Inclement weather and a soft prime cattle market may have kept some buyers away from the inaugural Autumn Feeder and Weaner Sale at Dubbo last Friday, but there was still decent money around for quality lots with separate pens of Angus weaner steers and Limousin weaner steers reaching $1250 a head.
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A solid yarding of 1885 head went on offer at the first-time sale with strong local support complemented by support from feeders and backgrounders north of the border, producing results similar to comparative recent sales.
The sale was dominated by offerings of Angus which provided 48.8 per cent of the run, with 10.8pc Bos Indicus-cross, and Limousin-cross the other significant contributor. There were 776 weaner steers offered, 697 weaner heifers, 311 yearling steers and 31 yearling heifers.
The sale began with a pen of 14 Angus yearling steers weighing 340kg and selling to $1240 (364.7 cents a kilogram).
Offered by Heath Yeo Pastoral, Dubbo, the top pen of yearling steers was bought by Elders Dubbo and will likely be making their way onto another local property for finishing.
In that 330kg to 400kg weight range, in all 61 Angus steers sold ranging in price from the $1240 top to a low of $1080 (291.9c/kg) and averaging $1167 (328.7c/kg).
The Brahman and Bos Indicus-cross yearling steers sold from $750 (220.4c/kg) to $1190 (275.2c/kg), while a pen of 18 Limousin-cross yearling steers sold to $1180 (287.8c/kg).
Weaner steers in the 330kg plus weight range sold from $800 (238.1c/kg) for a pen of 17 Droughtmasters to a top of $1250 for the pen of 17 Angus (373.1c/kg) and the pen of Limousin (362.3c/kg).
The two top priced pens of weaner steers were both bought by Schubert Boers, Lavington, for a northern lot feeder and were offered by Hedley and Jenny Baker, Lucklands, Neilrex.
In the younger heifers, a run of 77 Angus up to 200kg sold to $465 (262.9c/kg) and a minimum of $380 (205.4c/kg). A run of 41 Charolais weaner heifers topped the prices for the 200kg and 280kg weight range, securing an $820 top, while the heavier Angus heifers, weighing 305kg, reached a top of $1000 (327.9c/kg).
A total of 255 Angus weaner heifers, weighing between 200kg and 280kg, sold to a top of $710 (295.3c/kg) and a low of $460 (191.7c/kg).
Weighing in at about 340kg, a pen of 10 Shorthorn weaner heifers sold to $770 (229.9c/kg), purchased by Schubert Boers.
Given the cold, wet weather, and the softening prime cattle market, things went pretty well for the first time holding this sale.
- Danny Tink, Peter Milling and Company, Dubbo
The heifer yearlings sold from $700 (210.8c/kg) for nine Santa Gertrudis-cross heifers to $1270 (302.4c/kg) for three Limousins.
One of the selling agents, Danny Tink, Peter Milling and Company, Dubbo, said the day went about as good as can be expected.
"Given the cold, wet weather, and softening prime cattle market, things went pretty well for the first time holding this sale," he said.
"There was still demand for quality cattle and that showed in some of the competition for lots."
Meat & Livestock Australia reporter David Monk said there was a good crowd on hand with solid support from Queensland feeders and backgrounders along with good support from local and Central Tableland buyers.
