Hamilton cattle breeders Liz and John Craig hope to see returns lift 50-80c/kg

Prices at early weaner sales have Western District breeders hoping for rates 50-80c/kg above last year, as they hang on for the new year.

Hamilton cattle producers John and Liz Craig are quietly optimistic the new year calf sales will result in returns 50-80c/kg on average above last year’s rates.

They have held onto their 280 mixed sex weaners for the annual fixture.

Their well-regarded Inverell calves, often among the top Hereford pens in the Western District sales, are expected to weight a little lighter this selling season, after a difficult and dry autumn and winter.

This year’s Hamilton sales will run in the middle week of January, a bit later than normal given Christmas Day falls mid week.

“There is not much we can do, I don’t think being a bit later will be too much of an issue, the buyers that come to Hamilton and Casterton come regardless, they know the cattle and their breeding and they suit them,” Mr Craig said.

John and Liz Craig from Hamilton with some of their firs and second calving Hereford cattle. They will sell their weaner calves at the January 2025 weaner sales.

With prices at early weaner sales averaging about 400c/kg for steers, he is hopeful that those rates will hold into 2025.

“I think they will be around the mark of what we are seeing now, either side of 400c/kg for steers and 300-330c/kg for heifers; but it is hard to tell what will happen in the new year, heifers could be up too.

“A lot of cattle have gone through the system early which may help the job (market), and that rain up the east coast has to help.”

At those kind of rates, returns would be up 50-80c/kg on average compared to 12 months prior, he said.

Conditions had been highly variable across the Western District, with some farms catching storms and others missing out, he said, which influenced where stock were turned off early or held.

Iverell first and second calvers.

The Inverell calves are expected to be about 20kg lighter than usual with the top drafts usually weighing in at 350-400kg.

“But we have to weigh a few to know, but I don’t think they will be 50kg lighter; reports out of Naracoorte have been their calves have been 40-50kg lighter,” he said.

The Craigs use Yarram Park and Glendan Park bulls, having bought three sires from the recent Yarram Park dispersal.

Calves will be yard weaned for four to five weeks, EU and Greenhams accredited and fully vaccinated. Mr Craig said usually two thirds of their offering was snapped up by repeat buyers or underbidders.

Hamilton and Casterton’s week of weaner sales kick off on January 13 with eight sales across the five days.