The Mount Barker Regional Saleyards will be full of black calves on Tuesday, January 9, when the Nutrien Livestock Great Southern team offers up 2300 quality Angus weaner calves from well-known southern producers.
This will be the 12th installment of the special Angus weaner sale hosted by Nutrien Livestock at the yards and, as in past years, the quality of the offering won't disappoint.
The full curfew sale will start at 11am and be interfaced on AuctionsPlus.
The work will also be done for buyers with all the calves being weaned for a minimum of 10 days and treated with Bovi-Shield MH1 or IBR, meaning they will be ready to go when they get to their new homes.
Nutrien Livestock, Mt Barker agent and sale co-ordinator Harry Carroll said the sale presented an opportunity for buyers in terms of the number of Angus calves available and how they have been prepared for sale.
"There are not many sales where buyers have an opportunity to select from 2300 Angus weaners which have a weight range that suits all markets - backgrounders, lotfeeders and live export," Mr Carroll said.
"It is a tremendous achievement to yard such a large yarding of Angus weaners backed by good breeding and top genetics.
"It is not only the numbers which makes this sale one-of-a-kind, but also the fact that we are providing a product that feedlots, live exporters and graziers are demanding in terms of their preparation.
"All the calves will have been weaned a minimum 10 days prior to the sale and they have all been treated with Bovi-Shield IBR or Bovi-Shield MH1 together with Rhinoguard.
"It's going to be a good yarding of Angus calves again this year and I believe most of the lines will be similar or heavier than last year."
Mr Carroll said despite many lines being weaned a lot earlier than normal due to the season drying off quickly, the calves were all in great condition and would be ideal for a range of markets.
"The majority of the yarding will be made up of steers but there will also be a small run of heifers and among these will be some heifers which will make excellent future breeders,'' he said.
"The overall yarding, which is mainly from repeat vendors, will present very well and genetically a lot of these calves are very well bred, as the majority of vendors are prepared to invest in the best genetics available.
"They are a credit to the vendors and their breeding programs they are running."
Regular vendors, the Bairstow family, Arizona Farms, Lake Grace, will offer the largest draft with 500 steers.
The March/April/May-drop steers are based almost on pure Coonamble Angus bloodlines and will range from 320-450 kilograms.
Nutrien Livestock Great Southern manager Bob Pumphrey said the Bairstows' steers would not disappoint.
"They are a top line of steers and will be similar to usual in weight despite being weaned earlier due to the dry season," Mr Pumphrey said.
"The early weaning hasn't affected them at all."
The steers were weaned in mid-October and have been treated with Bovi-Shield MH1 and Rhinogard.
They have also had 7in1, Piliguard and a Swish treatment.
The next biggest vendor will be inaugural vendors the Carroll family, Rayview Park, Albany, with 300 steers.
The Rayview Park steers are based on predominantly Coonamble bloodlines but they will also offer a run of steers by Arkle Paratrooper bulls.
The March/April drop steers are expected to weigh 330-400kg.
Mr Carroll said the Rayview steers were in top condition and come sale time they will have been weaned for six to eight weeks.
The Rayview Park steers have been treated with Bovi-Shield IBR.
The calves were weaned in November and have been backgrounded on hay and silage.
Long-time vendors the Blyth family, MJ Blyth & Co, Manypeaks, will also be among the largest vendors with an offering of 250 steers from their 800-head breeding herd.
The Blyths' calves, which are from a March and May calving, are predominantly sired by Coonamble bulls.
Calves carrying Koojan Hills, Tullibardine and Arkle Angus bloodline will also be offered.
Mr Carroll said the quality line of calves would weigh 320-450kg to average about 380kg.
The Blyths' March drop calves will be weaned for 10 weeks by sale time, while the May drop line will be six weeks weaned.
The calves, which were weaned earlier than normal due to the season, were weaned onto silage and have had two 7in1 treatments, along with a drench and a mineral injection at the beginning of December.
The line has also been treated with Bovi-Shield MH1 and Rhinogard.
The Blyths' cattle enterprise is Coles Grazed accredited and J-BAS 6 accredited.
Vendor and fellow Manypeaks producers Tim and David Pyle, Millstream Pastoral, will also offer a significant draft.
The Pyles have nominated 200 steers which are based on Coonamble and Koojan Hills bloodlines.
The March/April drop steers were weaned in mid-November and will be weaned for eight weeks by sale time.
Mr Carroll said the impressive line of steers would suit a range of markets, with a weight of 350-410kg.
The Toovey family, LT Toovey & Sons, Cranbrook, will offer 110 steers with a weight range of 300-340kg.
The May/June-drop steers are from the family's large breeding herd based on its own Boyacup Angus stud bloodlines, which has a strong Mordallup, Coonamble and Black Market influence in it.
The line will be yard weaned in the lead up to the sale.
The Gatti family, L & C Gatti, Redmond, will feature in the line-up with 100 steers based on Coonamble and Tullibardine bloodlines.
The February to April drop steers, which have been bred in the Gatti family's herd of 550 breeders, will weigh from 330-390kg.
By sale day they will have been weaned for two months.
They had a mineral drench at the beginning of December and were treated with Bovi-Shield IBR.
Regular sale vendor the Wright family, RA & MA Wright, Kojonup, have nominated 50 steers.
The 8-10mo calves are based on mainly Ardcairnie bloodlines.
The steers, which were weaned in December, will average about 340kg and have been treated with Bovi-Shield IBR.
Also trucking calves down from Kojonup will be the Jones family, Wembley Park Grazing Pty Ltd, who have nominated 50 steers.
The 8-10mo steers will average 340kg and will be treated with Bovi-Shield IBR.
The Jones' calves are based on Mason Valley, Ardcairnie, Ponderosa and Koojan Hills breeding.
From further afield will be 60 steers from long-time vendors MF & KL Zweck, Pingrup.
The April-drop calves have been bred from Coonamble bloodlines.
They were weaned in early November and will range from 320-360kg.
The line has been treated with Bovi-Shield MH1 and Rhinogard along with Multimin, 7in1 and Vitamin B12.
Some vendors will offer both steers and heifers in the sale - the biggest of these will be Johnson Bros, Albany.
Johnson Bros have nominated 70 steers and 25 heifers based mainly on Tullibardine bloodlines.
The draft, which has been treated with Bovi-Shield MH1, is expected to weigh 350-380kg.
The heifer offering will have potential breeders up for grabs.
Albany-based, the BJ Panizza Family Trust will offer steers and heifers in its line-up which will be treated with Bovi-Shield IBR.
It has nominated 40 steers and 30 heifers which are based on majority Tullibardine bloodlines.
The steers will range from 360-400kg while the heifers will be in the 350-370kg range - with potential breeders among them.
Also in this category will be Maringa Nominees Pty Ltd, Albany and Webster Grazing, Denmark.
Maringa Nominees has nominated 35 steers and 25 steers based on Coonamble bloodlines.
The February-drop calves were weaned in early December.
The steers will weigh 360-380kg while the heifer line, with future breeders in it, will average 350kg.
Webster Grazing's consignment will consist of 55 steers and 15 heifers based on Gandy Angus bloodlines.
The March-drop calves will average 350kg and will be weaned for 20 days.
The line has been treated with Bovi-Shield MH1 and Rhinogard.
Concluding the bigger vendors in this category, Howard Farms, Mt Barker, will offer 50 steers and 25 heifers based on Ardcairnie bloodlines, weighing 330-360kg, that have been treated with Bovi-Shield IBR.
