Community & Business
5 June, 2021
Stud cattle go well at Field Days
THE proposed cattle auction may not have gone ahead at this year's Field Day, but vendors and customers alike were more than pleased with the way things panned out.
THE proposed cattle auction may not have gone ahead at this year's Field Day, but vendors and customers alike were more than pleased with the way things panned out.
Barry and Kaye Osborne of Kenadon Brahmans, from the Daintree area reported a lot of interest in their cattle, especially on Friday, when the scheduled sale brought a large contingent of lookers through the cattle area.
It was the first time they had shown cattle at the event, but Mr Osborne said they would be back for the next one.
Shane Strazzeri of Barronessa Farming experienced a very successful few days, selling 4 bulls to Georgetown graziers Darren and Melissa Pedracini of Lornevale Station.
The Pedracinis paid to a top of $8,000 for two Charbrays, one Charolais and one Brangus bull. Mr Pedracini said he had visited Barronessa Farming last August during the Better Beef Open Day, which showcased the Tableland's premium cattle, and liked what he saw.
He and his wife returned to Mareeba to secure some of the cattle and put them to work at home.
“The 22 month old Brangus bull will go in as a replacement bull with a paddock of 300 grey cows and the 2 Charbrays will start work in a paddock running 500 red cows,” he said.
"I have been looking for a good Charolais bull for a while to put over a mob of Charbray heifers and 19 month old should be ideal. We will breed a few paddock bulls for our operation with him and will probably sell a few of the bulls to some our regular clients as well.
“I liked the look of these bulls, they are clean-coated, beefy and display excellent muscling. Their slick coats should work in their favour coping with the excess of ticks and flies we encounter in the far north.”
Pleased with the three days spent in Mareeba, Mr Strazzeri said his family had been bringing bulls to the event for about 14 years.
“It’s a great place to run into clients and being able to put our cattle in front of the region's cattle producers brings in new buyers and makes it easier for our repeat customers,” he said.
All of the vendors have experienced a lot of interest and it would be great if the auction did happen at the 2023 Field Day.
"We will have plenty of time to get organised for it next time and it should be a great success.”
A total of 11 studs had a variety of breeds, including Brahmans, Droughtmasters, Ultra Blacks, Murray Greys and Shorthorns on display.
The high quality and excellent temperament of the cattle made them a favourite with the crowds.
