PTIC Angus heifers top at $2000

Prices hit a high of $2000 for PTIC Angus heifers, while proven PTIC breeders sold to a top of $1950 for second calvers.

There was good competition throughout from the 53 registered buyers, which was up from 37 registrations on last year, which helped the Elders selling team, led by auctioneer Wayne Mitchell, achieve values which were above most vendors' expectations.

By the final pen, the Elders selling team had sold 625 breeders from the 718 offered for an average of $1276, which was back $1516 on last year's sale when seasonal and market conditions were more favourable.

The yarding included 10 unjoined heifers that all sold at $650, while 365 PTIC heifers sold from 448 at an average of $1283 and 250 from 250 PTIC second calvers through to mature females sold for an average of $1290.

The sale, which is named after former Elders, Albany livestock agent Ray Norman, who lost his battle with cancer in 2018, not only gave producers a chance to secure quality breeding females, but also an opportunity for the industry to raise funds for the Albany Community Hospice.

This year the charity section of the auction consisted of eight PTIC Angus heifers and second calvers donated by BJ & KL Harriss, Narrikup, Merinvale Grazing, Redmond, RT & ME Cyster, Denmark, A & G Perrella, Albany, Dajara Farm, Narrikup, Hillcrest Farms, Walpole, Gatti Grazing, Albany and L & C Gatti, Redmond, along with 10 unmated 2023-drop Angus heifers donated by an undisclosed Napier producer.

All eight heifers were purchased by regular supporters of the charity auction Ken and Angela Zambonetti, K & A Zambonetti, Napier, who bid the sale's $2000 top price for four of PTIC charity females offered and $1900 for the other four.

The 10 unmated heifers were knocked down at $650 to Alastair Murray, AG & JC Murray, Tullibardine Angus stud, Albany.

These sales along with other donations saw $23,400 raised from the sale for the Albany Community Hospice.

Like the charity pens, the rest of the females on offer received good competition in the main from buyers to ensure they headed to new homes.

Outside the charity pens the highest price paid was $1950 twice for two pens of PTIC Angus second calvers, which were the first to be offered outside the charity component.

The pens of seven and nine head were offered by regular vendors the Young family, Hillcrest Farms, Walpole and purchased by Andy and Sarah Frost, AJ & SJ Frost, Narrikup, who purchased females from the Walpole enterprise last year.

Along with purchasing these two top-priced pens, the Frosts also went to $1900 for another pen of nine PTIC Angus second calvers from the Youngs.

All three pens of second calvers purchased by the Frosts were PTIC to Angus bulls and due to calve from March 1 to April 25.

Also in the second calver run Greg Brook, Albany and the Estate of TS McIntosh, Youngs Siding, offered females.

Greg Brook offered three pens of Angus females which were PTIC to Gandy Angus bulls and due to calve from March 9 to May 16.

Elders, Esperance agent Michael Forward, purchased two of these pens, bidding to $1900 for seven and $1800 for six.

When it came to the offering from the Estate of TS McIntosh, it consisted of three pens of genuine dispersal Lincoln Red breeders and two of them which contained seven and six head were purchased by P & AM Mostert, Redmond, at $1200.

All the McIntosh females were PTIC to Tone Park Lincoln Red bulls and due to calve from January 30 to May 22.

PTIC heifers made up the biggest percentage of the yarding and these topped at $1900 early in the run when return vendors RT & ME Cyster, Denmark, sold a pen of six Angus at this value.

The heifers, which are PTIC to an Ardcairnie Angus bull and due to calve from February 2 to May 6, were purchased by Elders, Manjimup representative Cameron Harris, who was buying for Bachos Holdings, Manjimup.

The Cysters sold a second pen of six PTIC Angus heifers with the same calving details for $1700 to Telina Downs, Esperance.

After purchasing the pen of heifers from the Cysters, Telina Downs, was quick to snap up the next pen on offer which was eight Angus heifers from repeat vendors G & M Davy, Albany, at $1600.

The pen of eight was one of six pens of Angus heifers (45 head) offered by the Davy family which were PTIC Coonamble Angus bulls and due to calve from February 1 to April 30.

Two other pens from the Davy family made $1500 or more when a pen of eight sold to GJ & RJ Ward, Pingelly, at $1750 while a pen of seven made $1500 knocked down to Elshape Family Trust, Albany.

Other vendors to see returns of more than $1500 for their PTIC Angus heifers were Greg Brook and BJ & KL Harriss.

Greg Brook sold two of his three pens of heifers which were PTIC to Black Simmental bulls and due to calve from March 3 to April 15, for more than $1500.

Nutrien Livestock, Albany/Denmark representative Laurence Grant, purchased two of them, going to $1650 for six and $1550 for seven.

When it came to the Harriss family, it offered three pens of Angus heifers which were PTIC to Coonamble and Lawsons Angus bull and due to calve from March 30 to May 18 and two sold at more than $1500 when GJ & RJ Ward, picked up 10 at $1650 and Kookabrook Livestock, Pinjarra, purchased 10 at $1500.

Also seeing a return of more than $1500 for its PTIC Angus heifers was Dajara Farm which sold a pen of 10 that were in calf to Ballawinna Angus bulls and due to calve from March 17 to May 8, for $1700 to H Wolfe & Co, Bornholm.

Unicup-based RW Bevan, offered a significant number of PTIC Angus cross females as part of a herd dispersal including 68 heifers across seven pens.

Four pens had been AI'd to a low birthweight Angus bull and had a 20-day calving period starting March 4.

Two of these pens were purchased by Elders, Donnybrook representative Pearce Watling for a South West grazier, while Castleview Farm, Porongurup, buying through Elders, Albany agent Nigel Hawke purchased one pen.

Mr Watling bid to $1400 for 11 and $1250 for five, while Mr Hawke secured 10 at $1250 to go with a pen of six heifers from the Bevans which were PTIC to Gandy and Mordallup Angus bulls and due to calve from March 4 to May 13.

Another volume vendor of PTIC Angus heifers was Yarralena Grazing, Cranbrook, which offered and sold 46 over five pens.

These heifers were PTIC to low birthweight Gandy Angus bulls and due to calve from February 24 to May 17.

Mr Watling was a volume buyer of these heifers for his South West client, buying two pens of nine and a pen of eight all at $1100.

The single pen of eight Angus-Friesian first-cross heifers offered was sold by JG & E Moir, Narrikup and purchased at $1800 by BL & SJ Nairn, Redmond.

The roomy first-cross heifers were carrying calves sired by a Summit Gelbvieh bull.

In addition to the large run of Angus and Angus cross PTIC heifers offered, there were also a small number of PTIC Murray Grey, Lincoln Red and Shorthorn heifers sold.

The Murray Grey offering topped at $1150 for a pen of 10 grey heifers from BJ & KL Harriss when they were knocked down to the Lavender family, GE & NA Lavender, Williams.

The Lavenders also went to $1100 for a second pen of the Harriss family's grey heifers which contained nine head.

Both pens of heifers were PTIC Coonamble and Lawsons Angus bulls and due to calve from March 30 to May 15.

Along with selling proven breeders the Estate of TS McIntosh sold five pens (33 head) of Lincoln Red heifers to a top of $1300.

The Turner family, R & HM Turner, Tonebridge, purchased the top-priced pen of eight along with a pen of five and a pen of six both at $1200.

The heifers were PTIC to Tone Park Lincoln Red bulls and are due to calve from January 30 to May 22.

The sale rounded out with a run of proven breeders which were all dispersal lines.

The McIntosh family kicked off these lines with three pens of third and fourth Lincoln Red calvers which were PTIC to Tone Park Lincoln Red bulls and are due to calve from January 30 to May 22.

Gatti Grazing purchased two pens which both contained nine head at $1550 and $1500, while RL Cake & Co, Robinson, secured nine at $1450.

Manypeaks-based Geddes Pastoral offered six pens of Angus fourth and fifth calvers (44 head) alongside five Murray Greys and three Red Angus which were also fourth and fifth calvers.

Andy and Sarah Frost purchased two pens of eight Angus fifth calvers at $1300, while South Coast Grazing, Kalgan, went to $1250 for a pen of eight fourth and fifth Angus calvers.

All the Geddes Pastoral females were PTIC to Mason Valley Angus bulls and are due to calve from April 6 to May 22.

Along with selling PTIC Angus cross and Murray Grey heifers, RW Bevan also sold a run of 91 Angus cross and Murray Grey cross mixed age cows for between $900 and $1200.

South Coast Grazing purchased a pen of eight Angus cross at $1200, while Avon Valley Beef secured two pens of six Angus cross both at $1200 and D & E Hutton, Witchcliffe, went to $1200 for a pen of six Murray Grey cross.

All the Bevan cows were PTIC to Gandy and Mordallup Angus bulls with a calving date of March 10 to June 12.