Euroa store sale: Angus weaners sells to strong prices

Angus weaner steers sold for a top of $2620 at Euroa where sellers were amazed by the prices. See which farmers made the most.

Calf weight and high cents per kilogram rates made for a memorable sale at Euroa today, with all breeders receiving their best incomes by a big margin.

The specialist yarding of Angus weaner steers sold to $2620, with more than 120 pens or the bulk of the yarding selling above $2100 per head.

“Have you ever seen anything like it,’’ queried breeder Richard McGeehan as he watched the

opening laneway of heavy weaners all make above $2450 per head, including his own lead which sold for $2560.

“Powerful sale isn’t it,’’ observed commission buyer Graeme Ward, adding quality was a part of the extraordinary result: “The quality of the calves is fantastic, you wouldn’t often see a better yarding.’’

All the calves presented in forward condition, with only limited pens available under 300kg

liveweight despite the late autumn break and tough grazing conditions throughout most of the

winter.

The yarding attracted a good mix of buyers including feedlots, Gippsland finishers, local northeast restockers and commission buyers sourcing calves to go into NSW.

The top price of $2620 was achieved by vendor Wirrani for 19 March/April drop calves that weighed 403kg, working out to 650c/kg liveweight.

Not far behind at $2600 was the heaviest calves in the yarding bred by Marg King, Wellwood, the steers having a displayed weight of 427kg to equal 608c/kg.

The heaviest steer calves above 360kg generally tracked between 650c to 680c/kg lwt, for a dollar per head cost of $2400 to $2550.

Agent Darren Askew, Mokoan Livestock near Benalla, paid to $2560 for 385kg steers in the opening run and said the sheer dollar per head cost meant his clients would have to take them to heavy bullocks to create a trading margin.

“We have been doing feeder steers for the past three years as that has been a rising market, but now we look to be near the top the cattle job these will have to be made into heavy bullocks,’’ he said: “On current returns they are just too dear to tip out again as feeder steers, but at least we’ve bought weight as the little calves are making nearly as much (in dollar per head terms).

It didn’t take long for the sale at Euroa to gather pace above 700c/kg lwt.

A snapshot of the price results for the annual draft of calves from Hanson Angus at Yea show how the sale tracked.

The property’s lead pen at 364kg made $2450 or 670c/kg; the next cut of 42 head at 319kg made $2390 or 750c/kg; and the thirds at 296kg made $2330 or 787c/kg.

Breeder Andrew Hanson said it was a fantastic result, easily surpassing their expectations of an average of about $2200 per head.

“To have a price spread of just $120 over 140 steers is amazing really,’’ he said: “The smaller calves are making ridiculous money.’’

Smaller steer calves under 270kg did make above 800c/kg late in the auction to still sell above $2100 per head.