Ballarat female cattle sale: Feedlot buyers active
BALLARAT, FEBRUARY 8: FEEDLOT buyers came to the rescue, buying 60 to 70 per cent of the 1960 cattle on offer.
FEEDLOT buyers came to the rescue at the Ballarat female sale, buying 60 to 70 per cent of the 1960 cattle on offer.
Elders livestock agent Graeme Nicholson said most of the cattle sold from 230c/kg to 250c/kg.
“We were a bit pessimistic before the sale that it would be extremely tough and I think it was a lot better than we expected.”
He said there was “solid competition”.
“The lotfeeders are gearing up for a shortage of cattle coming towards winter and they’re looking to bolster their numbers up while the cattle are at buyable prices.”
The best heifers made 240-270c/kg, while a few lots of the plainer heifers were slightly cheaper, selling from 210c/kg to 220c/kg.
The top priced pen was sold by D J Ross who sold 26 Angus heifers, Banquet blood, 466kg for $1225, or 263c/kg.
A feature line of 27 Angus heifers from Parklands Investments had the best return on a cents-a-kilogram basis. The 14- to-15-month-old cows weighed 426kg and sold for $1140, or 268c/kg.
Mr Nicholson said “opportunistic buying” made for a steady sale.
He said he was “pleasantly surprised” at the outcome given the current climate.
“There’s no grass anywhere around Victoria and you wonder who’s going to come buy the cattle.”
David Spedding from Lake Modewarre was new to the Ballarat sale, usually selling at Colac. He sold 10 Angus heifers, 330kg for $740, or 224c/kg.
Mr Spedding is part of a unique breeding “co-op” arrangement between four neighbouring properties in the area.
The partnership looks to increase their breeding gene pool and share resources between the properties.
Meanwhile, Bernadette Kiely from Dunnstown sold 14 Angus heifers, Anvil blood, 407kg for $1040, or 256c/kg.
“Last year we got $1300 or something but no two years are the same. They were heavier last year too — 506kg.”
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