MOUNT GAMBIER FEMALES
Yarding: 999
Heifers with CAF to $2780
PTIC heifers to $1800
Cows with CAF to $1900
Unjoined heifers to $1500
PRICES failed to hit the extraordinary highs of last year at the annual Mount Gambier female sale on Monday, but the top-end heifers with calves at-foot still sold relatively well.
The top price for heifers with CAF was $2780, compared to $3240 last year.
Making the top price were seven black baldy heifers, aged 2.5-years-old, with four to six week-old Limousin CAF, from LD Mulraney, Yahl, sold to Pinkerton, Palm, Hamlyn and Steen.
The same vendor also sold seven, 2.5yo Angus-Freisian heifers with 4-6-week-old Limousin CAF for $2680, eight, 2.5yo black baldies with Limousin CAF for $2640 and eight Angus-Friesian heifers with CAF for $2500.
Both making $2600 for their heifers with CAF were M Phillips, Mount Gambier, with five, 2.5yo Angus-Friesians with Limousin CAF and MM&MW Patzel, 8 Mile Creek, with eight, 2.5yo Angus/Friesian heifers with Angus CAF, sold to Elders Bordertown.
Barr & James, Heywood, Vic, also sold near the top of the sale, with 11, 2yo Angus-Friesian heifers with Limousin-cross CAF making $2520.
Corinda Downs, Mingbool, sold 12 Simmental-Angus heifers with 2-6-week-old Black Simmental CAF for $2500 to Thomas, De Garis & Clarkson, as well as a further 12 heifers with 12 CAF for $2400 to Southern Australian Livestock Mount Gambier.
Topping the cows with CAF was D Henke, Mumbannar, Vic, with eight European Union-accredited cows, 3-4yo, with 8 CAF that made $1900.
Making $1800 with their cows with CAF were LR Kent, Lake Bonney, with two Angus-Herefords with two CAF.
BAJ&LK O’Connor, Dismal Swamp, sold five second-calver Angus cows with Angus CAF for $1780 to John Chay & Co.
Kent Props, Lake Bonney, topped the pregnancy-tested in-calf heifer section with nine, 2yo Hereford-Friesians heifers, PTIC to a Speckle Park bulls, due to calve in March, that made $1800. Last year PTIC heifers made to $2950.
Yarluke, Moorak, sold three Hereford-Friesian heifers, due to calve by the end of April to a Limousin bull, for $1700.
Last year only one pen of unjoined females was offered, but this year there was a good selection.
Topping the unjoined heifer section was Tildella, Wandilo, with six Hereford-Friesians, 14-15-months-old, sold for $1500. MM&MW Patzel sold 10 unjoined Angus-Friesian heifers for $1400.
Ray White Keatley Mount Gambier agent Sam O’Connor said it was a day of mixed results.
“Calved-down cows and heifers all sold quite well, but mated cattle were a bit flatter than expected,” he said.
“It does show a bit of uncertainty in the market at the moment.”
Mother and son Margaret and Brian Douglas, Mil Lel, snapped up a number of pens including 10, two-year-old Hereford-Friesian heifers, pregnancy-tested in-calf to a Speckle Park bull for $1650, from Kent Props, Lake Bonney, as well as another line of nine for the same price.
Landmark Hamilton, Vic, bought 13 Angus-Gelbvieh heifers, PTIC to an Angus bull, for $1620 from Springhill, Canunda, while Landmark Millicent purchased 19 rising 2yo Nampara-blood heifers, PTIC to a Lanark bull and due to calve from March 3, for $1680 from Wandilo Hill, Wandilo.