It was smiles all round at last week's Elders Boyanup Beef Female Sale, with vendors and agents walking away happy with both prices and clearances given the current position of the cattle market.
Despite the cattle market being well back on the previous couple of years, interest in the offering of PTIC beef females was still strong, with buyers pushing prices to a high of $3450 for PTIC Angus females carrying their second calf.
As a result of this interest there was good demand right through the catalogue, suggesting the 61 registered buyers who were not only from the South West, but as far away as Hopetoun, Green Range and the Wheatbelt, still have confidence in the beef industry.
The Elders South West team offered 632 PTIC females from 19 different vendors, which had been pregnancy tested in calf and had a vendor guaranteed maximum 12 week calving period, plus all had been ear-notch tested bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) free providing buyers confidence in the heifers on offer.
With solid bidding support in the stands, the selling team led by auctioneer Pearce Watling, cleared 598 females under the hammer at an average of $2236, which was back $1239 on last year's sale when 402 females sold from 425 offered.
The offering comprised of 602 PTIC heifers and 30 PTIC Angus rising second calvers.
In the heifer offering, 568 head sold under the hammer to a top of $3200 and at an average of $2181, which was back $1345 on last year's sale while all 30 PTIC rising second calvers sold at an average of $3275.
PTIC Angus heifers
Angus heifers not only made up the biggest percentage of the heifer yarding at 83 per cent, but they also created the most interest among buyers when it came to the heifers in the line-up.
All up 498 Angus heifers were offered and sold for between $1500 and $3200, to finish at an average of $2146.
Leading the charge in the Angus heifer offering in terms of price and achieving the run's $3200 top price twice, was second time vendors the Waugh family, TJ & MB Waugh, Manjimup.
Recording the $3200 price tag for the Waugh family were two pens of eight well-grown, owner-bred heifers when they were both knocked down to first time buyers Bevan and Shane Blakers, CT Blakers Farming, Manjimup.
The Blakers also purchased the other two pens of eight heifers offered by the Waugh family at $2750 and $2700.
All four pens of the Waugh heifers had been synchronised AI mated to US Angus sire RR Endeavour on May 12, 2023 and they have a 20 day calving period of February 12 to March 3.
Shane Blakers said they were looking for well-bred heifers to establish a breeding herd as they had previously run steers.
"We really liked the look of the heifers from the Waugh family and they came highly recommended," Mr Blakers said.
"They look good and they have the runs on the board, so we believe they will be a great starting point for our breeding herd."
All up the Waughs offered and sold 32 Angus heifers for an average of $2963.
The next best price in the Angus heifer run was $2900 for a pen of nine heifers from Bacchus Farms, Busselton, when sold to Brookvale Nominees Pty Ltd, Busselton, which purchased with the assistance of Elders, Boyanup representative Alex Roberts.
All up Bacchus Farms offered and sold 24 Angus heifers, which were PTIC to Blackrock Angus bulls and due to calve from March 12 to May 21.
In addition to the heifers purchased from the Waughs, the Blakers also purchased a pen of six heifers from Bacchus Farms for $2650.
Longtime sale vendors the Harris family, Treeton Lake, Cowaramup and Dardanup, were among the top prices in the Angus run offering and selling 34 heifers to a top of $2850 and an average of $2569.
Recording the $2850 price in the Treeton Lake run was seven heifers, which were synchronised AI joined to Black Market Swindell S145, due to calve for 20 days from March 2, when they were knocked down to Brookvale Nominees.
Treeton Lake also sold seven heifers for $2750 to Cavoto Bros, Donnybrook, which had the same calving details as its top price pen, as well as two pens of seven which are PTIC to Gandy Angus bulls and due to calve from March 23 to May 19 for $2500 to Mr Roberts, who was buying for
J Allan, Burekup and $2450 to the Blakers family.
The MacLeay family, Blackrock Angus stud, Vasse, also saw one the higher returns when their pen of six owner-bred heifers sold at $2700 to J & B Meehan, Bridgetown.
The heifers from the MacLeay family were PTIC to Blackrock Angus bulls and due to calve from March 11 to May 12.
The Corker family, AD & RM Corker, Kirup, for a second year running was the largest vendor in the sale offering and selling 95 Angus heifers from $1600 to $2550 to average $2088.
The heifers on offer from the Corker family were PTIC to Monterey and Tullibardine Angus bulls and due to calve from March 3 to May 5 (nine week calving period).
Taking home the Corker's $2550 top-priced pen which contained seven heifers was Mark and Pamela Wood, MA & PK Wood, Green Range.
This wasn't the only pen of heifers the Wood family purchased from the Corkers, they also purchased another three pens of seven all at $2200.
Also buying from the Corkers offering was Queenwood Orchard Trust, Lowden, which collected eight at $2350, while J Allan and RG Rusconi, Collie, both purchased pens of seven at $2150 and JJ & SM Mildwaters, Abba River, secured eight at $2050 and five at $1600.
The Watt family, GJ & J Watt, Cowaramup, had a big number of Angus heifers in the yarding and were also among the higher prices.
All up the Watts offered and sold 74 Angus heifers for between $1500 and $2600 to finish with an average of $1888 across their offering.
Along with buying from the Corkers Mark and Pamela Wood were also good supporters of the Watt's offering.
They bought the top-priced pen which contained seven heifers at $2600 as well as another seven at $2450 and six at $2100 plus pens containing four and five head both at $1950.
All the heifers purchased by the Woods from the Watt offering were synchronised AI mated and due to calve for 20 days from February 24 to Chiltern Park Moe M6.
Along with selling syncrhonised AI mated heifers, the Watt family also offered heifers which were PTIC to Blackrock Angus bulls.
Moses Rock Ecology Pty Ltd, Busselton, bought two lots, a pen of eight and a pen of seven which are due to calve from March 1 for six weeks, selling at $1900 and $1750, while GA & LE Jenkins, purchased two pens of eight from the offering both at $1500 that had a seven week calving from March 25 to May 18.
Unicup-based producers RW Bevan offered and sold 91 Angus heifers (12 pens) for between $1500 and $2600 at an average of $2169 and they were all knocked down to Elders, Manjimup/Pemberton representative Brad McDonnell.
The heifers sold by the Bevan family were synchronised AI to low birthweight Angus bulls on June 2 and then backed up by Gandy and Mordallup Angus sires from June 2 to September 4 which gives them a 10 week calving starting from March 4.
Warren Valley Farm, Quinninup, offered and sold seven pens of Angus heifers totalling 46 for between $1500 and $2050 at an average of $1830.
All the Warren Valley Farm heifers had been AI'd to Chiltern Park Moe M6 on May 10 and then backed up with Gandy Angus bulls.
The first five pens from Warren Valley Farm were from the AI joining and had a 20 day calving starting February 12.
Tempra Bros, Manjimup, purchased a pen of seven and a pen of five from the AI joining line at $2050 and $1800, while CA & SJ Jones, Thomson Brook, through Mr Roberts purchased seven at $2000.
Whicher Park, Donnybrook, saw returns of $2000 or more for their Angus heifers, offering and selling three pens (21 head) for between $2000 and $2350 at an average of $2167.
Yates Family Trust secured seven Whicher Park heifers at $2350 while The Farming Co, North Dandalup and HH Clifton, Boyanup, both purchased seven at $2150 and $2000 respectively.
All three pens were synchronised AI mated to an Angus bull and backed up with Angus bulls and due to calve from February 18 to April 21.
Other vendors to see returns of $2000 or more for their Angus heifers were B & L Fleay, Donnybrook, which sold two pens of seven at $2350 and $2000 to Yates Family Trust, Collie and Notechis Pty Ltd, Benger, while Caris Park, Pinjarra, sold two pens of seven at $2100 and $2000 to Queenwood Orchard Trust and Yourdaming Grazing, Collie.
Willarty Angus, Pinjarra and ST Francis, Paradise, were also in this category.
Willarty Angus sold six at $2300 while ST Francis sold eight at $2000 with both lines going to J Allan.
PTIC Red Angus heifers
The Red Angus heifers were next into the ring and in this section four vendors combined to offer and sell 45 head to a top of $2900 and an average of $2671.
Leading the charge in terms of both prices and numbers in the run was return vendor Norm Dennis, GF Dennis & Co, Anniebrook.
Mr Dennis offered and sold 22 heifers that were PTIC to a Willandra Red Angus bull and due to calve for seven weeks from February 27 to April 16.
By the end of the run after some competitive bidding from a number of different parties, all 22 heifers, which were sold in four pens, had been purchased by Nutrien Livestock, Margaret River/Busselton agent Jock Embry, for a return buyer from $2500 to a top of $2900 at an average of $2705.
After selling Angus heifers the Harris family, Treeton Lake, offered and sold 10 Red Angus heifers (two pens) at an average of $2690 and both pens were purchased by A & K Bashford, Busselton.
The Bashfords paid $2850 for a pen of six and $2450 for four.
The Treeton Lake heifers are carrying Bandeeka Red Angus blood calves and they are due to calve over a 10-week period from March 2 to May 12.
Along with buying heifers from Treeton Lake in the run the Bashfords also picked up the 12 heifers (two pens) offered and sold by IR & SA Ryan, Manjimup, at an average of $2650.
The Bashfords picked up the first pen of six at $2850 and then paid $2450 for the final six.
The heifers sold by the Ryans had been AI mated to an Angus bull and then backed up with Angus bulls in the paddock.
They were sold with a six week calving period from March 6 to April 24.
A single Red Angus heifer from B & L Fleay sold for $2000 to HH Clifton.
PTIC Murray Grey heifers
Unlike their Angus and Red Angus counterparts the Murray Grey heifers found the going a bit tougher and weren't as strongly sought after.
In this section of the sale four vendors offered 53 Murray Grey heifers but a lack of enquiry saw only 19 sell under the hammer to a top of $2300 and an average of $1979.
Topping the price in the run was return vendor the Bagshaw family, Young Guns Murray Grey stud, Hyden, which offered and sold 10 heifers in two pens of five, to a top of $2300 and an average of $2050.
The two pens of heifers sold by the Bagshaw family were purchased by Ironstone Rise, Ferguson, at $2300 and $1800.
Both pens of heifers were PTIC to a Young Guns Murray Grey bull and due to calve from March 15 to April 29.
The second best price for Murray Grey heifers was $2000 for six heifers from ST Francis which were PTIC to an Angus sire and due to calve from March 1 to May 9, when they sold to David D Taylor, Nannup.
Rounding out the vendors to sell in the run was Nangara Grazing, Manjimup, which sold three heifers at $1700 to Maranup Ford Grazing Company, Bridgetown.
PTIC Speckle Park heifers
There was one pen of Speckle Park heifers in the line-up and they were offered by the Harris family, Treeton Lake.
The pen of six heifers, which were PTIC to a Bandeeka Red Angus bull and due to calve from March 2 to May 12, sold at $2050 to The Farming Company.
PTIC Angus rising second calvers
A run of Angus rising second calvers, carrying their second calf, may have been the last to be offered in the sale but they certainly weren't the least when they sold for the day's $3450 top price.
In the run there were 30 females offered and sold (six pens of five head) from RW Bevan and they sold between $2950 and the day's $3450 top price to average $3275.
After securing all the heifers offered by the Bevan family, Mr McDonnell was also keen to secure as many of their rising second calvers as possible.
In the end he finished securing four of the pens at the top price of $3450, as well as at $3350, $3150 and $2950.
The other two pens of first calvers sold by the Bevans were purchased by Cavoto Bros at $3400 and DV Piscioneri, Donnybrook.
All the rising second calvers sold by the Bevans were PTIC to Gandy and Mordallup Angus bulls and due to calve from March 4 to May 13.
WHAT THE AGENT SAID
Elders, Donnybrook representative and sale auctioneer Pearce Watling said Elders congratulated the vendors on the outstanding quality of females offered in the Elders 2024 Beef Female Sale.
"It was an extremely positive sale given the current cattle market which saw buyers pay to a top of $3200 for synchronised AI mated heifers," Mr Watling said.
"Another highlight was the prices achieved on the young cows topping at $3450.
"The sale saw strong interest from new and repeat buyers who bid strongly and were happy to pay for the quality on offer throughout the large yarding.
"Elders would like to thank all purchasers and under bidder who operated in the 2024 Elders Beef Female Sale."
