If there was any doubt that Euro-cross cattle are commanding the pick of bids this season then look no further than Casino's sale on Thursday, where 3080 head went under the hammer.
Officially day two of the annual George and Fuhrmann mixed-breed weaner sales, Queensland buyers dominated the show paying up to $1362 for best weight-for-age steers and $1143 for heifers.
Rows of even honey-coloured Charolais cross and broken bald-faced Simmental cross, both typically put to Hereford cross cows, were visually the most impressive and got the chins of Queensland buyers wagging.
Charolais cross steers dominated the yarding with 1135 on offer to average 393 cents kilogram or $1130, reaching a top of 422c/kg and $1362.
Their sisters, 898hd, averaged 325.5c/kg or $893 with peak bids reaching 348c/kg and $1143.
Simmental cross steers, 415hd, averaged 387c/kg or $1050, with the tops making 426c/kg and $1309.
The Simmental heifers, 282hd, averaged 318c/kg or $824 with the tops bringing 336c/kg and $1016.
A small offering of Angus cross steers averaged 365c/kg or $936 reaching 386c/kg and $1353 with the heifers averaging 255.6c/kg or $600 and selling to 302c/kg and $895.
Limousin cross steers averaged 372c/kg and $1004 reaching 400c/kg and $1258, with the heifers averaging 313c/kg or $783 selling to tops of 322c/kg and $959.
Charolais over Brahman/Hereford Fuhrmann family steers off Melaleuca, south of Casino, sold to a top of $1255 for 337kg at 372c/kg with their lighter brothers 263kg making 414c/kg or $1095.
Melaleuca heifers of the same cross averaged 326c/kg for 280kg or $913.
The lead pen of those Charolais cross heifers off Paul and Jenny Fuhrmann's Mummulgum property brought 348c/kg for 250 to 275kg and went to Alexander Downs at Merriwa.
In general buyers reported that the sale lifted the heifer job by 40c/kg over the previous week.
Volume buyers Brody and Vickie Budd, Cooaga at Wandoan, Qld, came away with 500 calves to background on buffel grass ahead of induction into their own feedlot.
Grant Daniel Long at Meandarra, Qld, bought 450 calves from the same sale while Scott Hawkins, Speculation at Taroom took home 105 calves to background on buffel grass.
The Charters family, East Coraki and Wyrallah, sold 68 steers and heifers, Charolais over Hereford and Simmental cross, to average $1048 a head.
Top priced steers, 345kg, made 358c/kg or $1235. Their best heifers, 336kg, made 308c/kg or $1034.
Weight was solid this year, as cattle came off floodplain country that handled the dry spring. Two years ago it was severely flooded and the family still occupies a converted shed, awaiting repairs to their house. Their herd is still in rebuild.
"But we can't complain," said Mr Charters. "We've had a pretty good season."
Ron and Colleen Dean, Mallanganee, sold 81 Simmental/Hereford cross steers to average $1025 at 271kg. Their top pen brought $1245 at 375kg for 332c/kg.
Calves this year weighed similar to those from last year with the big difference being a top price in 2023 of 405c/kg and an average that made $200 more.
From Crystal Creek on the Tweed, the McCabe family's Charolais cross steers, also from first-cross Brahman/Hereford cows, sold to 418c/kg for 211.4kg or $883 going to Wandoan, Qld.
Their sisters averaged 330c/kg for 262.4kg or $866, going to Theodore, Qld.
The Bailey family, Rappville, topped the Limousin cross section with a pen of Limousin over Brahman cross, 357.5kg making 352c/kg or $1258 going onto buffel grass country
Ross McQueen, Wiangaree via Kyogle, sold Simmental/Charbray steers to average $1095, with the heaviest pen tipping the scales at 305kg, and lighter heifers to $777.
"I'm happy with the cross-breed I've got as it's suited to the market at present," Mr McQueen said.
Tim and Anna Gilliland, Doon Doon inside the Mount Warning Caldera, have had to manage a very wet summer with tricky pasture conditions and were pleased that their black Limousin/Sangus steers delivered 276.3kg of weight for 380c/kg or $1049.
The sale was hosted by George and Fuhrmann, Casino.
