yearling steers, competition from processors for feeder steers was very strong.
A pen of heavy steers, 631 kilograms liveweight, topped the market at $1540, but it was the annual run of Hereford steers of McKoy & Sons Pastoral Company, “Ohio”, Holbrook, that gave the best indication of market strength.
Ravensworth, Teys-Cargill, Lady Smith, Westside Meats, and Sean McKenzie, were among the mix of buyers of feeder cattle.
Most of the McKoy steers, 378 to 509kgs, were purchased for grain feeding from $1065 to $1440, equaling 283 to 296c/kg lwt.
G&S Bawden, Holbrook, sold 80 Shorthorn and Shorthorn cross steers from $1000 to $1370, also for grain feeding.
However, there were many drafts steers, and heifers, purchased for grain feeding.
Competition came from Bathurst and Narrabri in New South Wales, plus some producers and feedlots, Tasmania, again featured in this sale, and good numbers of steers were purchased for live export.
Demand for all weights and grades of steer and heifer calves was very good.
Excellent quality was seen in all breeds, which included Herefords, and their crosses, Charolais, Limousin, Simmental, and some Bos Indicus cattle too.
It is fair to say that there was some differences seen between weaned and non weaned steers and heifers, but this was not always the case.
Top of the weaned steers was McKillop Past Co, Dederang, for their 17 Angus-Hereford steers, 368kgs, that made $1275.
These were closely followed by Rangan Charolais, Charleroi, for 16 steers that made $1250.
M&E Turner, Red Bluff, were awarded the Best Presented pen by the Charolais Society, and the Rural Bank, for 19 steers, Rangan Charolais blood, that made $1165.
Many of the steers sold between $1000 and $1200 with liveweight price equivalents from 295 to 345c/kg.
Sleigh Pastoral, Ruffy, was awarded the best presented pen of Hereford steers, by the Hereford Society. Their 110 steers sold between $750 for young steers to $1070.
Overall, there was more competition for European breeds this year with Live export putting a good floor in the market for steers 290 to 340kgs.
RG McCall & Sons, Daysdale, sold 105 EU Accredited Simmental cross steers from $860 to $1140.
Several producers sold EU accredited steers and heifers, and while some were kept in the EU system, there was not a lot of preference for these.
A big part of this sale was the large number of heifers penned, many of which were yearling and younger heifers in very good condition.
Competition for feeder heifers was solid, and many of the yearling heifers were purchased for grain feeding.
Many of these quality heifers sold from $1000 to $1200, equaling 265 to 285c/kg lwt.
A&M Palmer, Sandy Creek, sold 13 Santa-Angus heifers for $1200, and GJ Hore, Wymah, 15 Hereford heifers for $1130. Most of these older heifers were purchased by a producer for grain feeding.
A large percentage of the heifer calves sold between $750 and $990, equaling 250 to 284c/kg.
M&E Turner sold their Charolais heifers for $990, and Blue Range, Bridge Creek, 77 Angus-Hereford heifers from $750 to $880.
There were excellent sales seen in all breeds of heifers, and all producers spoken to were very happy with their results.