Despite apprehension at the start, the first Boyanup weaner sale of 2024 saw values comparable with the last sales of 2023.
In the sale, steers calves topped at $1096 and 306c/kg while heifers sold to $948 and 254c/kg.
It was a sale, where the better cattle were very good while the tail end were of much lower quality, weights and bloom, which resulted in these seeing reduced interest from buyers.
Just over 850 cattle were presented between the two agents and the main buyers were again live exporters, feedlots and agents, while a few graziers managed to secure some pens.
Some heavy calves were also offered in the line-up as a result of producers being unable to find kill space at processors and these were of excellent quality.
Nutrien Livestock
An offering of 492 calves from Nutrien Livestock got the sale off to a good start with its first pen of nine steers weighing 427kg from BJ & RJ Feutrill, Vasse, topping at $1078 when Graeme Brown bid to 252c/kg for them.
Two more pens of Feutrill calves were clerked to Mr Brown, with both lines containing 10 steers selling for $1008 and $1001 for 250c/kg and 258c/kg respectively.
Livestock Shipping Services (LSS) then paid $1052 for eight weaners weighing 424kg at 248c/kg from SG & K Nicolaou & Son, Manjimup, before buying the next pen of 10 for $942.
Cole Family Trust, Nannup, sold nine Angus weighing 396kg to Mr Brown who paid $1015 at 256c/kg for the nine in the pen.
One of the larger drafts was from GL & RK Dickson, Nannup, with the first line of 12 Angus weighing 361kg going to LSS at $960 and 266c/kg.
Nutrien Livestock, Manjimup representative Brett Chatley paid the top in the Dickson offering, $962 at 290c/kg for 10 steers weighing 332kg.
The next pen produced the day's top cents per kilogram price for steers of 306c/kg when the 10 weighing 300kg cost AH & SM Padman, Capel, $918.
This buyer later paid $937 for another 10 weighing 306kg.
Nutrien Livestock, Busselton/Margaret River agent Jock Embry bought several pens for different clients, paying a top of $916 for 11 weighing 303kg at 302c/kg.
Mr Embry also paid $1045 for nine Murray Grey cross steers weighing 408kg at 256c/kg as well.
Other steers late in the Nutrien Livestock run included two Charolais cross sold by F Grantham & Sons, weighing 407kg cost Nutrien Livestock, Bridgetown agent Ben Cooper $994.
Mr Cooper also paid $940 for another three of the Grantham Charolais.
It was almost at the end of the Nutrien Livestock section before its top price heifers sold, when a pen of Charolais cross from the F Grantham & Sons draft weighing 403kg sold to Nutrien Livestock, Waroona agent Richard Pollock, for $912 and 226c/kg.
Another seven F Grantham & Sons Charolais cross heifers weighing 373kg went to Mr Cooper at 244c/kg to cost $911, who also took two other pens for up to 230c/kg.
The top cents per kilogram heifer price for the day of 254c/kg went to 10 Angus heifers weighing 340kg from Damper Gully Farms when Mr Cooper outlaid $863.
Two pens of the Damper Gully Farms females went to LSS with both lines containing five returning $764 and $672.
Three pens of Angus heifers sold by GL & RK Dickson, Nannup, were all snapped up by Nutrien Livestock, Boyanup/Capel agent Chris Waddingham, who paid to $725 in securing all three pens at 250c/kg.
Elders
The Elders offering started with an outstanding draft of calves from FR & LJ Prosser, Scott River, with the first pen of 14 Angus cross weighing 453kg selling to Harvey Beef for $1079 and 239c/kg.
Elders, Capel representative Alex Tunstill then paid $1028 at 250c/kg for seven Prosser blacks weighing 411kg.
Further into the sale it was a pen of nine Prosser Charolais cross steers that topped the day at $1096 when the 445kg steers sold at 246c/kg when bought through AuctionsPlus for a local feedlot.
The next pen of seven weighing 448kg was also bought by this buyer at $1076 and 240c/kg.
All lines of the Prosser draft of both breeds all sold at more than $1000.
Mr Brown added support to the Prosser cattle, taking two pens of Charolais at $1041 and $1019 for 266c/kg and 262c/kg respectively.
Mr Brown later added four steers of 326kg from BP & NC McGinty, Greenbushes, with these returning $1018 and 250c/kg.
Elders, Busselton representative Jacques Martinson bid to 300c/kg for two lines of Angus sold by
J & DL Borgoias, Manjimup, with the top 12 weighing 311kg costing $935. The top pen of heifers, 12 Charolais cross weighing 402kg from FR & LF Prosser in the first pen topped at $948 when Mr Waddingham bid to 236c/kg.
Mr Tunstill bought a pen of seven for $843 while Mr Cooper paid $790 for 13 weighing 343kg.
Kevin Armstrong, Willowbank, Benger, paid the top heifer cents per kilogram price in the Elders offering of 252c/kg for 12 Angus heifers sold by J & DL Borgoias, Manjimup, with the 355kg calves returning $894.
As the sale moved on to the lighter weight heifers, LSS, Mr Brown and Elders, Manjimup representative Cameron Harris took the majority of the lines sold.
