WITH the cattle market still moving along nicely, the first Elders Boyanup weaner sale for 2017 is not to be missed.
The sale on Wednesday, January 11 at 1pm, will feature plenty of quality weaners including the first drafts of calves from a number of operations.
The Elders South West team expects to yard about 600 weaners in the sale, which will have all been weaned for a minimum of 14 days.
The quality line-up of weaned calves will suit a range of buyers including backgrounders, lotfeeders and grass fatteners as there will be a good range of weights in the calves and breeds.
Breeds to feature in the sale will include Angus, Murray Grey, Simmental, Black Simmental, Charolais, Red Angus, Limousin and their crosses.
Elders South West livestock manager Michael Carroll said for their first weaner sale for the season at Boyanup there will be a great mix of both British bred and Euro cross weaners coming in.
"All of the weaners have been weaned for a minimum 14 days meaning they are ready to fit into any operation whether it be grain or grass finishing," Mr Carroll said.
"There will also be a wide range of weights which will suit a range of buyers from graziers/backgrounders to lotfeeders and exporters."
Among the feature drafts in the sale will be the large, annual draft of Murray Grey and Black Simmental-Murray Grey cross weaners from Robert Bass and Kerry Pinch, RP Bass & KR Pinch, Boyup Brook.
They will offer a total of 95 mixed-sex weaners - 45 pure Murray Greys and 40 Black Simmental-Murray Grey cross and it will be their first draft for the season.
The impressive line of calves are from the pair's breeding herd of 120 Murray Grey breeders based on Southend bloodlines.
Mr Bass said they had been buying Murray Grey bulls from the Southend stud at Katanning for 15 years and pure Murray Grey calves were based totally on Southend bloodlines.
The Black Simmental-Murray Grey cross calves are sired by a Bonnydale Black Simmental bull.
"This is the second drop of Black Simmental-cross calves we have had and I am very impressed with the cross," Mr Bass said.
"We are getting some good hybrid vigour in the calves and good weight gains."
The calves will be heavier than normal due to the season, with the Murray Greys expecting to average about 340kg, while the Black Simmental-Murray Grey cross calves will be slightly heavier with a 370-380kg average.
The extremely quiet calves are March/April drop and were yard-weaned on December 26.
In terms of health treatments the calves were drenched and received a selenium/colbalt injection in September.
Forrest Beach producer David Forrest, CM & DJ Forrest, will also contribute numbers to the sale when he trucks in 48 Charolais cross calves.
The February/March drop calves are sired by Bardoo Charolais bulls and out of Angus-Friesian and Murray Grey-Friesian first-cross cows.
Elders Capel representative Robert Gibbings said they are a nice line of calves which will present well in the yards.
"The best of the steers will weigh between 380-400kg, while the tops of the heifers will be around the 360-370kg mark," Mr Gibbings said.
This line of calves will be weaned for more than a month come sale day and have been vaccinated with 5in1.
There will be a couple of other lines of Charolais-sired calves in the sale and these will include 28 Charolais-Angus cross mixed sex calves from DLP Grazing, Waroona.
Other vendors of Charolais cross calves will be M Piantoni, Collie, with 30 Charolais cross mixed sex weaners; Saunders Beach, Donnybrook, will truck in 25 Charolais cross mixed sex weaners, while J & L Kirkwood have nominated 12 Charolais-Murray Grey cross mixed sex weaners.
If buyers are looking for some nice, well-grown, red calves then a line of 16 Simmental-Red Angus cross mixed sex weaners from Michael Howe, Gemhurst Pty Ltd, Dardanup, will fit the bill.
The classy line of March and April drop calves are sired by a Bandeeka Simmental bull and out of Red Angus cows.
The calves were weaned in mid-December.
There will also be 14 Red Angus steers from BR & KP McCullagh, Cowaramup.
Brogate Pty Ltd and BJ & RJ Feutril, Busselton, will both have a few pens on offer in the sale.
Brograte has nominated 30 Murray Grey-Angus cross, mixed-sex weaners, while the Feutrills will offer 25 Angus mixed-sex weaners.
Another quality line worthy of inspection will be 14 Angus-Limousin cross mixed-sex calves from Pat Terpstra, Waroona.
p For further information on the sale contact Michael Carroll 0427 975 620.
Jodie Rintoul
Farm Weekly's livestock manager.
Farm Weekly's livestock manager.
