In spite of concerns over fires, continued drought conditions and stock water shortages, prices for cows and calves topped at $2500 at the Wodonga annual feature female sale.
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Combined agents penned just under 1900 cattle that were in excellent condition and presented well for a large crowd of buyers.
The promise of quality cattle attracted a large crowd of buyers with local areas, Gippsland, western and central Victoria and the Goulburn Valley supported by orders from NSW.
The feature of the sale were the regular drafts of females from Michael Garvey, Chiltern, Neville Watkins, Charlock, Charleroi, and a herd dispersal of Arthur Trethowan, Culbara, Woomargama.
The Garvey cows and calves topped at $2500 for a pen of 11 Angus cows, second calvers, Welcome Swallow blood and redepastured to Rennylea bulls, wit calves 2-3 months at foot. Of the Garvey cows and calves another pen of eight, Jerobee blood cows, sold for $2000.
The Garveys also sold cow and calf units between $1850 and $1975.
Other cow and calf units to make $2000 included a line of 13 Angus/Friesian-cross, sold account A Watkins.
K & WM Bucholtz, Rutherglen, sold 11 Angus heifers, 3.5 years, with calves at foot, for $2000. A second line of 21 from the same vendor sold for $1480.
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Funny Hill, Binda, NSW, sold a draft of Angus heifers with calves at foot that made to $1760.
The first draft of the Garvey heifers, 2.5 years, Myanga bred and pregnancy tested in calf, went for $1900 for 34. Other lines same vendor same description sold for $1700.
Michael Garvey said he had been selling at this sale for 12 years.
"I only trade cattle. I buy at all different times during the year, from May to August. I buy heifers, join them, calve them and then resell," he said.
Neville Watkins, Charnock Partnership heifers were next up. Five pens of 15 each selling to $1980. These heifers were 2.5 years, and bred by the Evans family, Tatong. The Te Mania blood heifers, were joined to a Table Top Angus bull.
The same vendor sold lines of heifers bred by Mount Raven for $1480 to $1820.
"Fattening cattle has been better but we're not ones to chop and change, it will turn around and the heifer job is going to be very strong once we get some rain," Mr Watkins said.
Paull and Scollard Landmark livestock sales consultant Tim Robinson, Albury, said the Garvey cattle were an exceptional line of presented stock.
"I think a feature today was the two Hereford dispersals. There were a lot of people that came to have a look at the Trethowan stock and a lot of very highly reputed Hereford herds competed on those cattle in obviously very trying conditions, season wise," he said.
"The best of the PTIC heifers made just under $2000 back down to $1100-$1200 on the plainer, lighter heifers."
"Overall it's probably similar prices to this time last year, but the environment is a whole lot more challenging, obviously with so many areas affected by bushfire."
"They were probably the areas that had feed and we were expecting and hoping for competition out of those areas. It's certainly put a lot of pressure on the drawing of buyers for the sale but I think we've had a really solid outcome."
"There were only one or two lines of store calves here, they were probably displaced due to the fires, I think they sold okay."
The dispersal of Arthur Trethowan's Hereford herd saw prices peak at $2000 for a pen of 16 with three aditional pens selling between $1780 and $1910.
A pen of 10 second calvers, PTIC to Mawarra bulls sold for $1950. Three further pens, same vendor same description sold between $1740 and $1860. The vendors third calvers sold in two lots for $1880 and $1820.
Mr Trethowan, who has changed enterprises to steers, said he was happy with how they sold.
LV Corrigan & Co, Glenruben Angus, Woomargama, NSW, forwarded an annual draft of heifers. The draft of 22-23 month old heifers, PTIC, sold to a top of $1710 for 18 while a further pen of 16 sold for $1550.
MG Neilson, Moongarah, Sandy Creek, sold a pen of 17 heifers, 21-22 months, Alpine Angus blood and PTIC, for $1670.
RS Whytlaw, Warramong, Mollyullah, sold a draft of heifers, rising two years, in three pens, for between $1450 and $1650.
Hyland Herefords, Cootamundra, NSW, sold Hereford cows, 2014/15-drop, with calves at foot, for $2090 for a pen of 16. Pens of 2016-drop cows with calves at foot sold from $1850 to $2050 and autumn calvers from 1550 to $1820.