Calf sales 2024 calendar: Who’s selling weaners where
We reveal the expected yarding numbers and vendors show off what’s on offer at the upcoming weaner sales across Victoria.
Prospects for the famed southern weaner sales have received a huge lift after rain across much of eastern Australia bounced prices.
It had been looking increasingly grim for vendors of the thousands of calves going onto the market in the new year as cattle prices continued to slide in spring in both the store and prime markets.
But rain changed everything – a steadier flow of finished stock has boosted prices for everything from cows to bullocks while store markets have rebounded on the back of increased confidence.
Elders Albury and Holbrook branch manager Matt Tinkler said prices were always subject to the season, but the lift back from price doldrums for cattle had been “very quick”.
“The biggest part of the price lift is due to restockers,” Mr Tinkler said.
“The rain up north (northern NSW and Queensland), has been a big factor and it’s certainly helped the market gain some ground.”
VENDORS’ VIEWS
WODONGA
Mark Quilter and his family run Quilter Nominees at Narrandera in the NSW Riverina and each year truck their Angus weaners south to Wodonga in an annual turn-off of calves.
This January, they will have 140 Angus steers and 20 heifers lined up for sale, all European Union-accredited and Dunoon blood.
The calves have already been weaned – that took place in September for the March-April-drop steers and heifers in a program the Quilter family started during dry times and have continued to follow.
“It was either 2017 or 2018 when the season was dry and we decided to wean early, and it worked well for both the cows and the calves,” Mark said.
“We used to wean in December and it can be hot and dusty then, but when you wean in September, the conditions are better and the calves cope with it well. It means less eye problems (pink eye disease which occurs as the result of dust) and we know that when we come to sell, the buyers will have cattle that will hit the ground running.”
When the calves were weaned, they were put onto an oat crop, and Mark said this had translated into good weight gains.
And while the season was drier than Mark had hoped, late November rain of between 35mm and 45mm will help grow some lucerne and the best of the steer calves could come in at about 380kg liveweight, depending on how the next couple of weeks go in terms of weather.
Mark said he had no firm expectations on price – in January 2023, the family’s calves made $1580-$1800 for the draft of 263-331kg weaners, or 544-600c/kg liveweight.
It was one of the few sales that broke through 600c/kg liveweight, and while those rates look high now, it was still a significant discount on 2022 prices, where steers sold to $2500. The Quilter Nominees calves are always sold in the first couple of lanes at Wodonga’s weaner sales and Mark paid tribute to his genetics source for being able to produce quality calves each year.
“We have been on Dunoon blood for a while now, and I think you are rewarded when you spend money on good bulls in the quality of calves you can produce,” Mark said.
WANGARATTA
Weaner vendor Rodda Manning will sell hundreds of Angus calves from Davilak Pastoral’s herd at Wangaratta in the first week of sales and said he was much more optimistic than he had been a month ago.
“Only a few weeks ago, we were doing our budgets and pretty much writing off this year and thinking we would get about $800 for our steers,” Mr Manning said.
“We sold calves in spring and so we had an idea of what they made but things have changed a lot in the past few weeks.
“What we need now is for the rain to continue up north – if they can get the odd rainstorm to keep that feed going, it will really help our weaner markets in the south.”
PAKENHAM
Leon Schreiber at Tarrawarra Abbey has sold summer weaner calves through the Pakenham saleyards for the past decade.
This year he will offer about 220 weaners – mixed-sex Angus and Charolais-Angus – at the final summer calf sales at the yards before they close for good in June 2024.
“We have experienced an amazing journey with cattle prices during the early 2020s soaring to a record high level,” Leon said. “We all knew they would tumble but we never thought they would to the extreme they did. I have been at the Abbey 11 years and in my early days $670 was a good price but obviously never a long-term proposition.”
Tarrawarra Abbey recorded an average price of $2200 during the 2022 January sales, which then plunged to $1300 in 2023.
“I would be disappointed with a lower price than last year, so hoping the rise continues and we see better prices in January 2024,” he said. The quality of Tarrawarra Abbey calves this year are improved upon those yarded at the 2023 sales, he said.
“In the last spring 2022 we were still coming with the aftermath of floods and pushing cattle through mud and relying on conserved fodder,” Leon said. “Due to this, the weaners were not our best example in the January 2023 sales. I am very happy with our weaners this year and am comfortable they are as good as we have presented in the past.”
YEA
It couldn’t have been a better season for the Spagnolos, who under the banner of Box Hill Pastoral will be offering more than 200 weaner Angus calves at the upcoming Blue Ribbon sale at Yea.
Ideal conditions throughout winter and into spring have resulted in a quality draft of cattle that Michael and Sue are confident will fetch reasonable returns as prices begin to pick up.
Box Hill Pastoral will offer 145 steers and 50 to 60 heifer calves at the sale, which Michael said was an ideal number for his operation.
“It’s about where we’d normally be, we try not to overstock and calve down about 300 to 320 cows, depending on how we’re doing,” Michael said.
While market conditions were dependent on factors such as rain in coming weeks and how wet regions of Gippsland become, Michael said he was optimistic prices would reflect the ideal conditions and the quality in his calves.
Box Hill Pastoral traditionally sells 100 per cent of its weaner steer draft through the Blue Ribbon sale, retaining about 70 to 80 per cent of heifers for their program.
CALF SALES 2024 WEANER SELLING CALENDAR
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28
MORTLAKE
1500 F1 females, associated agents, 10am
TUESDAY, JANUARY 2
WODONGA
6000 Angus steer and heifer weaners, independent agents, 9am
WANGARATTA
4500 Angus steer and heifer weaners, Corcoran Parker and Elders, 2pm (to start after the NVLX Wodonga sale)
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3
WODONGA
4500 Angus weaners, Elders and Paull and Scollard Nutrien, 9am
COLAC
4000 Birregurra steer and heifer weaners, associated agents, 10am
THURSDAY, JANUARY 4
MORTLAKE
7000 steer and heifer weaners, associated agents, 9am
WODONGA
3500 Hereford and Euro mixed sex weaners, independent agents, 9am
NARACOORTE, SA
3200 steer weaners, combined agents, 10am (SA time)
WANGARATTA
2500 Premier all breeds feature weaners, Corcoran Parker and Elders, 2pm (to start after the NVLX Wodonga sale)
FRIDAY, JANUARY 5
YEA
2800 Upper Goulburn Rivers Annual Classic steer and heifer weaners, Nutrien, 9.30am
WODONGA
Hereford and Euro steer and heifer weaners, Elders and Paull and Scollard Nutrien, 9am
NARACOORTE, SA
1600 heifer weaners, combined agents, 9am (SA time)
SATURDAY, JANUARY 6
WODONGA
1200 steer and heifer weaners, Ray White Rural, 9am
MONDAY, JANUARY 8
HAMILTON
4300 Angus steer weaners, independent agents, 12pm
TUESDAY, JANUARY 9
CASTERTON
2500 Angus steer weaners, Elders and Nutrien, 8.30am
HAMILTON
3100 all breeds steer weaners, Elders, Nutrien, J and J Kelly, Brian O’Halloran and Co, 12pm
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10
CASTERTON
2000 Hereford weaners, Elders and Nutrien, 8.30am
HAMILTON
2400 Hereford and Euro steer weaners, independent agents, 12pm
EUROA
1600 Annual Blue Ribbon steer and heifer weaners, combined agents, 9am
THURSDAY, JANUARY 11
HAMILTON
1800 all breeds heifer weaners, Elders, Nutrien, J and J Kelly, Brian O’Halloran and Co, 12pm
MORTLAKE
Feature females, associated agents, 10am
NARACOORTE, SA
1200 feature females, combined agents, 10am (SA time)
PAKENHAM
4000 steer and heifer weaners, associated agents, 9am
FRIDAY, JANUARY 12
CASTERTON
2300 heifer weaners, Elders and Nutrien, 8.30am
HAMILTON
2300 heifer weaners, independent agents, 12pm
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17
KYNETON
1500 steer and heifer weaners, associated agents, 11am
THURSDAY, JANUARY 18
NARACOORTE, SA
3900 all breeds steer weaners, combined agents, 10am
FRIDAY, JANUARY 19
NARACOORTE, SA
1700 all breeds heifer weaners, combined agents, 9am
YEA
4300 Blue Ribbon steer and heifer weaners, Elders, 9.30am
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2
WANGARATTA
2500 heifer weaners, combined agents, 9am
BALLARAT
1000 joined females, cows and calves, associated agents, 9am
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9
BALLARAT
3000 heifer weaners and grown females associated agents, 9am
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16
BALLARAT
4000 grown and weaner steers, associated agents, 9am
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23
BALLARAT
5000 steer and heifer weaners, Nutrien, 10am
*Numbers are estimates, please check with agents prior to sale.
Abattoir shutdowns bite amid stock shortages
Shutdowns for planned maintenance at abattoirs are taking the sting out of sheep and lamb prices, as processors drop shifts or kill days.
WoolPoll: Cuts to marketing, shearer training
Seeing a lift in the number of growers who vote in WoolPoll is the goal of this young farmer, as AWI releases details of what current levy rates will deliver.