STORE cattle prices remained steady for a mixed yarding of 800 head at Wangaratta today.
Bidding reached a top of $1230 for a feature line of Hereford Friesian-cross heifers, not rejoined and with young Blonde deAtquatane calves.The vealer outfits were dispersed by Derek and Mary Burgess, Lima, to focus on their dairy herd.
And in a positive sign for the specialist F1 female sales to be held in the New Year, two pens of pregnancy tested Angus Friesian-cross heifers from local producer Kevin Wolfell sold to $1200.
The two-and-a-half-year-old heifers, due to calve in the early autumn to Limousin bulls, were exceptionally well-grown and presented, with one onlooker commenting that you "probably wouldn't see them much bigger".
They were the stand-out female cattle in the yarding, and after this prices did fluctuate depending on quality.
At the lower end there was joined Hereford heifers, plain types, that sold down to $490 and small pen lots of cows and calves down to $680.
The best price for steers was $754 for 14 Angus Shorthorn-cross, aged about 14-months and with a displayed weight of 434kg, that sold for $745 (171c/kg).
The top lines of weaner steers sold from $600 to $650, with local agents keeping a solid floor in the market.
Indeed being a smaller yarding on the eve of the Christmas break, competition was mainly restricted to buyers from the local Wangaratta and Wodonga areas.
