A quality offering of predominantly beef cattle, penned by the Elders South West team, ensured there was cattle to meet everyone's buying requirements at last week's Elders Boyanup store sale.
The sale kicked off with a purebred Angus unjoined charity heifer, which was offered by the Roberts family, CharCol Springs, Manjimup, and it topped the sale at $3200, with all its proceeds being donated to the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS).
SALE SUMMARY
- Unjoined beef breeder heifers: $600-$1400
- Beef steers: 150-320c/kg ($400-$1254)
- Beef heifers: 105-276c/kg ($252-$1104)
- First cross steers liveweight: 200c/kg ($1268)
- First cross steers appraisal: $400
- Friesian steers liveweight: 168-182c/kg ($783-$935)
- Friesian poddies: $330-$400
- Cow and calf units: $1150-$1800
- PTIC cows/heifers: $1000-$1150
Following the charity heifer was the feature heifer line-up, which sold between $600 and $1400.
The sale's usual store lines were offered, which saw quality cattle easily finding new homes.
The beef steers were next and topped at 320c/kg and $1254, while beef heifers reached a high of 276c/kg and $1104.
There was only a small number of both liveweight and appraisal Friesian steers offered.
The liveweight pens reached 182c/kg and $935, while the poddies made up to $400.
A good number of breeders were available, with cow and calf units selling from $1150 to $1800, while the PTIC cows ranged between $1000 and $1150.
The line of specially-selected unjoined beef breeder heifers opened the sale when the charity heifer was knocked down to Elders, Busselton representative Jacques Martinson on behalf of John Annear, JW Annear, Carbunup.
Mr Annear's $3200 top-price bid was an easy one, having been saved by the Royal Flying Doctor Service 18 months ago due to a surfing accident off the Cocos Islands.
Mr Annear's near-death experience involved him spending four-and-a-half minutes under the water before CPR was performed by two of his friends on his surfboard.
"I was lucky enough to be rescued by some good friends and the RFDS, which transferred me to the Royal Perth Hospital (RPH)," Mr Annear said.
"I have been very indebted to the RFDS and RPH, so this is just one way to be able to give back to them and say thank you for the amazing work they do.
"I'm always thinking about how I can get a bit more involved with the RFDS and acknowledge their hard work and this ticked the box as a starter."
The best-priced pen in the unjoined beef breeder heifer line-up was a line of 11 Angus heifers from Blackrock Angus, Vasse, which weighed 368kg and were picked up by Nutrien, Margaret River agent Jock Embry for a client at $1400.
Mr Embry bought another line of Blackrock heifers for the same client, paying $1250 for the 12 heifers weighing 344kg.
Also a fan of the Blackrock Angus heifers was GS & RJ Legge, Vasse, which managed to secure 12 heifers weighing 342kg for $1200.
Elders, Manjimup agent Brad McDonnell picked up multiple pens of Angus heifers for one of his Manjimup clients, from various vendors such as, P & F Giadresco & Sons, Stratham, JS Fox, Pemberton, B & E Marchetti, West Coolup and J & J Omodei, Pemberton.
The best priced of these pens at $1250, were 11 weighing 390kg from P & F Giadresco & Sons and 10 weighing 396kg from B & E Marchetti.
Elders, Bridgetown agent Deane Allen assisted B & E Creek & Co, Mayanup, with its purchases.
The Mayanup account bought six pens from the offering, with its highest price of $1200 being paid for 10 Angus heifers weighing 359kg from P & F Giadresco & Sons.
It also paid $1100 for 10 Angus heifers weighing 371kg from B & E Marchetti.
Next up was the beef steer offering, which saw prices reach $1254 at 280c/kg for 10 Angus steers weighing 448kg, offered by P & F Giadresco & Sons, and snapped up by Harvey Beef.
The Harvey Beef account continued buying top-end Angus steers from the Stratham vendors, taking home another two pens at $1243 and 280c/kg for nine weighing 444kg and $1223 and 288c/kg for 11 weighing 425kg.
Harvey Beef continued its buying spree with another pen of nine Angus steers weighing 415kg from MAM & PR Martin, Karridale, at 270c/kg and $1121.
Kalgrains was a dominant buyer in the beef steer run, particularly in the large line-up of quality steers from Alcoa Farmlands, Waroona.
Jamie Davies, Kalgrains, bought eight pens from the Waroona vendor and paid a high of $1059 for 13 Angus steers that weighed 360kg at 294c/kg.
Another notable pen bought by Kalgrains was 13 Angus steers from Alcoa Farmlands, which weighed 356kg and sold for $1053 and 296c/kg.
In the lighter weight pens of beef steers, Bowie Beef, Bridgetown, sold multiple pens of Angus steers weighing between 218kg-264kg, which sold to the day's highest cents per kilogram price of 320c/kg for 14 steers weighing 218kg to Elders, Waroona representative Wade Krawczyk.
Mr Krawczyk also picked up another two pens of Bowie steers - 14 weighing 238kg at 310c/kg and $736, and 13 steers weighing 236kg for $746 at 316c/kg.
In the beef heifer line-up, Kookabrook Livestock Trust, Pinjarra, paid the top price for two 400kg Speckle Park cross heifers offered by G & B Cooper, Donnybrook, for $1104 and 276c/kg.
Other notable pens that sold at the top-end were 12 Hereford cross heifers weighing 400kg from BJ Depiazzi & Co, Dardanup, knocked down to B & E Creek & Co at 240c/kg and $961 and eight Angus heifers weighing 376kg offered by WT & MC Hurst & Company, Boyup Brook, for $901 and 240c/kg to Dairydale Pastoral Company.
Vendors CF & S Bussell, Busselton, sold two of its pens, achieving $884 and 228c/kg for 14 Angus heifers weighing 388kg which sold to A & K Bashford, Busselton, as well as $821 and 230c/kg for 13 Angus heifers weighing 357kg sold to an Elders Margaret River account.
There were only a handful of liveweight Frisian steers sold and these saw prices peak at $935 and 182c/kg for 10 Friesian steers weighing 514kg, from BE & JE Taylor, Harvey, which sold to Kingstons Rest Pty Ltd.
The Harvey-based vendors offered another line of 11 Friesian steers weighing 517kg, which were also knocked down to Kingstons Rest Pty Ltd at 180c/kg and $931.
The remaining pen of four Friesian steers weighing 466kg were offered by Mine Employees Social Club, Capel, and sold to Western Meat Packers for $783 and 168c/kg.
The appraisal Friesian steers were predominantly poddies by Negus Enterprises Pty Ltd, Tutunup, with both pens (35 head in total) selling to Fortuna Farms Pty Ltd at $330 each.
The remaining pen of four Friesian poddy steers was offered by MH & K Duke, Roelands and snapped up by Bluehills Farmstay, Harvey, for $400.
The cow and calf line-up saw prices reach $1800 for seven Angus cows and calves, offered by Willowbank Agistment, Benger, which sold to RD Walter Pty Ltd, Newdegate.
Willowbank Agistment sold one more line of seven Angus cows and calves for $1650, to Kookabrook Livestock Trust.
BR & DR Marsh, Warner Glen, dominated the cow and calf line-up, offering six lines to make up the rest of the cow and calf portion of the sale.
The Marsh family achieved a high of $1300 for five Murray Grey cow and calf units which were sold to Skaton Nominees Pty Ltd.
To finish off the sale, two pens of Shorthon PTIC cows and one pen of PTIC heifers were offered by I & FE Staniforth-Smith, Boyup Brook, and all bought by Western Meat Packers.
A pen of six cows achieved the highest price of $1150, followed by the other two-head cow pen bought for $1000 and the heifer pen selling for $1100.
WHAT THE AGENT SAID
Elders auctioneer and Donnybrook representative Pearce Watling said it was a good quality yarding given the time of year and current seasonal conditions.
"The feature of the sale was a run of unjoined beef heifers and these met good buying support from new and repeat purchasers - and sold to $1400," Mr Watling said.
"It was also positive to see the majority of the heifers sell from $900 to $1200.
"Beef feeder steers met strong competition and were firm on last month's sale, with two to three lotfeeders buying actively.
"Lightweight backgrounder steers met reasonable competition on better bred lines."
Mr Watling said the beef feeder heifers were up about 20-30c/kg, as there was a bit of confidence given graziers were after lightweight heifers too.
"There was limited dairy-influenced cattle but they were up 10-20c/kg which was good to see," he said.
"It was also good to see Frisian poddies sell to $400 and the lovely breeder offering which rounded out the sale had cows with good calves at foot reach up to $1800."