Kindee weaners top 210c/kg

The principals of Kindee Pastoral Company offloaded nearly 2000 Santa, Shorthorn, Charolais-cross weaners through the Roma store sale on Tuesday, including a line of PTIC heifers.

The maiden heifers sold well at about $700/head but it was cold comfort for Ian Murray.

“We haven’t had to sell pregnant females in more than forty years and I certainly didn’t like doing it,” Mr Murray said.

“Once you select your heifers and join them to the bull it’s a backwards step to sell them.

“But the season is just getting worse on our properties so we had no choice.”

The Murray family offloaded 356 heifers and 394 steers from their Injune property, Muya along with 588 heifers and 603 steers from Cowangah, Taroom.

Averaging 244kg, the Muya heifers topped at 170c/kg and averaged 150c/kg to return $451/head while 394 steers averaging 220kg topped at 210c/kg and averaged 203c/kg to return $548/head.

Meanwhile 603 steers averaging 285kg from Cowangah, Taroom, reached 210c/kg and returned an average of $585 while 588 heifers from the same property averaged 151c/kg to return $405/head.

Speaking to Queensland Country Life after the sale of the steers, Ian Murray said he was pleased with how the sale was progressing.

“I was hoping we’d scratch $2 for the steers so we are about 10c/kg above where I was hoping to be,” he said.

Selling agent, Brad Neven, Watkins and Co, said the vast majority of the Kindee cattle were purchased by NSW buyers.

“We targeting our marketing program to NSW this year and it seems to have paid off,” he said.

“Those buyers are prepared to come up and pay above market rates for quality cattle like that.”

Tuesday marked the first Roma store sale of the new financial year and drew a large yarding of 10,200 head.

A highlight of the sale was the annual offering of JJS Grazing weaners from Injune’s Shaw family, also through Watkins and Co.

The Shaw family sold 465 Angus steers averaging 274kg for a top of 223c/kg and an average of 220c/kg to return $603/head. The Shaw's also sold 255 Angus-cross heifers averaging 248kg for a top of 218c/kg or 210c/kg or $520/head.