TEMPERATURES may have soared outside the ring last week at the Landmark Boyanup Mated First-cross Heifer Sale but the same couldn't be said for prices as they cooled compared to last year, on the back of reduced demand.
With cull cow prices and vealer prices strong and a quality offering of females yarded, the sale presented an ideal opportunity for producers to replace older breeders at good values, however this wasn't the case with buyers letting an opportunity to do so slip through their fingers.
It was a hard day for the Landmark auctioneering team and got harder as the sale went on as buyer competition ran out.
When the final hammer fell 300 of the 452 heifers offered had been cleared by the 32 registered buyers in attendance selling to a top of $2400, a gross of $627,825 and an average of $2093.
In comparison to last year's sale, 42 less heifers were sold and the average was back $89.
In the breakdown the Angus-Friesian offering was by far the biggest with 277 head selling from 392 offered at an average of $2113, which was back $74 on last year's fixture.
The sale kicked off with the offering of the Black Dog Ride heifer, Clementine 3, donated by the Daubney family, Bannister Downs Dairy, Northcliffe and prepared and presented by Peter and Judy Milton, Dardanup.
When auctioneer Tiny Holly offered up the Angus-Friesian heifer, a number of interested parties jumped at the chance to bid on the charity heifer but in the end it was again Kim and Kerry Dunnet, OM Dunnet & Co, Nannup, who purchased Clementine 1 at last year's sale, this year bidding to $2700, who prevailed.
The extremely quiet, black heifer, is in calf to Limousin sire Hammertime after being AI'd to the bull by Landmark Breeding Services and then running back with it at Unison Limousins, Boyanup.
It is due to calve from February 6 to June 19.
The top price for a pen of heifers was $2400, which was achieved by five pens - four of the pens were sold by repeat vendors the Ryan family, Goodonga Farms, Manjimup, while the fifth pen was sold by repeat vendor the Haddon family, NL & E Haddon, Yongi Downs dairy, Busselton.
All four top price pens from the Ryan family contained Angus-Friesian heifers which had been purchased in Landmark's unmated female sale last season and synchronised AI'd to a black Limousin bull and then backed up by the same bull in the paddock.
The first pen of heifers from the Ryan family to sell for $2400, which contained seven heifers due to calve from January 25, was purchased by G & JM Perrella, Northcliffe.
The Northcliffe operation later purchased a pen of seven heifers Angus-Friesian PTIC to an Angus bull and due to calve from February 1 to April 3 from R & C Italiano & Sons, Wokalup, at $2200.
Denmark producer Ross Thornton, R & P Thornton, was the next to buy the Ryan family's roomy heifers when he bid to $2400 for a pen of six due from January 25 and for four that are due to calve from February 15 to March 19.
He also picked up another pen of four Angus-Friesians from the Ryan family's offering at $2275 which had the later calving date.
Also heading the Thornton's property this time at $2350 was the first pen offered, eight sleek Angus-Friesians from Kitchen Farms, Boyanup, which are PTIC to an Angus bull and due to calve from February 1 to March 3.
Fellow Denmark operation Thornton Farms also bidding through Mr Thornton secured a $2400 top price pen from the Ryan family.
It secured a six head line which are due to start calving from January 25.
The Haddon family not only achieved the $2400 top price but their 58 heifers on offer all found new homes and were one of a handful of vendors to achieve a 100 per cent clearance of their offering.
The $2400 top price pen sold by the Haddons was snapped up by GC & CA Brown, Nannup.
The pen of seven was one of three pens of Angus-Friesians purchased by the Nannup operation from the Haddon's offering.
The Browns also secured seven at $2300 and another seven at $2100.
All the Haddon heifers purchased by the Browns were owner-bred and PTIC to an Angus bull with a calving period of February 1 to April 20.
The Haddons also sold a pen of seven to RA Adam & Co, Ravenswood, at $2300 while JVE Tuckey paid $2200 for seven from the Haddons.
Candyup Farms, Benger, was the biggest vendor in the sale, with an offering of 63 Angus-Friesians and nine Murray Grey-Friesians, which are due to calve from January 25 to April 5 after being synchronised AI'd to black Limousin bull Balamara Now or Never, then backed up by the same bull, also recorded some prices at the top end.
Kim and Kerrie Dunnet picked up seven Angus-Friesians and the nine Murray Grey-Friesians from Candyup Farms at $2375 and $1850, respectively, while Sylvania Farms Pty Ltd, Donnybrook, took home a pen of seven Angus-Friesians from Candyup Farms at $2375.
Also taking a liking to the quality Angus-Friesian heifers on offer from Candyup Farms was BJ & FH Tomas, Cundinup, which purchased two pens both containing seven head at $2125 and $2025, while Murray and Jan Bennett, Jabenco Trust, Kronkup, secured seven at $2275 and five at $2025 to go with a pen of seven roomy Angus-Friesians from R & C Italiano & Sons at $2300.
Along with purchasing a couple of pens from Candyup Farms, the Tomas family also secured two pens of six Angus-Friesians which are PTIC to a Limousin bull and due to calve from February 1 to April 2 from regular vendors KM & EJ & LK MacDonald, Cookernup, at $2025 and $2000.
They also purchased a pen of seven Angus-Friesians from the Haddons at $2000, making them the sale's volume buyers.
Albany operation D & E House picked up three pens of Angus-Friesian heifers paying $2200 for eight from Kelly-Brae, Capel; $2125 for eight from the Noakes family, Chapman Brook Pty Ltd, Karridale and $1900 for five from R & C Italiano & Sons.
Another operation to buy three pens from the Angus-Friesian run was EW & ME Busby, Courtenay, which bid to $2050 for six from the MacDonalds; $2100 for seven from Meade Grazing, Balingup and seven from Candyup Farms at $1800.
Meade Grazing also sold two pens of Angus-Friesian heifers both containing seven head for $2000 to Brian Hassen, BM & JH Hassen, Winnejup, who was looking for breeders to replace older cows on the property, while MF & MA Hutton, Capel, picked up two pens of Angus-Friesian heifers from the MacDonalds, paying $2100 for six and $1900 for five.
Other multiple pen buyers of Angus-Friesian heifers included A & A Rodi, Harvey, which bid to $2075 for seven heifers from Meade Grazing and $1600 for four heifers from Mahaffey Family Trust, Harvey, while Charlie and Kathy Vinci, CA Vinci, Beelerup, who run a herd of 200 first-cross females purchased eight at $1900 from NL & E Haddon and eight at $1700 from ST Francis.
After purchasing eight Angus-Friesians at $1800 from Noakes family, Chapman Brook Pty Ltd, Mirreanda Pty Ltd, Busselton, secured the only pen of Angus-Montbeliarde-Friesian heifers offered by the Noakes family to sell.
They bid against little competition to pay $1975 for this pen of six heifers, which are PTIC to Angus and Red Angus bulls.
The run of 31 Simangus-Friesian heifers offered by KJ & SM Gardiner, Bridgetown and PTIC to Simangus bulls, found the going tough with only eight selling.
The pen of eight which sold made $1800 when knocked down to Hyde Park Grazing, Manjimup
Hyde Park Grazing also paid $1725 for seven Angus-Friesians sold by Candyup Farms.