THE 29th annual Independent Rural Agents (IRA) Pemberton elite weaner and breeder sale on AuctionsPlus last Monday was one for the record books.
Well-bred and presented cattle and steadfast demand from Western Australia's lotfeeders, graziers and processors and interstate interest, combined for an outstanding result for IRA Pemberton principal Colin Thexton and family and their loyal band of clients.
Mr Thexton catalogued an extensive sale of 2245 head of cattle and with about 95 per cent bred on Lawsons Angus genetics it is the country's biggest individual offering of commercial Lawsons Angus cattle.
Weaner steers and heifers made up a significant portion of the sale with a number of PTIC heifer and cow lines and processing cattle available.
After two hours of selling, Australia's longest running online cattle sale grossed more than $3 million at an overall average across all descriptions of $1453 and set new sale records along the way.
The sale attracted 3153 catalogue views which culminated in 77 buyers registering for the sale from WA, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia who placed 884 bids, and were joined by 66 guest viewers watching the sale.
Weaner steers averaged $1411 and 410 cents a kilogram for weights ranging from 237.2 kilograms to 435.9kg and heifers weighing from 223.7kg to 395kg averaged $1236 and 396c/kg.
PTIC rising two-year-old Angus heifers topped the sale at $3000 while PTIC Angus cow values reached $2550 and processing cows and heifers sold to $1800 and 475.9c/kg dressed weight for weights ranging from 341kg to 380.7kg (dressed).
Last year's sale saw 1428 head of cattle gross $1,574,830 at an overall average of $1103.
Mr Thexton congratulated his clients on the presentation of their cattle and thanked buyers and underbidders Australia wide for the support which made the sale a success.
Weaner steers
A South Australian feeder buyer sourced three lines of heavier steers and paid to the $1605 top price twice.
This included 27 Angus steers aged 10 to 11 months averaging 435.9kg at 368.2c/kg offered by DW & MA Radomiljac, Pemberton and a combined line of 35 Angus steers aged eight to nine months averaging 435.2kg offered by R & M Humphrey, Quinninup and J & J Omodei.
The next highest price of $1570 at 388.7c/kg was paid by a WA lotfeeder for 57 Angus steers weighing 403.9kg offered by JCC Love Family Trust, Northcliffe, while fellow Northcliffe vendor Meerup Breeze Grazing sold 29 Angus steers averaging 399.3kg to this account for $1550 at 388.2c/kg.
Another local lotfeeder paid to $1545 at 377.2c/kg for 36 Angus weaners averaging 409.6kg offered by BJ & HA Hulcup, Quinninup while Henderson-Glendale, Mayanup and MR & EM Walker & Thomson & Tylor, Balingup, both sold Angus steers to $1540.
The sale's liveweight values peaked at 488.3c/kg for 60 Angus steers aged five to six months and weighing 286.7kg offered by Collins Brothers Grazing, Pemberton.
Other higher liveweight steer prices included 455.3c/kg for eight Angus steers averaging 237.2kg, also from the Collins Brothers draft which cost a local buyer $1080.
TP & GL Collins, Pemberton, received 455.2c/kg and $1325 for 13 Angus steers aged six to seven months and averaging 288.9kg and 30 Angus steers weighing 284.5kg offered by DA MacDonald & CM Iversen, Northcliffe, was purchased for 449.9c/kg at $1280.
Weaner heifers
Topping this year's weaner heifer market was 29 Angus heifers aged nine to 10 months offered by Walker & Thomson & Tylor with the 373kg heifers purchased by a South West grazier for $1529 at 409.9c/kg.
Original sale vendor G & B Bendotti's, Pemberton, lines of Angus heifers aged eight to 10 months sold strongly to $1500 twice with the first draft of 12 averaging 395kg secured by a lotfeeder at 379.8c/kg while another line of 17 heifers were purchased for 410.2c/kg.
The Radomiljacs Angus heifers aged nine to 10 months reached $1410 at 379.8c/kg for 21 averaging 371.3kg, while TP & GL Collins featured again with their Angus heifers with a line of 26 aged seven to eight months selling a South West grazier for $1405 at the section's top liveweight price of 418.8c/kg.
A local buyer paid 418c/kg and $1195 for two pens of Angus heifers containing 15 Angus heifers averaging 285.7kg in a combined line aged six to seven months offered by Meerup Breeze Grazing and JCC Love and for 23 heifers aged seven to eight months also from the Collins family's paddocks.
PTIC 2yo heifers and cows
The Bendotti family's decision to offer PTIC Angus heifers for the first time in 29 years at the sale proved a fruitful one.
The three lines of nine PTIC rising two-year-old heifers due to calve to Angus bulls from January 10, 2021, sold for an average of $2900 and topped the sale at $3000 with all three lines going to the same local buyer.
Volume vendor in the mated female section BA & RN Ravenhill, Youngs Siding, sold a line of seven PTIC Angus heifers due to calve to Angus bulls from April 14 until May 5 for $2550.
The Ravenhill family topped the mated cow prices with 12 PTIC P-drop Angus cows with the same calving details as above that sold to the same buyer as their heifers for $2550.
Slaughter cows and heifers
Processing values topped at $1800 for 10 Red Angus cows and heifers averaging 380.7kg dressed weight offered by Wilhelmdenke Enterprises, Manjimup, with a processor paying $1800 at 472.8c/kg.
Top dressed weight price of 475.9c/kg went to a combined line of 68 Angus heifers and cows averaging 341kg dressed weight which was purchased by the same processor for 475.9c/kg and $1622.70.
