The sale produced a few respectable prices early, with a pen of eight Angus-Friesians in calf to a Limousin bull reaching $1225, but buying quickly tailed off to under $1000, with most later sales falling in the $700 to $900 range.

The handful of cows with calves at foot made from $850 to $960 and unjoined heifers topped at $700.

First-cross females are the result of crossing a dairy cow with a beef breed bull.  They are mated with another beef breed to produce calves for the beef market.

Agents said the cattle were in poorer condition than usual, having not fully recovered from lack of feed in autumn and winter, but they put the poor results down mainly to lack of competition in the vealer market.

Numbers offered were slightly down on the 1200 head expected.

Camperdown will hold first-cross female sales on Friday and Saturday.

Full results of yesterday’s sale will appear in On The Land on Thursday.