Euro cattle sell for top rates at Hamilton

The second week of weaner sales has sprung a surprise, with the Limousin breed outselling Angus and Hereford at Hamilton on Wednesday.

The second week of the annual calf sales has kicked off. Our experts bring you the buyers, sellers, market trends and top prices. Check back for regular updates from Hamilton, Casterton, Euroa and Mortlake.

January 10: Hamilton

The cattle industry threw out another surprise today with a breed which doesn’t usually headline the Western District calf sales outselling the Angus and Hereford.

Pure-bred Limousin heifers sold to 424c/kg liveweight at Hamilton and heavy Limousin steers to 386c/kg.

While this money was for the Neeson family’s line of Innisfail and Glanleam apricot-coloured Limousin calves which show exceptional shape and have a strong repeat buyer following, all the main lines of European sired cattle – Charolais and Simmental – sold at elevated rates.

LMB Linke auctioneer Bernie Grant said it was the first-time he could remember Euro sired calves outgunning the main runs of British steers in cents-a-kilogram terms.

“To have them outsell the Herefords and basically the blacks too – no I don’t think I’ve seen it before,” he said.

“The Limos, Charolais and Simmentals consistently made more cents-a-kilogram today and for calves which still had weight in them so it was a very good result.”

It meant the top dollar-a-head price of $1433.40 went to the Charolais breed for seven steers from L and M Stuchberry that weighed 434kg and sold for 330c/kg. Noting bidding at these Hamilton sales is in cents-a-kilogram with all the calves curfewed and sold on weight.

Not far behind at $1419 was the lead pen of 21 Innisfail Limousin steers which weighed 412.6kg and sold for 344c/kg for breeders Paddy and Ann Neeson.

Later in the sale their top pen of heifers weighing 304kg sold for 424c/kg – the passing of the $4/kg line for the first time for weaner calves this January drawing a few claps from onlookers. They sold to stud breeder and president of the Limousin Society, Chris Meade at Colac, who is building his commercial cattle numbers and the heifers are set to be joined this year.

The 125 mixed-sex calves from Innisfail averaged 375c/kg at $1260, which would be the strongest outcome for any calf vendor so far this year.

Limousin breeders Paddy and Anne Neeson, Innsfail, sold pure bred heifers to 424c/kg and steers to 386c/kg and averaged 375.5c/kg or $1259 for 125 mixed sex calves at Hamilton today.

The 127 Glenleam Limousins from Rodney Neeson averaged higher at 381.4c/kg, but on less weight the dollar average was $1152. The results were a great early birthday present for family patriarch Ewan Neeson who turns 97 next week and who started the family’s herd 49 years ago.

Most of the lead pens of Euro sired steers sold above 330c/kg.

Alva Downs led the Simmental run and their heaviest 40 steers at an average of 392kg sold for 330c/kg or $1294, followed by 340c/kg for the next run at 360kg.

The Highlands also received strong money for its annual draft of Simmental-Shorthorn-Hereford steers, the tops at 405kg selling for 328c/kg or $1328 and the next run at 336c/kg or $1256 for 374kg. The property’s biggest run of 50 steers at 348kg also made 336c/kg.

“The Euro calves have outdone the rest today which is a bit of a change and great to see,” Malcolm Robertson, breeder of The Highlands cattle said.

Reasons put forward for the good demand for Euro calves was the growth of grass-fed programs, some buyers suggesting clients were looking for early weight off grass and with not too much fat cover. Although a lot of the main European calves sold to domestic grain feeders amid growing confidence the autumn and winter slaughter market could be bright for the right type of finished cattle.

The 2259 cattle yarding also included some feature lines of Western District Hereford steers which continued to sell in a tight price pattern of 300c/kg to 330c/kg for most.

The best presented pen award for Herefords went to noted breeder Leon Wheeler, with the 25 steers at an average weight of 405kg and EU accredited and fully weaned selling for 326c/kg or $1320.

The Beerik Partnership had one of the strongest Hereford sales at 338c/kg for steers that weighed 382kg, returning $1291.

But overall demand was consistent for Herefords rather than exciting. Buyers did try and pull the rate under 300c/kg for some cattle but usually someone stepped in to keep the market ticking over 300c/kg.

NSW buyer Paul Mason who is a regular at these markets and again bought key lines of EU accredited Hereford steers for his property at Wellington said buyers weren’t punching on.

“What I’m noticing is there is not really any ‘dog fights’ (bidding wars) happening between buyers,” he said.

The Hamilton sale today averaged 325.8c/kg overall, noting this average was buoyed by some of the high European results.

The Hamilton sale followed a softer Hereford market at Casterton earlier today where steers averaged 311c/kg and couldn’t find much traction over 330c/kg.

Chris Meade, Pelican Rise Limousins at Colac, paid 424c/kg for 27 of the Innsfail Limousin heifer calves at Hamilton today which weighed 304kg. They will be joined as the Meade’s increase their commercial beef operation which is run alongside their stud.

January 8: Hamilton

Today's opening Hamilton steer sale has shot to the top of the calf price rankings as more rain and impressive quality led to dearer outcomes across all weights.

The 3859-head all black weaner yarding sold to a top of $1518 and posted an average of $1141, to be $30 ahead of the best Angus results recorded in the north of the state at Wodonga and Wangaratta last week.

The Western District calf sales do operate a little differently, in that all calves are curfewed and weighed and bidding is in cents per kilogram liveweight.

The average liveweight cost for buyers today was 331c/kg liveweight to show an improvement of about 20-30c/kg on the consistent results of 300c to 310c/kg seen across multiple store sales last week.

Repeat buyers, stronger bidding for heavy steers, and some decent premiums for the main lines of European Union-accredited Angus were all factors that fed into the overall dearer market at Hamilton today.

Summing all this up was the top price of $1518 achieved by breeder Michael Coffey, Coffey Partnership near Port Fairy. The pen of 25 Angus calves weighed a hefty 426kg, were EU accredited and sold to local repeat buyer, agent Michael Kerr.

Michael Coffey, Coffey Partnership near Port Fairy, received the top price of $1518 at Hamilton today after his feature run of EU-accredited Angus steers sold to 356c/kg for liveweight for 424kg.

While premiums for EU calves are often debated at these markets, there was a clear price gain of 10c to 20c/kg today for any well-bred lines of steers suiting this closed supply system, with demand led by processor Thomas Foods International followed by the Princess Royal Feedlot.

Bidding for the best EU steers – and there was a lot of them in this sale – often started at 320c/kg and went upwards, although feedlots didn’t always win the bidding.

The big pen of 71 EU Angus steers from Camp Creek, average weight 365kg, started at 330c/kg and went to 350c/kg or $1277.50 and were purchased by noted beef producer John Wyld, Koolomurt, who is a regular attendee at these markets.

Other repeat buyers to operate included Gippsland agents Terry Ginnane, Nutrien Leongatha, PPHS Naracoorte; and local agencies including JM Ellis and Kerr & Co.

It was southern demand that dominated the flow of the auction, with the few northern orders that were in attendance finding it difficult to purchase at the higher rates plus transport.

Selling action at the Hamilton weaner sales on Monday.

Buyers did try and pull back prices to around 310c/kg liveweight once off the lead runs of steer calves, but there was enough buying depth to ensure prices often built to 320c/kg plus.

Auctioneer for Lanyons, Warren Clarke, said the market held its form right through.

“It was unbelievably consistent,’’ he said.

“I don’t think there was much under 300c/kg and if it was the calves were not very pretty.’’

For the record there was some odds and sods towards the end of the sale which went down to 230c/kg, but buyers needed 310c/kg-plus to be competitive on the main run.

With the exception of a couple of NSW orders which stepped in and purchased limited numbers, northern orders were sidelined by the dearer prices.

Elders agent Bruce Redpath said it looked like buyers would have to re-evaluate if they wanted to be players in the Western District this week.

“There was that many orders out there at 300c/kg for 300kg calves but we are 30c/kg behind the job today plus freight,’’ he said.

Weight could also be problematic for northern buyers operating to budgets, with the majority of calves weighing over 320kg today. In fact, the yarding averaged 1kg heavier than a year ago, with only a limited number of calves under 280kg.