LET the good times roll.
The Elders Special Beef Female Sale at Boyanup last week continued the trend of very strong prices and demand of recent weeks, with prices topping at $4700 for PTIC Red Angus heifers.
With quality excellent through the total heifer offering, buyers again pushed prices to record highs and like past sales there were buyers returning home without their breeder requirements.
A total of 366 cattle comprising of PTIC beef heifers, PTIC cows and a few pens of cows and calves were offered in the sale and they all sold for an average of $4219.
Generally, all breeds sold to a similar top price and competition when the Angus heifers topped at $4650, Red Angus $4700 and Murray Grey at $4500.
One pen of Shorthorn heifers made $3800 and a line of just two Simmental heifers sold for $3700.
The 262 PTIC Angus heifers sold averaged $4173, while the 44 Red Angus averaged $4468 and the small Murray Grey offering of eight head realised an average of $4450.
Vendors were rewarded for the quality and breeding of their cattle.
Howard and Helen Griffiths, HW Griffiths & Co, Ferguson, regular top price sellers, sold 96 PTIC Angus heifers to a top of $4650 and an average of $4385, while the Harris family, Treeton Lake, Cowaramup and Dardanup, sold both PTIC Angus and Red Angus heifers, with their Angus averaging $4342 and the Red Angus returning an average of $4646.
The sale started with a pen of seven PTIC Angus heifers from HW Griffiths & Co and these sold for the top Angus price straight up when Elders, Nannup agent Terry Tarbotton, bid to the top of $4650 on behalf of Paul and Rea Ross, Vaqueross Pastoral, Kirup.
These buyers added two more pens of the Griffiths' heifers, paying $4450 for eight as well as another seven for $4150.
All the heifers on offer from the Griffiths were PTIC to Blackrock and Mordallup Angus bulls and due to calve from February 24 to April 23.
This was not the end of the Ross family's purchases as later in the sale seven heifers sold account Bachus Farms, Busselton, costing them $4150.
This line of heifers had a March to May calving spread.
Towards the end of the sale another seven of Bachus Farms heifers were added to the load, cost $4250.
The second draft into the ring were three pens from AD & RM Corker, Kirup, with the top seven heifers making $4200 when bought by Millbrook Fields, Donnybrook.
These heifers had been mated to a Limousin bull and are due to calve from March 5 to May 5.
Millbrook Fields also paid $4000 for another seven of the Corker heifers with the same calving details.
A second run of the HW Griffiths heifers including the two pens mentioned bought for Paul Ross, also saw Ryeland Dairy named as the buyer of a line of seven at $4100, with these proving to be a bargain as the next pen going to Ryeland Dairy cost it $4450.
A pen of eight Angus sold by Castledene Enterprises, Kirup, due to calve from February 22, went on the Ryeland Dairy truck as well this time at $4250.
The next vendor up was, Caris Park, Pinjarra and it saw its first pen of Angus make $4050 when knocked down to Yates Family Trust, Collie, before Tempra Brothers, Manjimup, paid $3800 for another seven due to drop Angus-sired calves from February 21.
The next two pens of Griffiths heifers saw bidders lift their limits when a line of six went to M & M Palermo, Manjimup, for $4550 followed by D Manning Trust, Serpentine, paying $4450 for the next pen containing eight heifers.
Several pens of heifers sold by Candyup Farms, Boyup Brook, saw the first three lots divvied up between the Gardiner families when MB Gardiner paid $4150 for five heifers, BO Gardiner spent $4150 for three with G Gardiner named as the buyer at $4100 for eight.
Candyup Farms also sold an appealing pen of eight Blue Roan heifers for $4250 to Farris Family Trust, Busselton, with these in calf to a Sheron Farm Angus bull.
Blue Roan females are the result of Angus-Shorthorn cross and for generations have proved to be outstanding mothers.
Returning to more of the Griffiths heifers, Tempra Brothers had the stamina to last until $4400 on the next eight with Ryeland Dairy paying $4300 for eight and the D Manning Family Trust outlaying $4250.
The two pens of Angus sold by Treeton Lake appealed to buyers and though later in the Angus catalogue still sold to $4450, paid by Fairbrass Park, for six due to calve from March 2.
Ryeland Dairy was then pushed to $4250 for the next seven Treeton Lake Angus females.
Borland & Dubberland also bid to $4250 to secure eight of the Griffiths heifers with D Manning Family Trust paying $4200 for five.
The Yates Family Trust picked up another three of the AD & RM Corker heifers, paying $4050 for two pens of seven as well as $4000, with all carrying a Limousin calf.
Rosa Brook Pastoral competed strongly and secured several pens, paying $4050 for seven sold by Bachus Farms, and two lines of eight at $3900 and $3850 from Candyup Farms.
Elders, Capel representative Rob Gibbings added support throughout the sale, buying four pens of heifers from AD Corker at $3950, $3900, $3900 and $3850, with these going to Ludlow Grazing.
The Red Angus kicked off strongly and that continued to the last pen of outstanding feminine females with growth.
Treeton Lake sold the first pen for $4600 followed by the next pen of six at $4700, with both going to Farris Family Trust, Busselton.
Both lines were PTIC to a Bandeeka Red Angus bull and due to calve from March 2 to April 30.
Marybrook producer Norm Dennis, GF Dennis & Co offered the other four pens of Red Angus heifers and his top eight heifers also went to the Farris Family Trust, which bid to $4550 for the line.
Nutrien Livestock, Margaret River agent Jock Embry paid $4400 on behalf of Bandicoot Bay Farms while Alegra Park paid the same for another eight heifers from the Dennis offering.
Kim Hough, Australind, barely had to lift his finger to have the last pen of seven clerked to his name with these selling for $4200.
The heifers sold by Mr Dennis were PTIC to a Willandra Red Angus bull selected specifically for a heifer mating and they are due to calve from February 18 for seven weeks.
What the Murray Grey heifers from Young Guns Murray Grey stud, Hyden, lacked in numbers were made up in their quality and femininity, attracting support from several breed advocates.
Martin Henco secured the first line of four heifers at $4400, buying for Amarillo Investments, Hunt Lea Valley Farm, with these carrying a Murray Grey mating to calve over a spread from March 26 to June 4.
The other four heifers with the same mating went to AA & GJ Ward for $4500.
Candyup Farms offered four Shorthorn heifers bought by Nutrien Livestock, Peel representative Ralph Mosca at $3800.
Two Simmental heifers sold by James Wringe, Castledene Enterprises, Kirup, went to GJ & J Watt, Cowaramup, at $3700 with these having an Angus mating.
Buyers had an excellent selection of older females to choose from also, starting with a run of mated cows from the WA College of Agriculture, Harvey.
The first six Angus second calvers due to an Angus bull for 12 weeks from February 10 went to the bid of Dom Piscioneri, Donnybrook, at $4500.
Two third calvers with the same mating then sold for $4200 to Vitali Eddington.
Another four third calves had a journey ahead of them when bought by NP & SD Winston, Toodyay, costing $4450.
Three pens of mature age cows saw the first pen of three cows go to Elders Boyanup for $4000 with Jacques Martinson, Elders Busselton, buying the last two pens of four and six cows for his client Glenwood Estate at $3500 and $3800.
Two lines of six Angus first calving cows with young calves at foot from KS & EN Roberts & Son, Elgin, made $4650 and $4500, with Treeton Lake, taking these quality young females that were not remated.
The sale finished with two lines of Angus cows and calves from Taylor Agricultural, Harvey, and these were snapped up for ED & JS Hoddle, Collie, at $4300 and $4400.
What the agent said:
ELDERS auctioneer and Margaret River agent Alec Williams said it was an extremely strong sale and vendors were rewarded for the quality heifers they offered.
"The quality of the yarding was exceptionally good and the vendors are to be congratulated for the presentation on the day," Mr Williams said.
"There excellent presentation was rewarded with an extremely good result, which was well above their expectations.
"Thank you to all the buyers and underbidders on the day for appreciating the quality and were prepared compete and acquire some very good females."
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