Prices at the South Australian Naracoorte combined agents' pregnancy-tested-in-calf female sale were always going to come off last year's records with weaners making $500-$600 less than the previous year, but the falls were less than many expected.
In the breakdown 770 PTIC heifers topped at $3540 and averaged $3077, the 302 PTIC cows sold to a $3520 high and averaged $2643 and 54 cows with 57 calves topped at $3640 and averaged $3351
TDC Livestock & Property's Jamie Gray said the "better bred types" at the annual feature sale were only $200 off the pace of 2022's sale but the lesser types and all lines of coloured cattle were back $500-$600.
"Most of the black heifers were in that $3000-$3300 price range but we got back on the red heifers and they were a bit of an eye opener ," he said.
"They were back at that $2700-$2900...I thought they were very good buying."
Mr Gray also noticed a couple of hundred dollar premium for those females with a short six to eight week joining compared to those which had been depastured with bulls for longer.
Kennion Pastoral, Furner, received the sale's top money of $3640 for five Angus cows with four month old Simmental calves.
The Hazeldean and Rellum Farm bloods were bought by Elders Bordertown.
Fourteen Angus first calvers with June 2022 drop calves- from The Belt, Millicent, made $3620.
Two outstanding drafts from- the Hann family, Nampara Pastoral Company, Lucindale and Michael Mattei, Williup, Hynam, produced most of the highlights in the mated heifer section.
Nampara Pastoral Company's 220 Angus and Simmental-Angus heifers topped at $3540 and averaged $3292.
Many of the largely February and March drop heifers were bought as weaners from western Vic and South East sales but their highest priced pen were bred from their own Simmental-Angus cows.
This pen sold to Elders Naracoorte's Alan Thomson on behalf of client Guthrie Farms, Dean, Vic.
Nampara's heifers were all joined for six weeks to stud bulls which will be offered in their annual on-property bull sale next month.
"It was the most even draft and a lot more of the cattle we have bought are by our bulls," vendor Stuart Hann said.
It was a busy day for the Hann family selling another 238 heifers in Mortlake, Vic, on the same day.
They topped at $4000 and averaged about $40 more than the Naracoorte consignment.
Mr Hann said they were pleased with the result and seeing so many of the cattle bought by the same agents each year
"We were a bit spooked after the first sale of the new year that the heifer job may really come off but it was a good result," Mr Hann said.
"It is getting harder to get sheep shorn so instead of buying another couple of hundred ewes they are looking at buying 20 cows.
"We are lucky enough to be able to present big lines of cattle with evenness in the pens and hopefully people know that have a relatively sound product "
Williup presented a tremendous draft of 181 Angus heifers which were clearly placarded where they had been bought from as weaners.
HB Rural, Warnertown, buying through Nutrien Jamestown, secured about 60 of these heifers including the vendor's $3440 highest priced heifers.
The 26 head -sold over two pens -had been bought as weaners from the Muster family, Mundulla and were in-calf to low birth weight JB Angus bulls.
Also among the high prices Williup sold 14 March/April drop Angus ex Karana for $3400.
Neil Engler, Engler Enterprises had a well-bred draft of 50 EU accredited, Engler bld Angus from his Thornlea property which topped at the same money.
The first 11 sold to TDC account SL Childs They were all PTIC to Engler bld bulls and due to calve from late February.
IK&SM Agnew, Penola, who have recently sold their property, received some of the best prices for in-calf cow section.
Fifteen four-year-old Wimberina Angus blds which were in calf to a Warrawindi Limousin bull made $3520 to TDC account Yallum Park.
PPHS auctioneer Josh Manser said mated heifer prices were $200 to $300 better than they were expecting but "quality always sell".
"The older cows had a premium to the meat market but having said that there was still a good opportunity to make money from a trade even at current rates," he said.
Mr Manser said the draft from his client Williup had sold extremely well with the vendors building up a good reputation for buying quality weaners and then presenting them well as mated females.
"People know they will be here every year and they also see the quality he buys 12 months prior," he said.
