A YARDING of well-bred local weaner steers and heifers was presented for judging in the fourth annual Elders Great Southern All Breeds Weaner Show & Sale at the Mount Barker Regional Saleyards last week and it was Kangarabbi Farms, Narrikup, taking the win.
Tullibardine Murray Grey and Angus stud principal Alastair Murray, Albany, had the job of singling out the best pens yarded and it wasn't an easy task given the presentation of calves.
Mr Murray, who also feeds 1600 calves a year for Woolworths, said it was a very good presentation of calves.
"In the steers there were a range of calves presented from lightweights right through to heavyweights which would suit a range of markets, while in the heifers there were a couple of nice lines of crossbred calves suitable for breeding and feeding, but most of the heifers were lighter types suitable for graziers or backgrounders," Mr Murray said.
In the end Mr Murray couldn't look passed the quality of the Black Gelbvieh-Angus calves yarded by Wayne and Serena Matthews, Kangarabbi Farms and picked their pens out for the champion pen of steers and champion pen of heifers ribbons.
Mr Murray said the champion pen of steers from Kangarabbi Farms were a bit heavy for the feedlot but were very well-presented and very uniformed.
"They had no rough coats among them and showed good muscling," Mr Murray said.
"They would be well-suited to the 100-day feed market."
The pen of 11 steers averaged 414 kilograms and sold at 400 cents a kilogram in the sale to return $1656 a head.
When it came to the operation's champion pen of heifers, Mr Murray said they were a good, even pen of well-grown heifers.
"They have a good weight making them suitable to join this coming season and show good breeding characteristics," he said.
"They would also be suitable for the domestic trade."
The pen of 11 heifers weighed 391kg and sold at 398c/kg to return $1556.
The pen also won first place in the class for heifers best suited as replacement breeders.
The Matthews family runs a breeding herd of 400 Angus females based on Ponderosa Angus bloodlines and joins 160 head to Black Gelbvieh bulls from the Summit stud, Narrikup, with the rest joined to Angus bulls for a calving starting in mid-February.
Mr Matthews said the calves presented in the fixture were just their second drop of Gelbvieh cross calves and they were very happy with the results they were achieving with the cross.
Another pen of steers from the Matthews operation finished second in the class for steers weighing more than 350kg.
This pen of 12 steers averaged 387kg and sold at 404c/kg.
Winner of the class for steers weighing more than 350kg was GJ & LJ Hicks, Napier, with a pen of 12 Charolais-Angus cross calves weighing 375kg.
Mr Murray said this pen of steers was perfect for the feedlot to feed for the supermarket trade.
"They are long-bodied steers with not too much fat, so they have plenty of room to put weight on," Mr Murray said.
"They have beautiful muscling and being that crossbred type they have that bit of hybrid vigour."
The Hicks family runs a herd of 250 Angus breeders based on Gandy Angus bloodlines and join a percentage to Charolais bulls sourced from Phil Tomlinson's herd at Albany.
Another pen of Charolais-Angus cross steers from the Hicks family was awarded the champion pen of Charolais sired calves.
This pen contained 15 steers which had an average weight of 318kg.
The Hicks operation rounded out its success on the day, placing second in the class for steers weighing less than 300kg when Mr Murray gave 11 Angus steers weighing 298kg the nod.
In the class for steers weighing 300 to 350kg it was a pen of 15 Angus averaging 347kg from Hillcrest Farms, Walpole and Marbelup, which placed first.
Mr Murray said the pen was nice and uniformed.
"They are thick over the top and will grow out to be good cattle for the domestic market," he said.
"The pen would be fine to feed for the supermarket trade."
Hillcrest Farms, which was the second biggest vendor in the sale, run 400 Angus breeders which go back to Lawsons Angus and Texas Angus bloodlines, with the calves in the sale sired by Texas bulls.
The pen sold at 442c/kg to return $1534 a head.
Rounding out the winners in the steer classes was the Smith family, Yarralena Grazing, Cranbrook, which won the class for steers weighing less than 300kg.
Mr Murray said the steers from Yarralena Grazing were good backgrounding types or to go out in the paddock and grow out on grass.
The pen of 21 steers averaged 282kg and sold at 454c/kg to return $1281.
The Smiths run a 200 Angus breeders based on Ardcairnie and Gandy Angus bloodlines.
Napier-based operation Martin & Flavel, which were the biggest vendors in the fixture, collected three ribbons in the judging.
A pen of 13 heifers averaging 345kg from the operation won the class for heifers best suited to the feedlot and placed second in the class for heifers best suited as replacements.
Mr Murray said the pen had hybrid vigour and were well-suited to feed now for the domestic trade.
"They were a nice uniform pen and all of similar weight," he said.
The heifers were sired by Naracoopa Simmental bulls and out of Simmental-Shorthorn cross cows.
The operation, which runs 120 breeders, also placed second in the class for steers between 300-350kg with 20 black calves weighing 309kg which were sired by Bonnydale Black Simmental bulls.
Finishing second to Martin & Flavel in the heifer class for those best suited to the feedlot was TC Kiddie & Co, Albany, with a pen of 15 Angus heifers weighing 329kg.
