PRICES rose considerably across most types and exceeded previous Elders Boyanup store cattle sale results at last Friday's auction.
The Elders team penned 1747 head, up 247 head on the advertised amount and up 400 head on last fortnight's sale, with 1500 liveweight cattle dominating the pens.
It was a quality offering and as a result the market was pushed to new heights by WA and SA lotfeeders, local agents, along with increased demand from south west and great southern graziers.
This was the first time Elders had incorporated AuctionsPlus to a store sale, with the liveweight beef steers and heifers offered on the online bidding system.
Despite the initiative to do so, the market was too fierce for all online local and Eastern States' registered buyers, with beef steer prices reaching 650c/kg ($2097) and escalating 30c/kg on last sale to average 495c/kg overall.
The beef heifers followed suit, up 30c/kg overall and selling to a top of 530c/kg ($1747), while a rare offering of lightweight beef bulls destined for castration sold from 430c/kg to 570c/kg.
In the dairy and dairy cross section, steer prices were up 25c/kg with the first-cross Angus-Friesians selling to 418c/kg ($1765) and averaging between 352c/kg and 400c/kg.
Their Friesian counterparts reached 445c/kg ($1987), while the appraisal section comprised mainly lightweight dairy cross and dairy steers.
Rates in this category were slightly in excess of previous sales with the tops reaching $1340 and the younger Friesian poddies under six-months-old averaging $740.
The Angus-Friesians hit a $1200 high, while a single pen of cows made $2300.
With the realisation that 70 per cent of cattle sold in the South West and Great Southern occurs between November and March, desperation to secure requirements is currently driving the market and its evident that there is no price fall in sight with time running out to put replacements back into paddocks.
The sale commenced with the beef steers and a decent consignment from Alec and Colleen McNab, AC & C
Mc Nab, Scott River, presented well and hit a high of $2097.
Kookabrook Livestock paid this top price for two of its Angus crosses which averaged 583kg at 360c/kg, while a lightweight draft of 19 Murray Grey steers weighing 121kg reached the day's top of 650c/kg and returned $789.
The six to eight-month-old calves were offered by Melvin Hettner, JD & JP Hettner, Kojonup, and were snapped up by Nutrien Waroona agent Richard Pollock.
It was the largest offering of 164 head that the Hettner family had ever presented at a store sale and they not only topped the market on cents per kilogram in both the beef steer and beef heifer section, but pushed State prices for lightweight cattle to new heights.
Kalgrains secured 10 Angus steers averaging 446kg nominated by JS & EN Bagshaw for $2007 and 450c/kg.
The Bagshaws second line of 12 head weighing 426kg was soon added to Kalgrains' account paying $1961 and 460c/kg, while seven Charolais cross steers averaging 423kg from Stirling Brothers saw $1954 and 462c/kg when they were knocked down to active bidder Graham Brown.
Mr Brown quickly secured the following pen of one Simmental cross weighing 465kg at $1953 and 420c/kg when it was brought in by TA Hick & Company.
Eleven Angus steers averaging 410kg from the Bagshaws caught Mr Brown's eye and sold to $1902 and 464c/kg.
The first draft of the day trucked in by Baypoint Holdings Pty Ltd made $1911 to 450c/kg when the 16 Angus steers weighing 423kg were bought by Kalgrains, while the company also outlaid $1884 and 460c/kg for 11 Murray Grey steers averaging 410kg from Vulcan Downs Pastoral Company and 10 Murray Grey crosses weighing 399kg from the McNabs at $1843 to return 462c/kg.
A single Charolais steer weighing 405kg, brought in by BP & NC McGinty, was snapped up by Mr Brown at $1871 and 462c/kg, while BM Strang's nine Angus crosses averaging 399kg went down on the Kalgrains account for $1838 and 462c/kg.
The Hettner's remaining line of 17 Murray Grey steers which averaged 155kg also went Mr Pollocks way at 580c/kg returning $899.
Greg Jones operated in the lightweight steer category, specifically on Bonza Farm & Yallalong Angus cross steers and secured two pens of 21 calves weighing 181kg and 183kg at 630c/kg to $1139 and 610c/kg to $1117 respectively.
Local grazier MA & WN Dudley didn't go without and managed to get their hands on a line of 10 Hereford crosses averaging 193kg from Bonza Farm & Yallalong at 605c/kg and $1168.
The Bonza Farm & Yallalong consignment continued to sell strongly with two lines of 17 Angus cross steers selling at 590c/kg to return $1214 when both were secured by Mr Jones, while he also paid 585c/kg and $1234 for a similar draft of 17 head weighing 211kg.
The Hettners trucked in an additional 53 young Murray Grey bulls which were destined for castration, with the top draft of 35 head averaging 148kg returning 570c/kg and $845 when secured by Mr Pollock.
Market wise, the beef heifers rivalled their steer counterparts with a 30c/kg overall rise with the initial pen of four Charolais heifers, nominated by MJ & SA Ward, being snapped up by Mr Brown at the day's top of $1747 returning 434c/kg.
Elders Boyanup agent Alex Roberts liked the look of the BM Strang line of eight Angus heifers and paid $1703 and 438c/kg for the 389kg females, while Mr Brown didn't miss the opportunity to secure one Charolais cross heifer weighing 380kg from R & V Thompson for $1626 and 428c/kg and another single Charolais heifer at 365kg, nominated by A & M Fox for $1584 and 434c/kg.
WT & MC Hurst & Company brought in a draft of 11 Angus heifers averaging 351kg which were written down on Mr Roberts' buyer order at $1556 returning 444c/kg.
Mr Jones knew what he was after and picked up both lines of OB & A Procopio & Sons' lines of Limousin females, paying $1547 and 442c/kg for 10 head weighing 350kg.
Mr Roberts snapped up ER & NA Pratt's draft of 10 Simmental heifers averaging 348kg at $1538 and 442c/kg, while Rodney Galati, J Galati Trust, wrote down nine Murray Grey heifers weighing 351kg at $1535 and 438c/kg when offered by WR & DM Vernon.
A yarding of 11 Blonde d'Aquitaine cross heifers offered by Jenara Pty Ltd made $1503 and 442c/kg when they averaged 340kg and were bought by Mr Brown.
Like the steers, the Hettner's lightweight offering of young Murray Grey heifers topped the market at cents per kilogram value when a large draft of 44 head averaging 136kg were snapped up by Mr Pollock at 530c/kg to achieve $720.
Mr Pollock secured the family's other line of 29 head weighing 193kg for 480c/kg and $926, while nine Angus heifers averaging 260kg which were brought in by AS & M Campbell sold to Elders Harvey/Brunswick representative Craig Martin for 448c/kg and $1165.
Mr Martin also paid 480c/kg and $1133 for 15 Limousin heifers weighing 236kg from Toscana WA Pty Ltd, while Mr Jones bid to 444c/kg and $1339 for a draft of six Blonde d'Aquitaine females averaging 302kg from Jenara Pty Ltd.
In the liveweight first cross Angus-Friesian steer portion prices reached $1765 for a line of 10 averaging 467kg from Allison Fergie.
Ms Fergie's well-presented steers went to Kookabrook Livestock at 378c/kg, while TA Hick & Company's eight F1 steers weighing 463kg went the same way when the operation paid $1730 and 374c/kg.
Kookabrook went on to secure two Angus-Friesian steers averaging 480kg from Greg Mader & Co at $1690 and 352c/kg and five weighing 465kg from GW & MV Smith for $1674 and 360c/kg.
Elders Capel agent Robert Gibbings jumped on BP & NC McGinty's line of eight first cross steers which averaged 303kg and reached a high of 418c/kg returning $1264, while Brunn Energy Pty Ltd's 13 head weighing 349kg made 400c/kg and $1397 when snapped up by Nutrien Busselton agent Jock Embry.
Mr Embry went on to secure three Angus-Friesian steers at 387kg from TA Hick & Company for 400c/kg and $1547 and two steers from Vienetti Pastoral which averaged the same weight as his past purchase for 398c/kg and $1542.
There was a sound offering of Friesian feeder steers with prices hitting $1987 when a draft of 14 head averaging 571kg from IJ & JC McLaren were purchased by Kookabrook Livestock at 348c/kg.
Kookabrook Livestock was chasing the heavier types and in doing so secured Saffire Pty Ltd's line of 10 black and white steers weighing 518kg for $1803 and 348c/kg, while Mr Pollock liked the look of Greg Mader & Co's 10 head at 493kg paying $1795 and 364c/kg for them.
RE & LM Clarke's line of Friesians averaging 499kg went Kookabrook's way at $1778 and 356c/kg, while two at 598kg from G & S Whitburn made $1757 and 294c/kg when Elders Busselton agent Terry Tarbotton purchased.
Mr Jones liked Riverton Farms consignment of nine Friesian steers, paying $1728 and 348c/kg for the 497kg cattle, while 10 of Greg Mader & Co's weighing 508kg went on his account at $1717 and 338c/kg, as did Glenwood Estate's 10 black and whites averaging 556kg at $1711 and 308c/kg.
Reaching 445c/kg and returning $905 was a quality offering of shiny coated Friesian steers weighing 204kg from Stockdale Pastoral Pty Ltd.
Nutrien Donnybrook representative Dean Taaffe secured this top line of 13, while Mr Roberts bid 430c/kg and $1051 for Stockdale Pastoral's initial draft of 10 head averaging 245kg.
Mr Roberts went on to purchase 15 black and white steers weighing 291kg from DK Tucker at 390c/kg and $1135, while Mr Pollock put his name beside 14 Friesian steers averaging 445kg, paying 368c/kg and $1639.
Mr Pollock went on to secure 14 weighing 445kg nominated by GW & MV Smith for 368c/kg and $1639, while Mr Tarbotton made sure he got his hands on 10 Friesians averaging 468kg from Greg Mader & Co for 366c/kg and $1711.
Only a handful of appraisal first cross dairy steers at six to 12-months-of-age were available, topping at $1200 for 11 Angus-Friesians from CA Panetta when bought by Mr Roberts.
Mr Roberts secured the next line of 15 head from the same paddocks at $1140, while Mr Martin paid $1000 for a line of eight from Ashvale Pastoral Co.
The small yet great quality yarding of appraisal Friesian steers sold to a high of $1340, with Peter Lofthouse, PR & MJ Lofthouse paying the day's top price for 15 steers from KW & MEB Lee.
Mr Pollock snapped up the Lee family's remaining line of 13 head at $1320, while also securing Bearup Springs 16 black and whites for $1270.
Uduc Brook Farms Pty Ltd offered two lines of 14 head, with the first going to RL & GM Giudici at $1080 and the other being secured by Mr Roberts for $990.
Mr Roberts secured an earlier draft of 13 head at $1000 from vendors PB & JR Maughan.
Poddies under six months averaged $740 with the tops achieving $780 when 12 offered by West & Haggerty were bought by Mr Martin.
The majority of the remaining Friesian calves were nominated by Negus Enterprises, with 10 head selling for $760 when bought by Elders Pinjarra agent Josh Hynes and a line of 13 head making $740 when purchased by Mr Roberts.
There was only one pen of Angus cows which were brought in by Westcape Agency Pty Ltd and they fetched $2300 when secured by Mr Pollock.
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