WITH the correction in the cattle market in recent months, there were plenty of nerves about before the start of last week's Nutrien Livestock Special Angus Weaner Sale at Mt Barker.
However in reality there shouldn't have been, as quality always sells and this was certainly the case at the 11th installment of this well-known feature sale.
When selling got underway, buyers showed they were more than prepared to bid above current market values for the quality offering of Angus black calves and as result both vendors and agents walked away more than happy with the prices achieved.
With good demand from local lotfeeders, grass fatteners and backgrounders, the sea of black Angus calves that had been weaned and treated with Bovi Shield, meaning all the work was done for buyers, wasn't short of attention at any part of the sale, making the job for Nutrien Livestock auctioneer Harry Carroll relatively easy.
By the end of the full curfew sale all 2429 weaners were headed to new homes in the Wheatbelt through to Esperance, as well as the west and south coasts at an average of $1680.
While the average was back $423 on last year's record-breaking average of $2103 when the cattle market was at its peak, it was up on the sale's 2021 average figure of $1514 by $166.
Steers made up 91 per cent of the yarding and the majority weighed between 300 to 400 kilograms.
When the numbers were crunched, the 2214 steers penned had sold for 422 to 516 cents per kilogram or $1313 to $2019 a head to average $1706.
Steers more than 400 kilograms sold from 422-462c/kg, while those between 350-400kg made 448-498c/kg and drafts between 300-350kg sold at 464-516c/kg.
There was a small number of steers less than 300kg and they made 490-512c/kg.
In the heifer pens, 215 head were offered and these sold for between 402-464c/kg and $1107-$1774 to average $1411 a head.
Heifers more than 350kg made from 432-444c/kg, while drafts between 300-350kg were knocked down at 418-464c/kg and lines less than 300kg made 402-440c/kg.
The tone for the sale was set from the opening pen when Mr Carroll knocked down the 18 steers averaging 459kg from inaugural sale vendors, the Armstrong family, Mouquet Grazing Co, Albany, for $2019 at 440c/kg to Daniel Delaney, Delaney Livestock Services, who was buying for a South Coast buyer, ensuring the Armstrong family achieved the sale's top price for a second year running.
And from there buyers knew what they had to pay.
Longtime vendors, the Blyth family not only had numbers in the yarding, trucking in 167 steers and 20 heifers, they also had some of the heaviest weaner steers in the line-up.
The Blyths sold five pens, which weighed 400kg or more and as a result recorded some of the day's best returns.
The Blyths achieved $1958 for 15 steers weighing 443kg, $1906 for 15 averaging 418kg and $1860 for a further 15 weighing 403kg, when they were knocked down to LG & CJ Robinson, Brunswick, at 442c/kg, 456c/kg and 462c/kg respectively.
Other buyers to purchase Blyth steers included Mr Delaney, who purchased a pen of 14 averaging 400kg for $1824 at 456c/kg and two pens of 15 weighing 393kg and 373kg for $1808 and $1792 at 460c/kg and 480c/g for his client.
Harvey Road livestock manager Damian Barsby, bought two pens of the Blyth's steers for Harvey Beef, bidding to 474c/kg for 16 weighing 357kg and at the same value another 16 averaging 341kg.
Narrikup producers RR & GC O'Connor sold two pens of steers in the top bracket of prices and saw a return of more than $1900 a head when 16 of its steers weighing 439kg sold at 442c/kg to cost Mr Delaney $1942.
Mr Delaney also purchased the O'Connors' second pen of 17 steers which averaged 394kg for $1806 at 458c/kg.
The largest vendor in the line-up was the Bairstow family, Arizona Farms, Lake Grace.
The Bairstows sold 487 steers across 27 lots weighing 312-425kg from 442c/kg up to the sale's top cents per kilogram price of 516c/kg to see returns between $1608 and $1879.
The Bairstows sold four pens which weighed more than 400kg and Mr Delaney purchased two of these for his South Coast client.
He bought 31 weighing 425kg at 442c/kg to cost $1879 and 30 averaging 403kg for $1820 at 452c/kg.
Nutrien Livestock, Harvey and Brunswick agent Errol Gardiner was a big supporter of the Arizona Farms' line-up purchasing 12 pens (195 head) that weighed between 348-376kg for a South West grazier from 460-500c/kg to cost $1724-$1785.
When it came to Arizona Farms' lighter steers in the 300-350kg weight range, it was Nutrien Livestock Great Southern livestock manager Bob Pumphrey, who was the dominant buyer, picking up five pens (65 head) that weighed between 312-332kg for Renny Gardiner Exports Pty Ltd, Albany, from 496c/kg to the top of 516c/kg.
Mr Pumphrey bid the top of 516c/kg for 15 weighing 312kg giving them a dollar per head return of $1608.
He also bid 510c/kg twice for two pens of 10 that averaged 327kg and 328kg.
Also buying lighter steers from Arizona Farms was Lester Pastoral Co, Manypeaks, which purchased three pens (45 head) weighing 333-338kg for 494c/kg, 500c/kg and 502c/kg.
The Carroll family, Rayview Park, Albany, who has been selling in the sale since its inception, were the second largest vendors, selling 303 steers across 16 lots that weighed from 320-410kg.
They saw returns between $1560 and $1830 after their pens sold from 446-496c/kg.
Ucarty Holdings, Dowerin, who was buying through Graham Brown, purchased the Carroll's 410kg heaviest pen containing 40 steers for their top price of $1830 at 446c/kg.
Mr Gardiner was also active in the Rayview Park offering picking up nine pens totalling 167 that weighed between 349-387kg for his client.
He paid values between $1718 to $1786 for the pens after bidding from 462-496c/kg for the lines.
Others to pick up multiple pens of the Carroll's steers were Harvey Beef and Ocumup Grazing, Bremer Bay.
Ocumup Grazing collected two pens of 16 head that weighed 342kg and 331kg at 488c/kg and 484c/kg respectively to cost $1670 and $1602, while Harvey Beef wrote down 18, averaging 328kg for $1586 at 484c/kg and 12 weighing 320kg for $1560 at 488c/kg.
Manypeaks-based Millstream Pastoral were also on the major vendors list selling 238 steers (11 pens) that weighed 314-398kg for between 452-496c/kg and $1557-$1829.
Millstream Pastoral's top price of $1829 was paid by Beacham Bros, Carbanup River, for 20 steers averaging 398kg when it bid to 460c/kg for the pen.
Mr Gardiner, who was the volume buyer on the day, continued his buying spree on the Millstream Pastoral steers, purchasing 143 head (six pens) that weighed from 342-389kg for $1698-$1763 at 452-490c/kg.
Another buyer to purchase multiple Millstream Pastoral pens was Renny Gardiner Exports which collected three pens (59 head) weighing 314-332kg for $1557-$1600 at 482-496c/kg.
The Gorman family, Gorman Pastoral, Wellstead, sold 213 steers (nine pens) that weighed between 312-378kg at 448-494c/kg to return values of $1540-$1693.
Harvey Beef purchased four pens of Gorman steers including 45 weighing 378kg for $1693, 35 averaging 356kg for $1643 and 30 weighing 345kg for $1628.
Quahlea Cattle Pty Ltd, Gibson, sold 100 steers (six pens) in the 331-373kg weight range for between 458-470c/kg which saw it achieve returns of $1555-$1710.
Quahlea's top-priced pen which contained 16 steers weighing 373kg was knocked down at 458c/kg to Harvey Beef which also purchased another pen of 17 averaging 342kg for $1619, while Cadalelup Farms, Gnowangerup, buying through Mr Pumphrey secured its other four pens paying to a top of $1681 for 16 averaging 364kg.
The Toovey family, LT Toovey & Sons, Cranbrook, sold six pens (103 head) of steers ranging from 265-376kg and achieved returns of $1357-$1775 when the pens sold between 472-512c/kg.
Lester Pastoral Co picked up four pens of Toovey steers including their $1775 top-priced pen which contained 15 steers averaging 472kg, while Coot Farm purchased their lightest pen that contained 21 steers for $1357 when bidding to 512c/kg, which was the second highest cents per kilogram price.
There were a number of vendors to sell between 15 and 65 steers in the line-up and those to see there pens sell at more than $1800 included RA & MA Wright, Kojonup, which sold 16 averaging 422kg for $1889 and Casual Flats, Peaceful Bay, with 15 weighing for 420kg achieved the same value, while Webster Grazing, Denmark, collected $1880 for 12 weighing 420kg.
Also in this range was MI & DM Twentyman, Nanarup, which collected $1830 for 15 averaging 401kg, while DJ & MDJ & M Milne, Esperance, received $1820 for 15 averaging 406kg and GD & SC Jones, Kojonup, sold 16 weighing 402kg for $1815.
When it came to the heifer run it was again Mouquet Grazing Co that achieved the $1774 top price when it sold a pen of 17 weighing 411kg at 432c/kg to Elders, Albany agent Nigel Hawke, who was bidding for G & M Davy, Albany.
Along with the top-priced pen Mr Hawke picked up a two further pens of heifers for the Davy account bidding to 450c/kg and $1404 for 13 heifers weighing 312kg from RA & MA Wright and 462c/kg and $1522 for 17 averaging 329kg from JR Howard, Mt Barker.
Mr Hawke, was also carrying a buying order for Kada Grazing Co, Wellstead and K & JE Reddington, Bremer Bay.
For the Kada Grazing account he picked up at 444c/kg 15 heifers weighing 355kg from RA & MA Wright's offering for the second top heifer price of $1578 as well as three from the Wright's pens weighing 312kg for $1404 at 450c/kg.
When it came to the Reddington order he purchased two pens from the Casual Flats offering - 11 weighing 333kg for $1444 and 10 averaging 306kg for $1308 at 434c/kg and 428c/kg respectively.
The top cents per kilogram price in the heifer run was 464c/kg and it was bid by Nutrien Livestock, Albany agent Terry Zambonetti, for AJ & MJ Forbes, Redmond, when he was the final bidder on a pen of 14 weighing 326kg from the Jones family, GD & SC Jones.
Also heading to the Forbes property were 18 heifers averaging 344kg from CJ & DK Pyle, Napier, when Mr Zambonetti purchased these for $1521 after bidding to 442c/kg.
Another multiple pen buyer in the heifer run was an Esperance buyer operating through AuctionsPlus which picked up five pens for between $1285 and $1432 after bidding between 418-424c/kg.
Included in its purchases was a pen of 20 weighing 339kg from BJ Panizza Family Trust, Albany, for $1432 and a line of 10 averaging 318kg from MJ Blyth & Co for $1378.
WHAT THE AGENT SAID:
NUTRIEN Livestock, Mt Barker agent and sale auctioneer Harry Carroll said it was a very strong sale from start to finish and the prices achieved were above presale expectations.
"The prices were definitely above what we thought we would get given the current prices being achieved for weaners," Mr Carroll said.
"Once again the quality of the line-up was exceptional and a credit to the vendors.
"The weaners we offer in this fixture get better and better every year and this year they were very impressive on the back of a great season along the South Coast.
"The good season also had an impact on the weights of the weaners this year and the majority we offered were heavier than last year.
"The sale is not only recognised for its quality but also the effort the vendors go to in preparing the weaners for sale including weaning them and vaccinating them with Bovi-Shield MH-One.
"As a result the weaners sold to widespread support from lotfeeders and graziers as far away as Esperance, Newdegate and Dowerin as well the west coast and right along the South Coast.
"Many of the buyers which operated in the sale were repeat buyers who all know what these weaners can achieve."
