Values didn't reflect quality in another soft market at the combined agents weaner sale at Boyanup last week.
The Elders and Nutrien Livestock South West teams penned an excellent quality full yarding of 1400 new season beef steers and heifers weaned for a minimum of 10 days in the second standalone fully weaned sale this season at the venue.
SALE SUMMARY
- Beef steers: 180-294c/kg ($515-$1181)
- Beef heifers: 110-212c/kg ($331-$737)
The heavier, well-drafted and presented yarding of calves averaged 320kg across both sexes and featured some large individual first drafts of weaners from well-known South West beef producers.
The market was generally weaker across the yarding compared to last week's sale to average $724 per head for steers and heifers.
Steers sold consistently on weight with a couple of new feeder buyers filling the void of absent feeder competition from last week's sale and competed on suited heavier feeder weights, while lighter cattle and heifers again attracted limited competition while providing excellent buying opportunities for those with available feed.
The sale was interfaced on AuctionsPlus and while both agent catalouges received more than 900 views each and up to 25 registered buyers from WA, Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia, online activity was minimal.
ELDERS
The Elders team kicked off proceedings this sale with a yarding of 490 head comprising 351 steers and 139 heifers.
The sale's $1181 overall top price was paid by Mark Semini, Semini Enterprises, Cowaramup, for a line of nine Angus steers weighing 441kg offered by JT & R Winfield Family Trust, Manjimup, with a 268c/kg bid.
Graham Brown was active throughout the sale servicing his Central Wheatbelt feeder order and included the next highest price of $1083 in his steer purchases, bidding 280c/kg for 12 Angus steers averaging 387kg from the paddocks of Glenwood Estate, Busselton, along with nine Angus cross steers weighing 377kg offered by HW Marsiske, Pinjarra, costing $1055 at 280c/kg.
Fresh face to the buying gallery this sale Stuart McCormack, Erindoon Farms, Pinjarra, was among the more influential buyers across the sale with an extensive account of steers and heifers and paid to $1037 in this section for 13 Angus steers weighing 376kg offered by JJ & SM Mildwaters, Abba River, bidding 276c/kg and paid $1006 at 282c/kg for 12 Angus steers averaging 357kg trucked in by Mt Ferguson Grazing Co, Dardanup.
Sale regular John Gallop and his southern lotfeeder client collected a few pens of Angus steers at the sale including paying $1032 at 284c/kg for 12 steers weighing 363kg offered by Poscavo Holdings Pty Ltd, Pemberton.
Manjimup graziers TJ & MB Waugh presented a quality draft of 79 Angus steers (264-357kg) with Mr Gallop paying their $1008 top price for the sale's opening line of 11 Angus steers weighing 375kg with a 282c/kg bid.
The Waugh draft also topped the sale's liveweight values at 294c/kg on two occasions, firstly paid by WJ McGrath & EA Deucker for 12 steers weighing 313kg to cost $921, while Lexden Park also bid 294c/kg for 11 steers weighing 298kg costing $875.
McGrath & Deucker earlier bid 290c/kg for 12 black Limousin cross steers weighing 313kg from Cavoto Bros, Thomson Brook, to cost $907.
Alex Roberts, Elders, Boyanup, collected six pens of steers for two grazier accounts including three pens from the Waugh's Angus draft and bidding to 284c/kg across multiple pens for Waugh and Cavoto steers (Limousin cross).
Rodney Galati, Galati Family Trust, Brunswick, was another prominent buyer for himself and a northern lotfeeder with nine pens of steers from this section.
There were few highlights in the run of heifers with the section's $556 and 162c/kg modest top price double clerked from the outset for eight Angus heifers averaging 343kg from the Waugh family's draft going to Mr Brown for his Wheatbelt feeder order.
The next highest price of $537 and 158c/kg was paid by Mr McCormack for nine Angus cross heifers weighing 340kg, consigned by Stirling Estate Chalets, Capel.
The balance of this heifer run was dominated by Greg Jones and Geoff Willis with Mr Jones collecting 10 pens for two grazier accounts bidding to 152c/kg for 10 Limousin cross heifers weighing 325kg from the Cavoto draft costing $494 while Mr Willis finished with six pens.
NUTRIEN LIVESTOCK
Nutrien Livestock took over the sale's reins to offer their catalogue of 938 weaners with 754 steers and 184 heifers on offer.
The section's first pen was knocked down for the $1107 top price with nine Angus steers tipping the scales at 439kg offered by Bandicoot Bay Farms, Quindalup, going to Mr Galati's winning 252c/kg bid.
Mr Semini returned to the clerking sheets early in the steer run, paying the next highest price of $1086 at 278c/kg for 20 Angus weaners averaging 391kg consigned by D & JM Walters, Acton Park.
Mr Gallop sourced a further five pens for his lotfeeder account at stronger values paying to a $1065 top price at 282c/kg for 12 Angus steers averaging 378kg from the Oldbury pastures of Avoca Dairy, 20 Angus steers weighing 378kg from the Walters draft for 280c/kg and $1058 and the section's 288c/kg top liveweight price for nine Angus cross steers averaging 369kg from Jay C Higgins, Donnybrook, costing $1064.
Mr Brown added a further five pens to his Wheatbelt feeder account paying to $1016 for seven Angus steers weighing 379kg with a 268c/kg bid.
Other higher liveweight prices included 286c/kg paid by Lexden Park for eight Angus steers averaging 319kg offered by DM Walters, Acton Park, costing $912 and 278c/kg bid by Mr Roberts on behalf of a local grazier for 12 Angus steers weighing 326kg ($907) from Red Wood Hills, Bridgetown.
The run of 100 Murray Grey steers offered by Hampden Farm, Donnybrook, painted a picture with the 214-333kg silver and grey well-bred steers selling from 228-258c/kg.
AH & SM Padman collected the first three heavier pens paying to the draft's top dollar for 30 steers.
Nutrien Livestock, Bridgetown agent Jamie Abbs sourced two pens of the Hampden Farm steers as did Pearce Watling, Elders, Donnybrook, both going to grazier orders.
The steer run rounded out with an extensive draft of 350 Shorthorn steers weighing from 230-289kg and sold from 240-252c/kg.
Armed with three significant orders from two graziers and a northern lotfeeder, Nutrien Livestock, Bridgetown agent Ben Cooper collected 25 of the 29 pens of well-bred steers with local grazier John Piscioneri, Bunbury, purchasing the balance.
A large line of 18 quality silver and red factor Charolais cross heifers averaging 348kg offered by MF & MA Hutton, Capel, took out the sale's top-price double when Nutrien Livestock, Capel agent Chris Waddingham bidding 212c/kg to cost $737 on behalf of a local grazier to join the 19 Hutton heifers on the truck he purchased earlier.
Mr Waddingham also secured four pens of heifers for another grazier client paying to $637 at 178c/kg for the first pen of 13 Black Simmental heifers weighing 358kg from a draft of 52 heifers offered by PG & BP Italiano, Harvey.
Mr Jones finished the sale with seven pens of heifers at good value from this section for a grazier order and Erindoon Farms added three consecutive pens of Angus heifers to their account, including two pens from the draft of 29 heifers from the paddocks of LT Armstrong & Sons, Tutunup.
WHAT THE AGENT SAID
Elders auctioneer and Donnybrook representative Pearce Watling said another full yarding of quality weaners was presented at Boyanup with numerous returning vendors supplying calves.
"Steer and heifer values both eased compared to the previous week's sale," Mr Watling said.
"Lightweight steers and heifers present a good opportunity for graziers to put away.
"Heavier types suited to the feedlot met reasonable enquiry."
