RESTOCKERS were the winners at Tuesdays Dubbo goat sale but they had to pay higher prices to secure what they could buy in the smaller yarding on some 900 head.
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Overall values jumped from $10 to $15 a head on average above the previous sale last November, which was also a dearer sale than the August prior.
PT Lord Dakin and Associates' Joe Portelli, said the demand for younger restocker-type goats was very strong making up to $120 a head.
"Meat goats were at least $5 to $10 dearer and received strong restocker activity among feedlotters and particularly graziers who were vying for nannies, which helped push butchers along too," Mr Portelli said.
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"There were blokes chasing lighter-weight goats as an alternative grazing and fattening course as they were finding it hard to buy store lambs or sheep."
Mr Portelli said kid goats ranged in price from $50 to $120 to average $85 while young Boer wethers sold from $100 to $180 with extra-heavy Boer wethers selling from $150 to $300.
"Bush billies made from $100 with a special rare offering of several larger, older billies fetching $295.
"Boer nannies sold from $150 to $290 while bush nannies sold from $65 to $130."
Rob Harris and son, George, Bangalay North, Coonabarabran, found competition strong for does, but sold their 40 young Boer-crosses for good money.
Eight bush bucks made $160 each, 28 young Boer-cross bucks sold at $116 and six young mixed-sex kids fetched $70 a head.
And while prices have stayed strong - over the hooks price last Friday was quoted at 813 cents a kilogram carcase weight average, according to Mr Portelli, there were graziers in the far west concentrating on bush goats which, he said were easier to manage than sheep if properties were set up for goats.
"Goat values are holding as there are fewer about due to harvesting in the drought, and now with more pasture availability, herds are not concentrating around waterholes making it harder for people to harvest," he said.
"The money is there and goat meat is the most eaten meat in the world, and Australia is a big exporter, so I think that will stay strong."
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