COMPETITION from bidders for a quality yarding of weaner heifers and steers saw an average of $1965 achieved at the fifth annual Elders Great Southern All Breeds Weaner Show & Sale at the Mount Barker Regional Saleyards.
It was a cool, overcast day that managed to draw a crowd of both onlookers and buyers.
After the announcement of which vendors had won ribbons for their cattle across the various show categories, it was straight into the sale.
The Elders team yarded a total of 1040 weaner steers and heifers plus one bull and broken down 891 were weaner steers and 149 were heifers.
The total weaner yarding was up by 420 head compared to the 2020 sale offering.
Steers sold from 466-735c/kg and to a high of $2390, while heifers returned 450-608c/kg at a high of $2121.
Overall values were improved compared to last year's sale result with the yarding averaging $1965 a head up $565, for a gross of $2,045,157, which was up by $1,177,082.
Taking out top price honours in dollars per head buying terms was RA Rogers & Co, paying $2390 and 600c/kg for a pen of 12 Angus weaner steers weighing 398kg offered by GT & JF Couper, Mt Barker and won the overall champion pen of steers ribbon.
Another pen from GT & JF Couper sold to RA Rogers & Co at $2264 and 618c/kg and was for 11 Angus weaner steers weighing on average 366kg.
By the sale's end RA Rogers & Co had purchased eight pens of steers at $1956-$2390 (568-630c/kg).
At the top end of prices, Kalgrains paid $2318 and 556c/kg for a pen of five Charolais weaner steers weighing an average of 417kg from FA Giancola.
Kalgrains purchased eight more pens for a total of nine pens of steers (80 head) ranging in price from $2080-$2283 (520-590c/kg).
Paying $2308 at 538c/kg for a pen of 11 Angus weaner steers weighing 429kg, offered by Talawa Grazing Company, was Princess Royal (1).
The second place pen for best pen of Charolais consisted of 10 Charolais weaner steers offered by Talawa Grazing Company averaging 411kg and sold to Princess Royal (1) at $2282 and 556c/kg.
The Princess Royal (1) account secured a total of eight pens (73 head) of steers ranging in price from $1850-$2308 (466-610c/kg).
Towards the end of the steer pens, lighter weight steer prices topped at 735c/kg, returning $1698 and was for a pen of 14 Angus weaner steers weighing an average of 231kg offered by Denmark Beef and sold to R & K Hithersay.
Denmark Beef was a volume vendor offering a total of 171 steers.
The next best price was 682c/kg and $1835 for a pen of 16 Angus weaner steers weighing 269kg from Yarralena Gazing, sold to GS & ED Blincow.
Denmark Beef sold a pen of 18 Angus weaner steers weighing 264kg for 678c/kg, returning $1791 paid by Chimera Trust.
Chimera Trust then purchased one pen of 15 Angus weaner steers at 672c/kg at $1749 which weighed an average of 260kg, also offered by Denmark Beef.
Also paying 678c/kg ($1907) was Lexden Park for a pen of 16 Angus weaner steers weighing 281kg, offered by Yarralena Grazing.
A high of 668c/kg and $1870 was paid by Lexden Park for a pen of seven Angus weaner steers weighing 280kg from D Peos & Sons.
A line of 20 Angus weaner steers weighing 276kg offered by Denmark Beef made 662c/kg to return $1827, selling to Chimera Trust.
Chimera Trust bought another five pens of steers costing 625-658c/kg ($1852-$1991).
Values for heavyweight heifers peaked at $2121 and 482c/kg, paid by Princess Royal (2) for a pen of six Angus cross weaner heifers weighing an average of 440kg, from Gamezon Enterprises.
R & K Phillips then sold a pen of seven Angus weaner heifers weighing 382kg for $1957 at 512c/kg to Princess Royal (2).
GT & JF Couper, Mt Barker, won the overall champion pen of heifers, with a pen consisting of 14 Angus weaner heifers weighing an average of 367kg that also sold to Princess Royal (2) for $1799 and 490c/kg.
Princess Royal (2) purchased seven pens of heifers (57 head) in total, paying from $1628-$2120 (462-512c/kg).
A pen of six Angus weaner heifers weighing an average of 339kg offered by R & K Phillips, sold to CPS Thomas Ballhause for $1832 and 540c/kg.
The Matthews, Kangarabbi, Narrikup, won the award for best feedlot heifers and included 19 Angus weaner heifers weighing an average of 345kg and sold at $1809 and 524c/kg also to CPS Thomas Ballhause.
In the lightweight heifer portion of the sale David Wright purchased a pen of 23 Angus weaner heifers weighing 274kg from CM & VJ Tschabotar & GC Weinert at a top of 608c/kg and $1669.
Another notable pen was from Hillcrest Farms comprising 14 Angus cross weaner heifers weighing 292kg for 562c/kg returning $1642 and sold to Delaney Livestock.
MR & JA Herholdt paid 560c/kg at $1400 for a pen of seven Angus cross weaner heifers offered by CL & AJ Baker.
A high of 538c/kg at $1700 was paid by CPS Thomas Ballhause for a pen of 10 Angus cross weaner heifers weighing 316kg offered by D Thorbjornsen & S Jones.
Dairydale Past Co purchased the only Angus weaner bull in the sale that weighed 340kg, selling for 412c/kg and $1401 from D Peos & Sons.
What the agent said:
ELDERS Albany livestock manager Wayne Mitchell said all in all the day was very pleasing.
"The sale went very well and it was a very good quality line up of local cattle," Mr Mitchell said.
"The majority of the cattle were weaned and they all sold very well.
"The lots sold mostly to local South West buyers with some pens going interstate to New South Wales and South Australia via AuctionsPlus.
"Good competition pushed prices up, with the sale really shining towards the last few pens of steers and throughout the female lines.
"Buyers on the day walked away with cattle ready to go onto feed and both the vendors and purchasers were happy."
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