JUST less than 1000 weaners were penned between both agents at the first WALSA weaner sale for the new year at Boyanup last week and the quality and weights of the weaners on offer was generally outstanding.
A couple of first drafts contributed to this high standard, especially the cattle from the deep south where green feed is still to be found.
- Subscribers have access to download our free app today from the App Store or Google Play
Summing up the final result would depend if you are a glass half full or half empty person.
Regardless of which, a section of the sale could be found to support both points of view.
But overall, most would be happy with the result with the recent lower values being maintained without any further substantial easing.
Overall steers sold to a top of $1811 and up to 572c/kg for lightweights and heifers made up to $1560 and 426c/kg to result in the overall yarding of 984 head averaging $1470.
Elders
The Elders offering kicked off the sale and its steer calves reached at the day's $1811 top price to be up ever so slightly compared with the last sale of 2022, rising 62c/kg for the top pen while heifers in its run topped at $1507, which was identical, but back by 90c/kg, indicating a considerable weight difference between the sales.
Interestingly, the Elders yarding averaged 376kg and averaged $1496 a head.
The run started with calves offered account FR & LF Prosser, Scott River and these were as good as has been seen at weaner sales this season.
The first pen of nine Angus cross weighing 464kg topped the sale at $1811 when Harvey Beef bid to 390c/kg for the pen.
The next pen weighing 417kg was snapped up by volume buyer and lotfeeder Gordon Atwell, Welldon Beef, Williams, after he bid to 414c/kg to spend $1727.
Welldon Beef also took the next pen of Prosser Angus, paying $1499 at 396c/kg for the eight weighing 376kg.
Nutrien Livestock, Bridgetown, agent Ben Cooper bought the last pen of Prosser Angus steers for $1513 at 412c/kg.
Elders, Boyanup/Dardanup representative Alex Roberts was active early, paying to the top cents per kilogram price in the Elders run of 504c/kg for 12 steers weighing 305kg that returned $1537 to JK Shields & SK Walters.
Mr Roberts then added a pen of 11 Speckle Park steers weighing 387kg, paying $1537 for the top at 504c/kg again.
The best of the Prosser family's Charolais cross calves made $1741 when Harvey Beef bid to 386c/kg for the 451kg cattle.
Charolais heifers from the Prosser line sold for the top heifer price in the Elders run of $1507 when the females weighing 396kg went to the bid of Greg Jones at 376c/kg.
Mr Cooper snapped up two pens of Prosser Charolais, paying $1486 and $1432 for up to the top of 400c/kg.
Mr Roberts secured the pen of mainly Speckle Park heifers for his client, paying $1470 for the 10 weighing 367kg at the top cents per kilogram price of 400c/kg in the Elders heifer run.
Nutrien Livestock
Nutrien Livestock yarded the majority of the weaners in the offering.
Its steers lifted by 16c/kg at the top end when compared to last sale but dropped about $100 overall while its heifer calves attracted strong interest to reach the day's top heifer price of $1560 and 426c/kg to be a little softer than last sale.
The Nutrien Livestock calves averaged 330kg and sold for an overall average of $1461.
After warming up on the Elders run buyers went straight into top gear from the start of the Nutrien Livestock offering but it wasn't until the 23rd pen that the Nutrien Livestock top steer price of $1781 was recorded when it was paid by Harvey Beef for the eight calves weighing 447kg from DR & DJ Roche Family Trust, Pemberton.
Mr Jones bought the first pen from Southwest Trust with the 530kg steers making $1643 and 310c/kg.
Nutrien Livestock, Margaret River/Busselton agent Jock Embry was strong buying for his clients, paying $1710 at 430c/kg for seven steers weighing 397kg from LL Dunnett Trust.
Nutrien agents competed strongly to dominate the clerking sheets with Mr Cooper paying $1477 for eight weighing 369kg from JD & RM Bignell, Bridgetown.
Nutrien Livestock, Boyup Brook agent Jamie Abbs then bid to 420c/kg for six Speckle Park steers weighing 347kg from Norsca Holdings with these costing $1459 while Nutrien Livestock, Waroona agent Richard Pollock paid $1450 at 410c/kg for nine steers weighing 353kg from PG Blechynden.
Mr Pollock later bid to $1498 for seven steers sold account Bandicoot Bay Farms with the 358kg steers selling at 418c/kg.
Welldon Beef bought the top pen of six Angus cross calves from RM & MMC Italiano, Harvey, paying $1653 at 416c/kg for the 397kg cattle.
Manjimup steers from G & K Nicolaou & Son, were well received, topping at $1756 paid by Harvey Beef for 10 weighing 439kg.
READ MORE:
Welldon Beef added a line of 10 of these at $1681 and 424c/kg.
Apart from the top pen, Harvey Beef added two more pens from the Roche Family Trust costing $1737 and $1670 for up to 420c/kg.
The largest draft was the many pens from GL & RK Dickson, Nannup, with its top pen of 11 weighing 323kg selling to AH & SM Padman, Capel for $1719 and 532c/kg.
Another pen weighing 10kg less joined the trip to Capel when the 312kg steers sold for $1692.
As the weights decreased Maywill Farms paid the day's top cents per kilogram price for steers of 572c/kg for 11 weighing 261kg to spend $1495.
Mr Embry was dominant on the Dickson cattle, buying seven pens to be shared between three different clients for up to $1665.
The top price in the heifers, which was the top heifer price for the sale overall, came in the first pen sold with eight Angus from G & K Nicolaou & Son going to the bid of Rodney Galati, Brunswick, for $1560 when the 386kg heifers sold at 404c/kg.
Several pens of heifers from RL & RK Dickson sold from $1032 to $1333, including the top of 428c/kg bought by Welldon Beef.
