Mountain cattle work for Arthur at Lancefield

Buying cattle from a sale more than 420km is paying off for Lancefield farmer Arthur Angliss.

Arthur Angliss bought cattle from the High country cattle sales recently at Ensay.

Buying cattle from a sale more than 420km away is worth it for Arthur Angliss.

The Lancefield-based farmer purchased the top pen of Barry Newcomen’s Hereford steers for $1590 at the Ensay mountain calf sale in early March.

And Arthur said he buys at the famed Mountain Calf sales every year because of the quality of the cattle and how well they do coming out of the mountain country.

“I’ve bought the Newcomen steers for probably going on 30 years, and I have always bought our steers there. I have bred Herefords all my life, but I find they out-do all the other breeds anyway,” Arthur said.

Arthur only purchased 10 steers this year, compared to his 60-100 steers he normally buys.

“It’s the smallest number I have bought for a long time, but I have a few other projects on the go and had to reduce my workload.”

Arthur only purchased 10 steers this year, compared to his usual 60-100.

The steers would be fattened and turned-off at about two-years-old and 750kg. They will be sold direct to meatworks.

“We usually hold and fatten them for about 12 months, so we aim to sell them around March.”

Arthur said he paid about the same price for the steers as the 2024 sales.

“I was thinking I’d have to pay about 400c/kg and they were just under that.”

He said the season was OK but he would have enough grass to get through with only a small number of cattle on.

He also has irrigation and produces lucerne hay and silage to sell.

“I have feed there if I need it, but we got about 38mm of rain a fortnight ago and it shot the grass, so there is feed in the paddocks.”