JAMIE BROWN – THE LAND
Santa Gertrudis/Hereford dominated the third day of weaner sales at Casino, during which a number of different Bos indicus over Hereford crosses created incredible excitement among buyers.
While steers did well, averaging $960 at 327 cents per kilogram and topping at $1381, it was the heifers that stole the show, particularly the ones with breeding potential, averaging $990 at 352c/kg topping at $1396.
Two former dairy farmers and their families from Upper Tooloom set the market alight, with much of their progeny heading west to Bellata to the MacCue family feedlot, “Wilga”.
Champion pens of Santa Gertrudis/ Hereford went to John and his wife Maree who averaged $1124 for steers at 300kg and $14 more for their heifers. They sold their first lots of steers to Mike Benn “Sunnyvale”, Warwick for $1381 with best heifers selling to repeat buyers Glenn, Diana and Hugh Donnelly, “Blue Dog Agriculture” Irvington via Casino, who paid 365c/kg at 378kg or $1381 for calves 10 months old and will eventually put them to Angus bulls.
Jim and Jan Smith, Townview via Urbenville, topped the store sale with their pen of heifers, illustrating the strength of the market for the right breeders. They averaged $1060 at 291kg across all their females and topped at $1396 for 372kg.
Many heifers from the Smiths were bought by the Fuhrmann family.
Townview steers made $1030 at 312kg on average and topped $1205 at 367kg.
John and Jan’s son Jamie and his wife Vanessa, Urbenville, sold steers that had not been creep fed on grain to an average of $1035 at 310kg to top at $1240 for 375kg.
Ian MacCue, “Wilga” Bellata said he was well pleased with the 239 head bought on Friday, through Bob Jamieson Agencies Inverell, with 177 going on feed after weaning and settling, with “Wilga” paying 327c/kg at 350kg or $1144.
Some 62 of those cattle, along with another 34 Charolais cross purchased the day before, from the Smith, Somerville, Fuhrmann and Boland families will go into the Royal Agricultural Society feedlot trials at Wilga from early May for export lines and from early June for domestic. For those lighter cattle “Wilga” paid 334c/kg at 310kg or $1035.
Despite cattle selling for 50c/kg dearer than some centres this week, was satisfied with the long lines from single vendors and the quality and quiet that came with them.
Scott Humphreys, “Wellbatch”, Mummulgum, sold pens of Santa Gertrudis/ Hereford steers, weaned for six weeks, which averaged 304kg at $1027 and topped at $1199 for 354kg at 345c/kg, selling to repeat buyer Greg Upton, Walcha, who requires steers to step straight into his grass fed regime. The weaned cattle, very quiet, gained a 15c/kg premium on the day according to buyers. Yulgibar Station was a first time purchaser for Wellbatch.
First Cross Brahman/ Hereford commanded a following on the day, with heifers to 404c/kg at 226kg or $914 from Darryl Amos, Old Bonalbo, going to Peter and Rhonda Wright, Lawrence, who will grow them out and put them to Charolais. Mr Amos averaged 338c/kg at 250kg across all his F1 Brahman/ Hereford heifers.
Geoff Yates, Mummulgum, bought 160 steers and 85 heifers, Santa/ Hereford and Brahman/ Hereford, which will head to his father-in-law’s property “Naturi” at Condamine where he says the first cross does extremely well on grass.
Darryl and Susie Summers, Mallanganee sold first cross Brahman/ Hereford heifers 335c/kg at 254kg to realise $852 topping at $1100 at 396c/kg with Peter Drayton, Lawrence and Noel Thompson Coraki contesting the bids.
Mr Drayton, who is re-building a fertile female line, also bid to 370c for a pen of beautiful Droughtmaster/ Hereford heifers from Ramtech Pastoral with Paul Fuhrmann, Mummulgum, the under bidder.
Scott Humphreys, “Wellbatch”, Mummulgum, with pens of well weaned Santa Gertrudis/ Hereford steers which averaged 304kg at $1027 and topped at $1199 for 354kg at 345c/kg.
Ian MacCue, “Wilga”, was the volume buyer on day three of the annual Casino weaner sales, seeking Santa gertrudis/ Hereford with his family’s Tookey Creek bloodlines for commercial production along with a few for next year’s RAS feedlot trial, which has proven a useful tool in the development of sensible cattle.
Kate Peterson and Scott Caithness, manager Tooloonki division of Yulgilbar Station.
Tweed cattlemen Gordon Quinn, Robert Brown and Ken Baker eyeing the spectacle of selling on the third and final day of Casino’s weaner sales, hosted by George and Fuhrmann.
Champion Santa Gertrudis/ Hereford weaners, steers, heifers and overall pens went to Jan and Jim Smith, Woodenbong, pictured with their grandchildren Harry Holden and Jack Smith.
Santa Gertrudis/Hereford dominated the third day of weaner sales at Casino, during which a number of different Bos indicus over Hereford crosses created incredible excitement among buyers.
The new selling pens at Casino were full of long lines, mainly Santa Gertrudis/ Hereford from the Smith families at Woodenbong and Urbenville, who have inspired the breeding of a new wave of suitable North Coast cattle.
