Wodonga female feature sale realised a top price of $4160

It was a yarding dominated by black cattle, prominent was the 420 head of Angus cows offered by Neville Watkins, Charlock Partnership, Charleroi, Victoria, and his son Adrian.

Adrian Watkin achieved the top price at $4020 for cows when he offered seven two and half year Angus/Freisian cows weighing 534kg with Keystone Limousin-blood calves.

Top price for heifers was $4160 paid for the pen of 16 Angus, weighing 596kg with five-six month Scotts Angus-blood calves and rejoined to Table Top Angus-bred sires, offered by JC and Y Jelbart, Burrumbuttock.

Representative sales included five Angus/Fresian cows two and half years, with Limousin calves and NSM sold by Brumby Hills, Everton, Vic, for $3760: S and K Livingston, Milbrulong, sold ten Ardrossan-blood Angus cows, second and third calvers with calves and NSM for $3040 and G and C Clift, Bundalong, Vic., sold 16 first calf Angus cows, 30-36 months with calves by Table Top Angus sires and rejoined to Angus bull for $3720.

Neville Watkins, Charlock Partnership, Charleroi, sold 16 Angus, three and half years with second calves by Raff Angus and rejoined to Angus bull for $3740: 16 Rennylea-blood Angus, two and half years, depastured to low birthweight (LBW) Table Top Angus bull for $3740 and 12 Banquet-blood Angus two and half years, weighing 668kg and depastured to LBW Table Top Angus bull for $3580.

Mr Watkins had a very even line of cattle penned according to their breeding and weight range, and he thought the prices he received for his offering were consistent throughout.

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But he was disappointed in the overall fall in the values offered.

"These prices are lower than last year, when we averaged $3900 each," he said.

"There isn't a big margin on these cattle when we have already bought their replacements."

Mr Watkins is well known at the Wodonga feature female sale for presenting very good lines of future breeders based on the maiden heifers he buys from reputable breeders.

In the pens of PTIC cows, HI and LA Hurley, Tallangatta Valley, Vic., sold 17 third calver Angus, joined to Cascade Angus bulls for $3020: Schoen Pastoral Co, Corowa, sold 10 Angus 2017 and '18 drop, weighing 720kg and joined to Aarden Angus bulls for $2900 and Shannon Falls Pastoral Co, Lankeys Creek, received $2575 for nine sixth-calver Angus weighing 697kg for $2575.

Brooklyn Pastoral, Mansfield, Vic, sold 13 black baldy rising two years and weighing 502kg, PTIC to Fernhill Angus for $2640: JMEIC Agriculture, Moorwatha, Vic, sold 15 black baldy weighing 531kg and PTIC to LBW Ardrossan Angus bull for $2600 and Maree Paton, Tallangatta, Vic., received $2600 for her pen of 12 black baldy two and half year heifers weighing 592kg and PTIC to Alpine Angus bulls.

Justin Keane, Corcoran Parker auctioneer, thought the top end of the market sold very well.

"Those with condition and breeding certainly attracted a lot of attention," he said.

"There was a tail and they were harder to move."

Mr Keane said the overall sale prices reflected a market correction seen recently at the weaner sales and in the prime markets.

"The females here today could have been back $500 on last year," he said.

"But there were areas of value for buyers and those joined cows were still good buying.

"They couldn't have been presented any better."

Local restockers competed with buyers from Gundagai, Hay, Corowa, Benalla and Myrtleford.