WEANERS filled the yards at the Muchea Livestock Centre on Friday, December 14, for a special Primaries and S & C Livestock combined agents weaner sale.
The heat didn’t detract buyers from coming along to the sale in order to compete on the yarded heifers and steers, the majority of which were in the medium to heavyweight categories.
The total yarding was 1519 head of which 578 were catalogued in the Primaries sheets, with these selling to a top price of 322c/kg and $1126.
In the Primaries yarding, the majority of the cattle on offer were British breed types as plenty of pens filled with sleek coated, well grown Angus calves, though Euro and Euro cross types made their presence felt with consistent prices achieved throughout the sale.
By the conclusion of bidding, the Primaries yarding had reached a gross of $461,072, with the average price paid per head sitting at 283c/kg and $798.
The steer yarding totalled 310 head, fetching an average price of $893, with prices ranging between 260c/kg-322c/kg and $542-$1126.
In the 268-head heifer yarding, which averaged $688, prices ranged between 226c/kg-292c/kg and $404-$902.
The sale started off strong, with the champion pen of steers in the Primaries yarding kicking off the day of selling.
Offered by GJ & M Read, Gingin, the pen of eight heavy Simmental cross steers that weighed an average of 395kg were judged to be the stand-out pen, earning the vendors five litres of Toromec drench donated by Primaries.
These were the first to go under the hammer and fetched a top bid of 285c/kg from Kalgrains, costing $1126 to be the top-priced pen of the overall Primaries yarding.
A second pen of the same line, weighing 351kg, was also bought by Kalgrains for 288c/kg and $1010.
Ten well bred Charolais steers that weighed 349kg were offered by the estate of Lesley Millner, Wooroloo and stood out early on making 298c/kg and $1041, when Livestock Shipping Services (LSS) got into the bidding early.
Also selling well early in the sale were some sleek Angus calves from GA & SA Gifford, Gingin, with their first pen of six steers weighing 384kg selling to Kalgrains for 286c/kg and $1099, followed immediately by a pen of eight which realised 288c/kg and $1035 and were bought by Ucarty Holdings.
By the sale’s end 70 Angus and Murray Grey steers had been offered by the Gifford account, selling to a top of 306c/kg for a pen of 12 Angus weighing 280kg.
A few pens further down the line was the first pen of the day offered by the biggest vendor in the Primaries catalogue, Riverwind Pty Ltd, which also sold to Ucarty after its pen of 18 Angus steers, which weighed 316kg, attracted a final bid of 298c/kg and $942.
All up, Riverwind offered 101 head during the sale, including 59 steers and 42 heifers, which were divided between a range of buying accounts including feedlots.
The highest price paid for Riverwind steers was 316c/kg and $868 paid by NR Hickman for a pen of 20 Angus weighing 275kg.
The champion pen of heifers in the Primaries yarding was among the Riverwind offering, with 17 shiny Angus heifers weighing 282kg standing out and going on to fetch a price of 288c/kg and $811 when bought by a Primaries account.
The vendor was also awarded five litres of Toromec drench, donated by agents.
In dollars per head terms, the top price of the day in the heifer portion of the Primaries sale was achieved by a pen of seven quality Charolais heifers that weighed 313kg when offered by the estate of Lesley Millner, Wooroloo, with these heifers eligible for stud registration.
The successful bidder on these was LSS, securing them for the top price of $902 after making the winning bid at 288c/kg.
LSS went on to buy the next two pens of Charolais heifers from the same account, with the first being a pen of seven weighing 242kg and selling at 284c/kg and $687, while the second pen consisted of five heifers which weighed 266kg and cost 286c/kg and $762.
Angus weaners sold well, with the top cents per kilogram price in the heifer yarding paid for a pen of 11 Angus from Warringah Grazing Co, Gingin.
These weighed 285kg when they were bought by NL & C Fewster for 292c/kg and $832.
The top cents per kilogram price paid overall was in the steer portion of the sale, with a pen of 10 Angus weighing 215kg from GF & SM Drew, Gingin, selling to Trandos Beef for 322c/kg and $693.
AMB Consolidated had a few pens of Angus to offer totalling 28 head with all being steers.
These sold to an average of 300c/kg on the back of an average weight of 267kg.
Some Red Angus cattle also made an appearance, with G & DM Spagnolo, Gingin, offering a total of 30 steers and heifers including Red Angus, Murray Grey and Gelbvieh blood.
With an average weight of 261kg, these averaged 268c/kg, selling to feedlot and live export accounts.
Rudd Family Trust, Lancelin, had only heifers to offer with 37 Angus and Murray Greys realising an average of 254c/kg, erring on the lighter side of the yarding at 225kg.
AL Ruse, Mosman Park, had similar numbers with 36 head of Angus and Murray Grey steers and heifers, though these were heavier at 265kg and fetched an average value of 257c/kg.
A number of other vendors had smaller offerings featuring both British and Euro breeds, many of which were sought after by feedlot and live export buyers.
What the agent said:
PRIMARIES auctioneer Jay Macdonald said it was an excellent line-up of local steers and heifers last week.
“The cattle presented in forward condition, with the majority representing good weights which encouraged buyer support,” Mr Macdonald said.
“The market was even to a shade dearer on recent weeks with plenty of buyer competition from feedlot, live export and grazier accounts.
“Prices met expectations and the Primaries team would like to thank vendors, buyers, underbidders and all staff for their support in putting together a successful weaner sale.”
