Heavier Muchea beef steers sell to $1273

The Nutrien Livestock team sold just over 1500 head of mainly local steers and heifers and they were purchased mostly by local graziers, lotfeeders and exporters who operated in the main through agents and commission buyers, as well as AuctionsPlus.

In addition to the local buying support, there were also Eastern States buyers operating via both AuctionsPlus and through orders left with agents, which added to the competition.

All up there were four active buyers on AuctionsPlus which placed 357 bids across 81 lots and three of these were successful (one from New South Wales and two were from WA) in securing 39 lots during the auction.

The steer offering was made up of mainly local steers, including a large run of black steers.

Local steers more than 400 kilograms sold from 228-300 cents per kilogram to top at $1273, while steers 350-400kg made 230-312c/kg and drafts between 300-350kg sold at 200-304c/kg.

Steers 250-300kg made 160-316c/kg and those less than 250kg sold from 222-280c/kg.

The small run of pastoral steers, which weighed from 215-352c/kg, sold from 118-260c/kg to make up to $908.

All up 660 steers sold for an average of 274c/kg and $841.

The heifer offering saw 769 head sold for an average of 192c/kg and $583.

In the heifer offering, local heifers more than 300kg sold from 140-248c/kg to top at $938, while heifers between 250-300kg made 120-226c/kg and drafts less than 250kg sold at 110-200c/kg.

The pastoral heifer types sold between 70-190c/kg to top at $723.

A run of 75 local bulls sold to a top of $797 after selling for 200-248c/kg to average 227c/kg and $641.

The sale kicked off with a good run of black steers and prices hit a sale high of $1273 for the first pen sold.

Recording the day's top price were seven Angus yearling steers weighing 424kg from Bardarem Farm, North Dandalup, when they sold at 300c/kg to Caris Park Grazing Co, Pinjarra.

Caris Park Grazing also picked up a number of other early pens including five Angus cross yearling steers averaging 386kg from FG Gibson, Toodyay, at 312c/kg and $1203 and two Angus weaner steer weighing 420kg from Bernburra Farm, Serpentine, at 286c/kg and $1201.

Also going to the Caris Park Grazing account were seven Angus weaners weighing 377kg from TW Lee, Toodyay, at 290c/kg and $1093 and three Angus yearlings averaging 407kg from GR & RJ Bowman, Walkaway, at 270c/kg and $1100.

Kalgrains, Wannamal, buying through Nutrien Livestock pastoral agent Shane Flemming, was also active on the heavier black steers, picking up a number of pens.

Pens headed to the Wannamal feedlot included 14 Angus weaners averaging 353kg from BA Nangetty Enterprises, Mingenew, at 292c/kg and $1030 and 10 Angus weaners weighing 346kg from Gingin Brook Cattle Co, Gingin, at 292c/kg and $1010.

A New South Wales buyer operating on AuctionsPlus added plenty of competition to the run of Angus and Angus cross steers, securing 19 pens (133 weaners) which weighed between 273-355kg for 262-304c/kg and $714-$967.

Included in the load to New South Wales were 16 Angus weighing 318kg at 304c/kg and $967 and 19 Angus averaging 285kg at 300c/kg and $855, all from BA Nangetty Enterprises, as well nine Angus weighing 322kg from Copley Trading, Wundowie, at 296c/kg and $954 and five Angus weighing 322kg from Bardarem Farm at 288c/kg and $927.

Also on the truck were six Angus averaging 280kg from Cranmore Farmimg, Moora and five Angus from Gingin Brook Cattle Co averaging 300kg when both pens were purchased at 302c/kg.

Nutrien Livestock State manager Leon Giglia picked up seven pens of black steers that weighed from 218-275kg for a different New South Wales account for between 256-292c/kg and $567-797.

Pens knocked down to Mr Giglia included 15 Angus weighing 270kg from RJ Baker & PJ Nash, Lower Chittering, at 292c/kg and $789, as well as nine Angus averaging 275kg from Leo's Livestock, Muchea, at 290c/kg and $797.

The top steer cents per kilogram price of 316c/kg was also set in the run of black steers.

It was achieved when Nutrien Livestock, Waroona agent Richard Pollock, went to 316c/kg to secure a pen of 40 Angus steers weighing 269kg from Walton Family Trust, Gingin, to cost his Myalup-based client $850.

After the black steers, the sale moved into a run of coloured steers representing a range of breeds.

In these pens prices hit a high of $1237 for three Charolais cross weaners weighing 439kg from Bernburra Farm when they were knocked down to Harvey Beef at 282c/kg.

Harvey Beef also purchased four Murray Grey yearlings averaging 489kg from Leigh Junk, West Swan, at 250c/kg and $1223, as well as six Murray Grey yearlings weighing 434kg at 268c/kg and $1164 and eight Murray Grey weaners averaging 424kg at 262c/kg and $1110 both from Norfolk Rural Trading, Chittering.

After buying black steers for Kalgrains, Mr Flemming also purchased coloured steers for a feedlot, including eight Hereford weaners averaging 360kg from AV & ME Barndon, Moonyoonooka, at 278c/kg and $1001 and four Speckle Park weaners weighing 358kg from Warra Farm, Koorda, at 292c/kg and $1045.

Also on the truck to Kalgrains at 286c/kg and $986 were 11 Murray Grey weaners averaging 345kg from Emdavale Farms, Calingiri and at 270c/kg and $920 were seven Simmental cross weighing 341kg from Jerry Ogerly, Wannamal.

Dean Ryan, Central Stockcare, picked up two pens of Charolais cross with five and four head weighing 369kg and 321kg from Bernburra Farm at 284c/kg ($1047) and 282c/kg ($904).

After securing one pen of black lightweight steers Mr Pollock collected six pens of lightweight Murray Grey and Charolais cross steers for his Myalup client.

Included in these purchases were 22 Murray Greys weighing 294kg from Emdavale Farms at 304c/kg and $895 and 14 Murray Greys averaging 326kg from G & A Costanzo, Chittering, at 284c/kg and $927.

Topping the small run of pastoral steers offered at $908 were six Santa Gertrudis weighing 349kg from Tierney Investments Pty Ltd, Mileura station, Murchison, when they were knocked down at 260c/kg to Mr Ryan.

Other pens of Santa Gertrudis steers from Tierney Investments sold to Mr Giglia for his New South Wales order and Nutrien Livestock, Central Midlands and pastoral representative Leno Vigolo.

Mr Giglia went to 252c/kg for 20 weighing 265kg and 244c/kg for 14 averaging 215c/kg to cost $667 and $525 respectively, while Mr Vigolo purchased three weighing 352kg at 250c/kg to cost $880.

Along with buying for Kalgrains, Mr Flemming was also purchasing for International Livestock Exports (ILE) and he was active in the pastoral steers for this account.

His purchases for ILE included nine Droughtmaster cross steers weighing 305kg from Tammi Downs, at 210c/kg and $641 and three Hereford cross averaging 278kg from LW Bookham & Co at 212c/kg and $589.

After the steer offering a small run of local bulls went under the hammer and were all secured by Mr Ryan, who was buying for Livestock Shipping Services.

Topping the run at $797 was a pen of 10 Murray Greys weighing 343kg from C & DJ Stickland & Sons, Wongan Hills, when Mr Ryan had the final bid on the pen at 232c/kg.

The Stickands sold a second pen of six Murray Grey bulls weighing 306kg at 220c/kg to return $673.

Three Hereford bulls weighing 337kg from AV & ME Barndon, Moonyoonooka, made $688 when they were knocked down at 204c/kg.

Yerecoin-based LW Bookham & Co sold five pens of Angus cross bulls and these topped at $655 for eight averaging 328kg when they were sold at 200c/kg.

Another pen of eight weighing 231kg from the Bookhams sold for the equal top cents per kilogram price of 248c/kg to cost Mr Ryan $572.

Also selling at 248c/kg was a single Angus bull weighing 236kg from Boronia Farm Investments, Wooroloo.

Like in the steer pens, black heifers made up the majority of the heifer yarding and it was in these pens that the day's top heifer price of $938 was recorded.

It was recorded when eight Angus yearlings weighing 411kg from Hopeland Farm Views, Serpentine, were knocked down to Mr Ryan at 228c/kg for his Central Stockcare account.

Also going to the Central Stockcare account were 17 Angus yearlings weighing 345kg from Hopeland Farm Views at 220c/kg and $759, as well as 10 Angus cross weaners averaging 364kg from Bernburra Farm at 228c/kg and $829.

Mr Ryan also bought two pens of Angus cross weaners containing 12 and 15 head weighing 397kg and 350kg at 222c/kg and 220c/kg to cost $881 and $776.

Also heading to Central Stockcare was a 11 Angus weaners weighing 342kg from Gingin Brook Cattle Co when Mr Ryan secured them at the top cents per kilogram price in the heifer run of 248c/kg.

An Eastern Wheatbelt feedlot operating through AuctionsPlus picked up multiple pens of Angus heifers weighing between 288-395kg.

Lines headed to this feedlot included three Angus weighing 395kg from WM & SL Cail, Ledge Point, at 222c/kg and $878, as well as two lines of seven and two head weighing 364kg and 297kg from Leo's Livestock at 222c/kg.

It also purchased three pens of Angus heifers from BA Nangetty containing seven, 14 and 22 head which weighed 350kg, 313kg and 288kg at 240c/kg, 244c/kg and 226c/kg respectively.

In the black heifers less than 300kg, Graeme Brown was the dominant buyer picking up 12 pens for between 122-208c/kg.

He bid to 208c/kg for five Angus weighing 177kg from Leo's Livestock, as well as 196c/kg for 11 Angus weighing 299kg from F & GD Bonomi, Muchea and 194c/kg for 13 Angus averaging 223kg from Boronia Farm Investments, Wooroloo.

In the rest of the heifer pens, the best price was $923 for nine Murray Grey weaners from Warra Farm which weighed 388kg and were purchased by Caris Park Grazing at 238c/kg.

Caris Park also went to 210c/kg and $856 for six Red Angus yearling heifers weighing 408kg from AW Oaklands, West Swan.

The West Swan-based enterprise also sold five Red Angus yearlings averaging 458kg at 198c/kg and $908 to ILE.

After picking up black heifers, Mr Ryan was also active for Central Stockcare in the rest of the offering.

Bigger lines he purchased included 10 Charolais cross weighing 314kg from Bernburra Farm at 208c/kg and $653; nine Murray Greys averaging 340kg from Emdavale Farms at 214c/kg and $727 and five Limousin cross weighing 342kg from FG Gibson at 212c/kg and $726.

Mr Flemming chased heifers for Kalgrains weighing more than 300kg and was successful in purchasing numerous pens for the feedlot account paying up to $822 for two Charolais cross weighing 384kg from Bernburra Farm secured at 214c/kg.

In the lines less than 300kg, Mr Giglia picked up six pens weighing between 263-285kg at 142-194c/kg for his New South Wales order.

He bid to 194c/kg for 13 Gelbvieh cross weighing 263kg from SL & ME Cockram, Gingin.

Other larger lines knocked down to the New South Wales account included 13 Charolais cross weighing 271kg from Tunney Cattle Co, Dongara, at 180c/kg and 10 Charolais cross averaging 277kg from Bernburra Farm at 178c/kg.

Mr Brown was also active in the coloured lightweight heifers for one of his clients, picking up seven pens weighing between 186-298kg for 110-160c/kg to cost between $279-$432.

The pastoral type heifers rounded out the day's yarding and the best price here was $723 for three Droughtmasters weighing 381kg from Bernburra Farm, when Mr Flemming had the final bid on them at 190c/kg for ILE.

Mr Flemming was active in this section for ILE securing a total of 39 heifers from 11 pens.

Other lines purchased by ILE included six Droughtmasters weighing 288kg from BC & J McGellin, Collie, at 160c/kg and $461; eight Droughtmasters averaging 256kg from Tocom Investments Pty Ltd, Gidgegannup, at 150c/kg and $384 and six Brahman cross weighing 307kg from Glenflorrie Brahmans, at 120c/kg.

The other volume buyer in these pens was Mr Vigolo who picked up 31 head, paying between 70-114c/kg and $209-$384 for mainly Brahman and Shorthorn crosses from Glenflorrie Brahmans.

Nutrien Livestock auctioneer and Dandaragan agent Brad Keevers said it was a strong sale with prices either firm or up on previous sales.

"The sale was supported by regular local buyers including lotfeeders, graziers and exporters and there was also strong support on AuctionsPlus from WA and Eastern States buyers," Mr Keevers said.

"Black steers and heifers made up a large portion of the yarding and it was a very good line-up of them albeit they were mainly medium and lightweight types.

"Heavyweight steers more than 400kg of all breeds met strong competition to be 40-50c/kg dearer than recent Muchea store sales.

"Steers suited to feedlots were 20c/kg dearer while in the lightweight steers less than 270kg Angus types were stronger and mixed breeds were equal while any off types were very hard to quit.

"Heavyweight heifers were fully equal to our last store sale while good quality lightweight black and grey heifers, 220-270kg were equal, however other breeds of lightweight heifers were hard to sell."