PASTORAL cattle values reached $1826 and 574c/kg in another strong market at the Muchea Livestock Centre last Friday.
It was the third monthly store cattle fixture for Nutrien Livestock, this year which yarded 1011 weaner and yearling store cattle with most descending from pastoral properties and some pastoral origin cattle from backgrounding operations.
The sale featured some large drafts of even, well-bred pastoral cattle which attracted a premium from feeder, backgrounding, grazier and exporter buying support.
The sale was again interfaced on AuctionsPlus with 1608 catalogue views attracting 35 registered bidders from Western Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, along with 21 guest viewers, but saw only three pens selling to local online buyers.
Pastoral heifers made up more than half the yarding with weaners selling from 338-574 cents a kiogram and yearling heifers returned 330-422c/kg to average 434c/kg.
An increased number of pastoral weaner bulls sold from 350-540c/kg to average 451c/kg, while a shorter run of pastoral steers sold from 492-524c/kg for weaners and 332-486c for yearling steers to average 467c/kg.
With no locally bred cattle penned, the overall average dipped to $1223 from last month's average of $1420.
The sale kicked off with a short run of pastoral steers with the opening line of 15 Angus-Droughtmaster cross milk-tooth steers weighing 363kg offered by Haseley Stud, Carnarvon, knocked down to Jonathon Green, Harvey Beef, for $1821 at 498c/kg.
Buying for Harvey Beef and an order, Mr Green collected a further four pens of steers at the front-end of the steer run, including three Droughtmaster steers from the Haseley Stud consignment paying to the section's 524c/kg top liveweight price for 33 milk-tooth steers averaging 325kg to cost $1703.
Jamie Davies, Kalgrains, Wannamal, paid the next highest price of $1801 at 456c/kg for a duo of red two-tooth Brahman steers weighing 395kg from Williambury station, Carnarvon.
Dean Ryan, Central Stockcare, was a prominent buyer throughout the sale and for his steer selections paid to $1677 for six Droughtmaster cross steers averaging 345kg, offered by Mardathuna Pastoral Company, Carnarvon, to cost 486c/kg going to an eastern Wheatbelt feeder order.
Leno Vigolo, Nutrien Livestock, Central Midlands and Wheatbelt, was another active buyer and collected several pens of steers for a couple of orders, including two pens from the Strelley Pastoral Company, Port Hedland, paying to $1490 at 382c/kg for four Brahman cross four-tooth steers weighing 390kg.
Armed with buying orders, Andrew O'Connor, Nutrien Livestock, Goomalling, was kept busy through all categories.
Included in his haul was the next equal highest liveweight steer price of 520c/kg for seven Angus-Droughtmaster cross milk-tooth steers weighing 322kg from the Haseley Stud draft to cost a Peel grazier $1675.
The sale then swung to a larger run of pastoral bulls at the venue.
Exporters were strong on the quality bull drafts with competition also coming from feeders and graziers.
Hamersley station, Tom Price, finished in a photo to claim top-priced honours with three Droughtmaster bulls weighing 459kg selling to an export buyer on AuctionsPlus for $1826 at 398c/kg.
An outstanding line of soft Charolais cross bulls from Mount Florance station, Marble Bar, were snapped up by exporters, with Graeme Brown paying the draft's $1825 top price for the four heaviest bulls averaging 445kg at 410c/kg.
Mr Brown collected six of the eight pens from Mt Florance weighing from 310-445kg bidding to 460c/kg liveweight for two pens.
Among Mr Brown's other bull purchases included nine Droughtmaster bulls averaging 400kg from Hamersley station costing $1686 at 422c/kg and six Droughtmaster bulls weighing 378kg from Lyndon Cattle Trust, Carnarvon, for $1672 and 442c/kg.
Mr Ryan sourced pens of bulls for an exporter and paid to $1577 at 438c/kg for a trio of Santa Gertrudis bulls weighing 360kg from the even, well-bred draft offered by Coolawanya Cattle Pty Ltd, Tom Price.
Liveweight bull values peaked at 540c/kg for a large line of 35 light but even well-bred Santa Gertrudis bulls presented by Killara Pastoral Company, Meekatharra, knocked down to Mr O'Connor for an Esperance grazier buyer.
Mr O'Connor continued to pay high liveweight values for nine pens of lighter bulls for this order, including 536c/kg for three Santa Gertrudis steers weighing 177kg from the Coolawanya draft to cost $947 and 500c/kg at $779 for six Brahman cross bulls weighing 156kg from the lightweight draft of bulls offered by Indee station, Port Hedland.
The selling team finished on the dominant numbers of pastoral heifers.
Mount Florance opened the section with a large draft of quality Charbray heifers which attracted strong feeder and grazier competition to sell to the section's $1814 top price for four milk-tooth heifers averaging 369kg going to Mr Vigolo's 492c/kg bid.
Mr Ryan sourced 11 pens of Mt Florance heifers for two orders paying to $1671 at 460c/kg for six milk-tooth heifers weighing 363kg bound for his feeder buyer.
Mardathuna Pastoral Company's extensive draft of heifers sold to $1518 at 402c/kg for two milk-tooth Shorthorn heifers averaging 378kg again heading to Mr Ryan's feeder buyer.
That was also the case for Noreena Downs station's, Newman, $1320 top price at 392c/kg for an excellent draft 14 Droughtmaster milk-tooth heifers weighing 337kg, Hamersley station's heifer draft with three Droughtmaster heifers tipping the scales at 340kg selling for $1435 at 422c/kg and Lyndon station's $1306 top price for eight Droughtmaster milk to two-tooth heifers weighing 342kg.
Mr Davies took a liking to the Williambury station's draft of Brahman heifers for an export order paying to $1400 at 380c/kg for a line of nine milk to two-tooth heifers averaging 368kg.
The sale finished on a high with Killara station's large draft of well-bred lightweight Santa Gertrudis heifers selling to extremely strong grazier interest.
Mr O'Connor secured three lines of Killara heifers totalling 72 head at top liveweight prices for a Central Wheatbelt backgrounding order including the sale's 574c/kg top price for 28 averaging 140kg.
Scott Henville, Henville Holdings, Northern Gully, paid the draft's $1143 top price at 522c/kg for the biggest line of 42 heifers weighing 219kg.
Mr Henville said he knows the strong breeding background of the Killara cattle and plans to grow the heifers out into the New Year and hopefully market them as breeding females.
