Another near-capacity yarding of weaned weaner calves was presented by combined agents, Elders and Nutrien Livestock at Boyanup last week.
Auctioneers had a tough day at the office in mounting heat as bidders were reluctant to start until values had dropped to a low level, then were prepared to bid, somewhat slowly at times, until value was reached.
Local lotfeeders were absent, apart from Semini Feeds, Cowaramup, which bought several pens of heavier types.
Graham Brown, Brown's Cattle Consulting, was a dominant buyer, having a battle against bids through AuctionsPlus which purchased numerous pens for different destinations.
In the Elders section, AuctionsPlus had four active bidders with two successful in purchasing 26 lots with 206 bids on 40 different pens which assisted the sale result.
Overall, steer calves topped at $1282 and 308c/kg, while heifers also reached 308c/kg and $1218 for one isolated special line.
SALE SUMMARY
- Weaner steers: 200-308c/kg ($662-$1282)
- Weaner heifers: 170-308c/kg ($459-$1218)
Comparing apples with apples, the overall result was similar to the previous sale with minor variation, up and down, in various types.
The largest difference was for the top pen of heifers in Elders that made $1218 and 308c/kg with most lines selling for more than 50c/kg less than this.
ELDERS
Selling first, Elders offered 560 calves with 300 heifers being the biggest catalogue of females.
The first pen of steers from MD & LJ Armstrong took top-priced honours when bought by Semini Enterprises for $1158, bidding to 272c/kg for the 426kg Angus steers.
Errol Gardiner, Nutrien Livestock, Brunswick/Harvey, then paid $1012 and 280c/kg for another nine of the Armstrong steers weighing 361kg.
The earlier higher prices included 10 steers weighing 396kg from Kirkpatrick and Inger which made $1180 bought by Semini Enterprises and another 11 of these went to Brad McDonnell, Elders, Pemberton, at $1040 and 292c/kg.
Preston Brae Angus sold 10 weighing 346kg for $1065 at the top steer price of 308c/kg, going to Alex Roberts, Elders, Boyanup.
Towards the end of the Elders steers, a pen of nine Murray Greys from Kirkpatrick and Inger sold to Semini Enterprises for $1030 with the 381kg steers making 270c/kg.
The best of the Charolais cross sold to Semini Enterprises also, returning $964 to PJ & BJ Tognolini, Dardanup, when selling at 268c/kg.
Steers from the Southern Forrest region returned to the area when the six weighing 319kg from F Pessotto & Sons were bought by Elders, Pemberton, for $912 and 286c/kg.
Later the Pessotto draft saw another three Simmental cross go to Semini Enterprises at $982 and 268c/kg.
The first pen of heifers sold by MD & LJ Armstrong topped the sale at $1218 and 308c/kg, going to Alex Tunstill, Elders, Capel, after a long bidding duel.
Prices did not stay up that high, with the bulk of the females selling around the 230c/kg mark.
Seven Angus from Preston Brae Angus sold for 230c/kg, the first going to AuctionsPlus to cost $755.
Elders, Margaret River, paid 230c/kg for two lines of 10 sold by DD & EM Hutton, Witchcliffe, to return $715 and $687.
This buyer went on to bid to 234c/kg for weaners from MD & LJ Armstrong and Yondalee Farms.
AuctionsPlus and Mr Brown shared 23 different lines at this point paying to a top of 230c/kg.
NUTRIEN LIVESTOCK
Nutrien Livestock started with several pens of steers all more than 400kg with the second pen offered from CA & DA Tillbrook topping at $1282 when the eight Angus weighing 436kg sold at 294c/kg to Mr Brown, buying for Princess Royal Feedlot, South Australia.
Three steers weighing 428kg from PJ & LM Whitney joined these when the 428kg steers made $1173 at 274c/kg.
Seven steers weighing 428kg from TH Rimmer were up there in value when going to Semini Enterprises for $1260 and 294c/kg.
Just shy of this price was the next pen from CG & AM Wills & Son, Busselton, when the 11 weighing 459kg made $1259 at 274c/kg when bought for Princess Royal.
Two pens from Prestidge and Hilwig impressed Semini Enterprises which bid to $1253 and $1176, both lines at 294c/kg before the third pen from this vendor made $1076 at 286c/kg when bought for Princess Royal.
The first run of Tonebridge Grazing weaners saw its second line of nine weighing 389kg just missing the top price when making 296c/kg costing Semini Enterprises $1152.
Two other lines made $1193 at 294c/kg bought for Princess Royal and nine weighing 358kg were snapped up by Mr McDonnell.
Murray Grey steers from Timbarra Trading weighing 406kg cost Semini Enterprises $1122 when the eight made 276c/kg.
Trucked from the Williams area, steers from DP & GR Cowcher were well received by buyers, with the first pen selling at $1115 and 286c/kg going to an AuctionsPlus account at Pinjarra.
A line of 12 weighing 304kg took top price of 298c/kg when bought by Jock Embry, Nutrien Livestock, Busselton/Margaret River.
Red Angus offered by Peter Johnson, Dardanup, sold to Jamie Abbs, Nutrien Livestock, Boyup Brook, with the 444kg steers making $1226 at 276c/kg.
In the lighter weight steers, Murray Greys weighing 346kg from AP & JW Whiteford went to Princess Royal for $893.
Hereford steers sold by Tonebridge Grazing saw 10 weighing 349kg go to Princess Royal for $908 with grey steers sold from the Cowcher draft of similar weights sold for $892 and $854 when bought by Princess Royal and RL Giudici respectively.
Nutrien Livestock had a smaller number of heifers in its yarding with a pen of six Murray Grey heifers sold by TH & M Rimmer, Waterloo, topping at $800 when the 374kg heifers were bought at 214c/kg for Harris Beef, Dardanup, by their agent, Chris Waddingham, Nutrien Livestock, Capel.
The top price of 234c/kg was paid by Mr Tunstill for 10 Red Angus heifers sold account PD & K Grant when the 280kg heifers cost $657.
Other higher returns included two pens from JE, EC & BE Franklin going to South Australia at $878 and $779 at 220c/kg and 210c/kg respectively.
WHAT THE AGENT SAID
Elders auctioneer and Donnybrook representative Pearce Watling said it was a very good quality yarding of 1284 weaner cattle in a market which appears to be on the rise.
"Weights were up slightly this sale on the back of heavy cattle selling well at the previous couple of sales," Mr Watling said.
"Heavy beef steers were up 10-20c/kg selling to 298c/kg for heavy feeder Angus steers, mediumweight feeder steers sold to 284c/kg, paddock cattle still with a bit of weight topped at 308c/kg while lighter better bred backgrounding Angus steers sold to 280c/kg.
"A pen of classy breeder heifers topped at 308c/kg to a returning mated beef female producer.
"Feeder heifers were up 10-20c/kg selling to 230c/kg for good Euro cross and Angus types and there was strong competition on good backgrounder heifers from AuctionsPlus selling to 230c/kg."
