Janene and Scott McLellan’s oats crop finished bullocks topped the market at Dalby’s cattle sale on Wednesday.
The pen of prime Droughtmaster/Charolais-cross grown steers were from the McLellan family’s Munkora North property at The Gums on Queensland’s Western Downs region.
“We run a breeding herd of Droughtmaster cows and always put Andrew and Norah Cass’ ANC full-French Charolais bulls over our females,” Mrs McLellan said.
The family were extremely pleased with the 299 cents-a-kilogram price the bullocks made during Dalby’s weekly cattle sale.
Trading as Front Paddock Pastoral Co, the McLellan family’s pen of bullocks tipped the saleyards weigh scales at an average weight of 645 kilogram with the 299 cents-a-kilogram price achieved during the cattle auction resulting in a return to the vendor of $1932-a-head.
The McLellan family also sold a pen of Droughtmaster heifers to 253 cents-a kilogram, weighing 383 kilograms, and returning $969-a-head.
Plus, they also sold a pen of Droughtmaster cows to 233 cents-a-kilogram weighing 512 kilograms to return $1194-a-head.
“The cattle market prices have been a little softer recently due to a good supply of turn-off cattle in the drought, but this scattered rainfall has defiantly slightly lifted market prices,” Mrs McLellan said.
“We held onto these cattle to finish on the oats crop and the timing of selling them has worked out well this time.”
Mrs McLellan was quick to point out the 25 millimetres of rain they received across their property over the weekend was very welcome, but believes much of the rain across Queensland wasn’t drought breaking.
Overall at the Dalby cattle sale numbers increased slightly to 4145 head. According to Meat and Livestock Australia’s Trevor Hess the quality for the export slaughter cattle was “generally good”. Heavy grown steers and bullocks lifted by 5 cents and cows sold from 11c to 13c/kg dearer. Bullocks topped at 299c/kg up until QCL was published, while most sold from 260c to 289c/kg. Fat cows sold to a dearer trend, gaining 13c to make from 207c to 233c.
Read more: QLD producers receive mixed rainfall