QUALITY lines of Charolais and Charolais-cross lines were in hot demand at Toogoolawah on Friday during the annual weaner sale.
The sale saw 88 individual buyers fighting it out to take home a combined 5086 head of weaner steers and heifers.
Vince O’Brien from Shepherdson and Boyd said the team was extremely happy with the outcome of the sale.
“Although the sale was slightly down on last year we believe, by comparison to current market trends, it was an outstanding result for such a loyal band of vendors,” Mr O’Brien said.
Buyers travelled from Capella, Emerald, Warwick, Taroom, Crows Nest, Fassifern Valley, Beaudesert, Gayndah, Kilcoy, Kingaroy, Lockyer Valley and all points in between with some making their way north from Victoria to attend the infamous annual sale.
“What we have started here with this annual weaner sale, has remained highly successful due to the effort in breeding and presenting the cattle.”
Of the total number of cattle offered, 4124 were pre-inspected tick free.
“In excess of 2000 were delivered to tick free areas by midday Saturday to their respective destinations in clean country.”
Along with co-founding agent Dick Boyd and auctioneer Jock Fogg, Gayndah, Mr O'Brien thanked their loyal vendors for their attendance.
“The effort they go to to present their cattle in such high quality is what makes this sale the success it is.”
Among the total sold, more than 2000 head had been inoculated with the pneumonia prevention drug Bovi Shield.
“This has proven to be an outstanding success and was greatly appreciated by the large panel of repeat buyers who have purchased cattle in top health.”
Cattle were drawn from a large area including Gayndah, Maryborough, Canungra, Kilcoy, Boonah and all Brisbane Valley local areas.
The Brown family of Lyndhurst selling 217 Charolais-cross steers to average $1003.
Mr O’Brien said the steers were purchased by repeat buyers who have experienced the superb quality of Lyndhurst genetics from past weaner sales.
Judges Trent Radell, Taroom, and Ben Morgan, Morgan Pastoral Co, awarded the Brown family champion pen for both their Charolais-cross steer and heifer offering.
Volume buyers on the day included David and Leon Brennan and family who purchased 308 Charolais-cross steers for their Taroom property.
Trent Radel, Taroom, purchased 314 steers on behalf of members of the Radel family. Andrew Simmons, also of Taroom, purchased 359 steers and heifers with 459 weaner steers and heifers sold to repeat Victorian buyers to satisfy their appetite for quality Charolais-cross cattle.
Glenn Titmarsh and family, Tandora Grazing Company, Maryborough, trucked in 470 head of pasture-fattened Charolais-cross weaners for the sale and was pleased their line of cattle selling to return a top of $890 for four pens of heifers with their Limousin-cross heifers returning $900/head.
Tandora Grazing went on to sell the top priced pen of the day with 265 steers selling to a top of $1140/head to average $974.
The high quality steers were keenly sought after by a large band of repeat buyers who, Mr O’Brien said, will experience the ‘excellent growth’ of these cattle.
Heifers sold to a top of $1080 with vendors Alben and Helen Perrett, Perrett Traders, Jimna, selling their outstanding quality 8-month-old Simbras to the Gloag and Fogg families, Toogoolawah.
Winners of the day included John Barnes, Barnes Grazing Company, Crows Nest, who was judged the winner in the small vendors steer class for his pen of eight or more.
The pen went on to sell to Trent Radel, Taroom, to return $1000/head. Mr Radell also purchased steers from Garth and Toni Reiser, Oakvale, who earlier in the day had won their class for best pen of 10 or more, returning $1080/head at auction.
Also of note were 144 exceptional steers sold by Rob and Jenny Grieve of Paradise Grazing, Nanango, returning a top price of $1090 with the top 63 steers averaging $1065.