Weaner calf sales: All the action
See our expert analysis from this month’s biggest sales - Warrnambool, Naracoorte, Hamilton, Casterton and Mortlake.
Prices came back slightly at Warrnambool today amid covid supply chain issues a large line up of weaner cattle.
The larger yarding of 3500 cattle attracted a solid crowd of buyers, including several local restockers and a few heavy hitting northern commission buyers, but the bidding lacked the wow factor of the early weaner sales.
“It has eased off and you can feel it this week at a few centres this week, particularly through the heavier end of the weaners,” Warrnambool stock agents association president Jack Kelly said.
“Covid has come in and really affected the fat market and that means the feedlots and the people down the line can’t get their cattle processed so they’re finding it very hard to buy back - and a lot of cattle are hitting the market,” Mr Kelly said.
The steer market was led by quality volume lots of mostly Angus cross cattle including a line from Arkoona which achieved up to 692c/kg or $2048 for their light weight lot of 36 Angus steers at 296kg. Arkoona also sold 42 Angus at 361kg for 612c/kg or $2209 and another 48 at 326kg for 638c/kg or $2080.
According to Mr Kelly most steers from 350-440kg made from 590c/kg to 620c/kg while those under 300kg returned from $1900 to $2200.
Local buyer Peter McElgunn from Orford said he thought prices had fallen up to 80cents from the opening weaner price boom seen at the larger markets like Hamilton and Casterton.
“I think (the market) is back at 40cents on the big Mortlake sale and Mortlake was probably back 20cents on the others,” Mr McElgunn said.
“All up I’d say we’re 60c to 70c back on Casterton and Hamilton which went crazy at the start.”
South Australian based commission buyer Scott Creek of Creek Livestock agreed the market was down around 30c to 40c on previous weaner sales like Mortlake large yarding of 7500, but were similar to prices seen at Mortlake this week.
Cents-per-kilogram wise the heifer market topped at 695c/kg for a pen of 23 Angus heifers at 277kg offered by The Mount.
Mr Kelly said the heifer market was a highlight of the sale quoting heifers from 350-400kg made from 590c/kg to 610c/kg, those between 300-350kg making from 610c/kg to 660c/kg and open auction heifers under 300kg returning from $1700 to $1950.
The heifer yarding also offered several large volume lots of quality Angus types from vendors such as Kilmore South, Fernbank Park and Athlone South, who sold 67 Angus at 299kg for 666c/kg or $1991
January 20: Mega yarding at Naracoorte sees Angus favoured
The appetite for young cattle has ploughed on today with almost 5000 cattle sold at Naracoorte saleyards.
An earlier, two day sale on January 6 and 7 at the South East of South Australian selling centre also recorded hefty prices with vendors reporting a year-on-year lift of $500-$700/head.
Pinkerton Palm Hamlyn and Steen auctioneer Josh Manser said the prices were “firm to a whisker softer today”.
But the hunger of New South Welsh cattle producers for cattle to return to paddocks was unrelenting.
Mr Manser estimated 80-90 per cent of the yarding would end up in NSW.
“The sale went pretty well, we got out of jail, the calves didn’t have the weight in them that they had at our earlier December and January sales, and we had more coloured cattle here today,” he said.
Buyers were chasing Angus with huge discounts of 30-40c/kg witnessed on “anything that was broken faced (not pure black) discounted”.
“It hasn’t matter in previous years here, but today, they had to be all Angus,” he said.
Most of the cattle would “end up in feedlots, but they won’t go in straight away, they’ll go onto grass first”.
Mr Manser said the cattle presented “not as well as our earlier sales, the heat has taken a bit off them”.
Saleyard data shows that in all the 4728 Naracoorte steers auctioned today returned an average price of $2246/head, grossing the South East producers $10.6 million today. The equated to an average of 640c/kg or weight of 350kg.
Steers weighing 280-330kg averaged around 670-702c/kg, while their heavier brothers, 330-400kg, drew bids of 590-635c/kg and the heaviest end at 400-500kg made 539-583c/kg.
Feedlots were in on the action on the heavier, old steers.
Standout heavier pens included Avonel Pastoral’s 21 Angus steers, 431kg, that made $2590 or 600c/kg, purchased by Thomas Foods International.
PJ & JM Coote sold 21 Angus-Simmental steers at 457kg for $2597 or 568c/kg to Teys Charlton.
Shady Grove Partners had 31 Angus steers which sold for $2580; these weighed 427kg at 604c/kg.
V&L Munro’s 13 heavy Angus steers, 496kg landed a bid of $2750 or 554c/kg, while a further five black baldies made $2670 weighing 480kg.
Karowara had 37 Angus make $2775 or 565c/kg weighing 491kg and they were picked up by Teys Charlton, and 26 at 594c/kg at 388kg.
Old Fairview had 27 Angus steers, 420kg, make $2550 or 607c/kg, purchased by J&F Australia, along with a further 26, around the same weight for the same return. The same vendor had Angus-Simmental steers, eight in the pen, achieve a return of $2590, weighing 453kg (571c/kg).
The two day sale continues tomorrow, with the 3000-head heifer portion set to go under the hammer then.
-KATE DOWLER
January 14: Mortlake calves bring 800c/kg
A huge yarding of 7300 mixed sex weaners are going under the hammer at the Mortlake weaner sale today with reports coming through of prices hitting $8/kg and selling to keen northern buyers.
“It’s very solid here (price-wise) and we’ve had a bloody good run of calves through the front end; really well-bred and high-quality calves that have made anywhere between 620c/kg to 680c/kg for your heavier calves at 350kg to 400kg,” Nutrien Mortlake agent Josh McDonald said.
The market has already hit highs of $2604 among the opening lots of the sale which commenced at 10am. That current top price was achieved for a pen of 26 Angus steer weaners at 413kg which worked out to 631c/kg.
Cents-per-kilo wise prices have hit the $8/kg mark on the dot for one pen of 28 Angus steer weaners weighing 275kg. Another three lots of Angus steer weaners around 280kg all achieved highs of 778c/kg.
Mr McDonald said while it’s “definitely not the biggest crowd we’ve seen” the sale is competing with another large yarding of just over 4000 cattle at the Elders Yea weaner sale today. Many prospective buyers and onlookers are logging in online via AuctionsPlus to bid in both sales or socially distance themselves from the crowds amid rising covid cases.
All the major northern buyers are in attendance and bidding keenly including well-known commission buyers Andrew Lowe and Duncan Brown.
Overall the market topped at 858c/kg for 16 Angus steer weaners at 214kg.
Several lots of quality Angus weaner heifers sold by Moyne Falls Partnership achieved the cents-per-kilogram high of the heifer yarding, returning 750c/kg for heifers around 265kg.
The majority of the heifer yarding from 300kg to 350kg sold from 600c/kg to 680c/kg while those under 300kg averaged from 650c/kg to 700c/kg with some stand out lots in excess of that.
Vicki Jones and partner Bob Hawoth from Correlup sold their annual draft of breeders calves to “phenomenal” prices with a line-up of 106 Angus steers and 50 heifers.
With their exceptional blood lines and quality, bought up for their breeding potential, Vicki and Bob’s heifers averaged more than their steers at around $2500, while their steers averaged roughly $2400.
“We thought we had amazing prices last year at $1500 (for heifers) and this year we’ve got $1000 more, it’s just crazy,” Vicki said.
Vicki and Bob were awarded both the best presented pen of steers and heifers for their pen of 36 Angus weaner steers at 418kg which achieved 618c/kg or $2583 and their 25 Angus weaner heifers at 352kg which made 762c/kg or $2682.
“There wasn’t heaps of buyers there but there was some really big volume buyers,” Vicki said
-PETRA OATES
January 14: Heifers thrive at Casterton
Heifers matched it with their brothers on the best lines at today’s Casterton all breed heifer sale, with many prices outselling the earlier steer returns as cattlemen and women chased quality beef genetics.
Doug Robertson’s Nangana heifers matched it with the best from the Hamilton fixture, making a top price in dollars-per-head terms - the highest recorded at both sales - of $2657.
This was paid by a Glen Innes, NSW, buyer for 36 heifers, nine to 10 months old, Banquet blood, weighing 384kg or 692c/kg.
Mr Robertson’s second draft of 19 fetched $2610 (748c/kg), weighing 349kg, and were also headed to the same NSW home.
“Prices are incredible, I hope they stick around. It is $500 up on last year,” he said.
“It is great to see, but it has to be said, all the costs are going up, like super, along with it and most of this money will be reinvested in the farm and in capital improvements.”
The tops of the Nangaga heifers last year were purchased by Matlock and sold PTIC last week for $3500 - a tidy return or “at least double the money”, Mr Robertson said.
The market was well attended by a big gallery of buyers - a good handful of them agents from the northern states looking for quality breeders for their clients. But local bidders were not to be outdone, often going head to head with the interstates on select lines.
Local agents estimated that around 30 per cent of the earlier Hamilton heifer sale had stayed local as studs and some commercial breeders fought off NSW, South Australian and QLD bids to keep some quality heifers in their paddocks. A similar trend was seen at Casterton.
Father and son Luke and Andrew Balkin, Pieracle, from south of Casterton purchased 35 early on; 20 Angus from Forest View, weighing 312kg for 708c/kg or $2208/head and 15 from Gunado at 360kg for 642c/kg or $2310. Andrew Balkin said the heifers would go back to the paddock as breeders.
As for the high prices, he said for heifers, it made sense to pay for quality.
“They have 10 years ahead of them, and it is good to support the locals,” he said.
Vendors Julie and Kelvin Bateman from Baroona, just to the north of Casterton, saw the tops of their Angus heifers make $2300, matching the average price paid for their steers.
A pen of 50 from Baroona weighing 350kg made 680c/kg or $2380 and 43 at 324kg fetched 734c/kg or $2378.
“This will help us pay some debt off, and maybe put up some sheds,” Mrs Bateman said.
“This will really help the town too and the saleyards, with a lot of the money coming back into the community here.
“We need to support these yards and keep them going; it costs too much to send them elsewhere.”
Taronga Poll Herefords sold 43 heifers at 298kg for 658c/kg or $1964, while Rosebank sold 16 Simmentals 301kg for 668c/kg or $2010.
In lighter Angus, Wondooma sold 12 Angus at 317kg for 712c/kg or $2257.
In the really small lines, a good example was Faroes’ seven Angus that made 190kg for 830c/kg or $1577.
-KATE DOWLER
Hamilton’s heifer sale drew strong bids from interstate agents as well as locals chasing specific bloodlines at today’s independent agent’s British bred heifer sale.
The sale opened with a heavy pen of 18 Corra Pastoral’s Angus, Te Mania and Coolana blood, 399kg, which were knocked down at 626c/kg or $2509/head to a Glen Innes buyer.
This set the tone for the Angus run, with the next pen selling for $2456 or 622c/kg and the following, $2411 (668c/kg).
Prices started at the 620c/kg mark for the heaviest females, and soon lifted to the low to mid 700c/kg range as the heifers got lighter.
Camp Creek’s Angus heifers from the Holcombe family were judged best presented and the prices received also reflected this. The 11 383kg Angus heifers, Banquet, Nampara and Sterita Park bloodlines, fetched a bid of 672c/kg which put them at $2573 a head.
A second pen of 29 also from Camp Creek, 343kg, made 758c/kg, which added up to $2599. Both pens were bought by well known Mortlake stud Banquet Angus.
Several Victorian and South East of South Australia seedstock breeders were out in force, keen to compete on client’s cattle against the deep pockets of the interstate buyers.
However, the price, although still strong, did ebb on those pens where this combination of bidders did not compete.
Richard Mann with his daughter Fleur Mann and her four month old daughter Sybil, and Richard’s son James Mann saw a great result for Fleur’s first auction of weaners at Hamilton today.
Fleur sold two pens of Langulac Angus heifers, trading as Stonemanns, which were snapped up by buyers to be used as breeders. “I’m so pleased they were bought to be breeders, they are such lovely heifers,” Fleur said.
She and her husband Adrian Miller work off farm and do not have time at the moment to calve down heifers, she said.
Hence the total drop was sold today.
The first pen of 22 Angus heifers, Weeran and Chiltern Park blood, 350kg fetched a bid of 700c/kg or $2450.
The second draft of 38 heifers, 304c/kg, returned 758c/kg or $2304.
“We are extremely happy with the prices and the fact they will breed on; we don’t have the land or ability to calve heifers now, with me working as a nurse and Adrian doing shift work.”
Other locals happy with the results were Daniel, Lloyd, Adam and Jenny Mirtschin, Fixby, Mt Napier.
They sold 36 heifers today and 59 steers earlier this week that averaged $2460.
The first pen of 20 Fixby Angus heifers today, 340kg, fetched 680c/kg or $2312.
“Prices are amazing, we’ve never seen anything like this, last year our steers averaged $1950,” Mrs Mirtschin said.
Selling was yet to commence on the Hamilton Hereford heifers at the time of writing.
-KATE DOWLER
January 12: Herefords sell to strong demand at Hamilton
The popularity of grass-finished beef programs was on show at Hamilton today as repeat buyers tussled over the lead runs of Hereford steers, paying to $2632 per head.
The feature yarding of Hereford and European sired calves — Simmental, Charolais and Limousin — was impressive for weight and breed quality and buyers responded by keeping price rates at the strong levels of the opening markets.
Broadly, the heaviest steers up around 400kg sold from 585c to 625c/kg liveweight to carry the best over $2500 per head.
It was the middle runs of Hereford steers weighed between 330kg to 380kg that sold exceptionally well, particularly the big name lines that attracted bidding duels between repeat buyers.
Examples of this included a line of 91 Hereford steers bred by Leon Wheeler which weighed 387kg and sold for 655c/kg or $2535. This sale came after the heaviest pen of the Wheeler’s steers, which weighed 428kg and opened the market, sold for 615c or $2632.
Other stand-out results for big lines included:
LOCHREDAL with 50 steers at 348kg which sold for 676c or $2352;
ORANA with 60 Herefords at 362kg which made 662c or $2396.
Paul Malseed, Orana, said it was a result that set a new line in the sand that would take some beating.
“Its bloody terrific – a bit different to the old days,’’ he said, adding that he had been discussing prices with another breeding and it was 11 years ago when steers had first cracked the $1000 mark.
This year they would easily surpass the $2200 mark.
“We all talked about the exceptional prices last year and now it has jumped another $500 to $600 per head. And I’m deadest certain we have not going to get such a rise (in income) next year, you’ve got to be realistic about it.’’
Repeat buyers Paul Mason of Wellington in NSW, and John Wyld, Koolumurt, who finishes steers at Tarwin Lower in Gippsland were the strength behind many of the top priced Hereford lots.
Buying depth at the sale was solid, with agencies such as Ray White Emms Mooney from NSW, Gibb & Co Queanbeyan, Alex Scott & Staff from Warragul, and stud breeder and grass finisher Marc Greening of Injemira back at the rails again.
There was little price deviation for the European breeds.
The champion pen of Charolais steers from Boolong at 403kg sold for 596c/kg or $2402; the renowned Glanleam and Innisfail Limousin steers, which are exceptional for shape and muscle, made from 580c (for 418kg) through to 736c for calves around 310kg. This still bought the out above $2280 each.
- JENNY KELLY
January 11: Prices hold on at Hamilton
Steer prices have held on today at Hamilton despite the sale attracting one of the smallest crowds seen at one of the Western District’s feature New Year markets.
The heaviest Angus steers sold to $2602 for 417kg liveweight, with bidding following similar parameters to yesterday’s opening event.
Today also marked the first time Herefords and European bred steers have been sold at the centre, and results were positive with the best calves of all colours making similar money to blacks.
The opening pen of heavy Herefords from John and Liz Craig, Inverell, sold for 624c/kg and on a weight of 397kg worked out at $2477.
The overall yarding is unlikely to match the record average of $2400 plus set yesterday, with quality and weight not as consistent.
There did appear to be a drop off in the volume of buyers lining the rail, and with less vendors attending than usual due to Covid concerns, the walkways weren’t packed like usual.
But while it was noticed and commented on, it didn’t seem to adversely affect results.
“It is a quiet crowd but there is still enough interest there,’’ said Doug Robertson, Nangana at Grassdale: “The prices and well above last year and incredible really.’’
The market remained sticky on some of the heaviest lots, although competition between the JBS feedlot buyer and the Killara Feedlot which was operating through AuctionsPlus kept prices at solid levels.
Some of the best results for breeders were achieved for second and third draft calves.
This was the case for the annual draft of Inverell Herefords.
The top 24 steers at 397kg made 624c, the adjoining pen of 65 at 353kg then went to 694c/kg to return $2450. Then the third cut of 50 head at 311kg sold for 730c or $2270.
“The top pen might have been a bit soft but then we had a good win on the seconds and thirds which sold above expectations by 10c to 20c/kg, and at the end of the day it is the overall average that matters,’’ Mr Craig said.
The bulk of the yarding sold between 620c to 690c/kg, with sales then climbing above 700c/kg for lighter-weight types. At the top end in cents per kilogram terms was 36 black baldy calves from Calcarab which weighed 290kg and sold for 750c to cost $2175.
New buyers to enter the market today included Elders agent Phil Gledhil from Holbrook, who bought one of the biggest lines on offer – 117 Angus from Athlone South which weighed 369kg at $2574.
Athlone South also sold another big draft of 129 head at 332kg which sold for 702c/kg or $2330 to an online buyer.
The market remained underpinned by NSW orders, with commission buyer Andrew Lowe active on a range of cattle, including the lead pens of the Inverell steers which were believed to have been purchased for repeat buyer Paul Mason of Wellington in NSW.
-JENNY KELLY
January 11: Buyers reap strong prices at Casterton
Angus steers drew consistent and forceful bidding from a huge gallery of buyers, including many interstate faces, at Casterton in the state’s far west today.
The opening 2022 calf sale for the breeders of Casterton – many of whom specialise is turning off quality weaners for one big week in January – was strong from the start on the well-bred and covered calves, and only stumbled on the small number of off-type or unweaned steers presented.
The first three pen runs consistently produced prices in the $2300-$2400/head and above range as buyers held the market to the values seen at southern Australian weaner sales during the past week. Fewer than five pens dipped below 600c/kg, with the opening runs of 350-380kg steers generally making 650-690c/kg. The bulk of the yarding, down to the tiny calves at the end, made more than $2000.
The top cents per kilogram price was recorded at 852c/kg paid for 58 253kg Angus steers, working out at $2155 sold by A Cameron. Casterton, in all, sold 2782 Angus steers today for an average weight of 332kg, 681c/kg or $2269/head.
$2,495 was paid for 24 Angus steers, 340kg av, offered by 'Meteranvale' at the Casterton weaner sales today.#AngusPremium#GrowAngus#AngusAustralia#AustraliasBreed#IUseAngusBulls#AngusCattle#AngusFamily#AustraliasFemale#AustraliasCow#AustraliasBull#AustraliasSteerpic.twitter.com/QQlkflZvil
— Angus Australia (@angusaustralia) January 10, 2022
Regular vendor, Troy O’Connell, Tora Downs, sold 67 steers today. Regularly among the top priced Angus pens, today was no different.
Tora Down’s first pen of 47 Angus weaners, aged nine to 11 months, Boonaroo blood, weighed 373kg and fetched a bid of 658c/kg, working out to $2454.
But the pen of 20 320kg steers that were knocked down at 722c/kg to commission buyer Andrew Lowe, working out at $2310 impressed Mr O’Connell more.
“They were only $140 behind the tops,” he said. “These prices are just sensational.”
Boonaroo Angus stud principal Jodie Foster was on hand to see clients like Tora Downs sell.
“The results today are pretty amazing really; everything you could hope for has come to fruition, the drought has broken and people need to restock to rebuild herds, and we’ve got soaring (global) meat prices.
“I don’t think I’m qualified to predict whether these prices will continue but it is more money than any of us have seen before; what happens now all depends on the consumer, the end user who pays for the produce.
“I think Covid has seen more people cooking quality food at home though so it has been a perfect storm and I think it will settle a bit but at more sustainable, but still very good, prices.”
At a similar weight to the Tora calves, Wondooma also sold 23 Angus weaners, Boonaroo blood, 329kg for 710c/kg or $2335.
RL & SM Jarrad had 10 Angus of the same bloodline that made 712c/kg, weighing 329kg which calculated out at $2342. And Edwards family had 37 Angus, 322kg sell for 734c/kg or $2363.
Uptons sold 22 Angus, 285kg for 762c/kg or $2171. Several pens of calves, only just inside the 250-260kg mark still made over $2000/head.
Faroes had 32 small Angus steers at 231kg make $1917 or 830c/kg.
On the earlier heavier lines, Mary Vale sold 29 Angus steers, 388kg for 646c/kg o $2506 via an AuctionsPlus bid.
In other stand out early sales, Baroona had two pens with 73 and 68 steers respectively, Pathfinder blood, which fetched bids of 712c/kg on the 328kg steers ($2335/head) and 653c/kg on the 371kg line ($2422).
Buyers commented that prices were consistent on early weaner sales.
-KATE DOWLER
January 10: Prices on fire at Hamilton
Weight and quality has carried today’s opening calf sale at Hamilton to big dollar-a-head levels, the sale posting a top of $2894 for Angus steers.
However, there were some signs the sheer number of weaners in saleyards this week and Covid-19 processing issues are starting to have an impact on buying consistency and strength.
There wasn’t as much feedlot activity on the opening laneways of extra heavy Angus steer calves at Hamilton, with a few pens of 400kg-plus pens selling below the benchmark rate of 600c/kg.
The sale also didn’t show a lot of energy, and early in the sale it was AuctionsPlus online support that was responsible for building prices rather than agents and commission buyers who were physically at the market.
This marks a change from recent store sales where AuctionsPlus has generally been overwhelmed by restockers lining the rail.
However these observations did little to affect the overall result.
“Yes everyone was a bit tentative at the start, but (cents-a-kilogram bidding) quickly went up,” auctioneer Warren Clarke of Lanyons Hamilton said.
“In all honesty this sale would match-in with where the store market has been (throughout December and last week). And it can’t get much dearer, these blokes (buyers) have to make something out of it.”
The all Angus steer yarding was superbly presented, and displayed a lot of weight. The official figures were 4120 calves yarded at an average weight of 354.4kg liveweight. This is nearly 600 more calves than a year ago.
In reality most of the first and second draft calves from vendors weighed from 360kg to 400kg, and it was well into the sale before weights dropped below 330kg.
Bidding for the opening laneways of heavy steers did “ebb and flow”, to use the words of one producer, at between 580c/kg to 670c/kg, the majority of sales between 610c/kg to 650c/kg.
But then the market gathered some steam, and later in the auction there was plenty of calves under 330kg which sold above 700c/kg to a top of 778c/kg.
The top rate was for 28 steers from Roo Park Pastoral which weighed 297kg, and returned $2310 each.
And in dollar-a-head terms, the sale was impressive.
The opening pen of 26 Angus from Camp Creek, weaned for three-weeks, EU accredited, weighing 423kg, sold for 608c/kg to work out at $2572. And showing how the sale gathered pace, the property’s second line of 82 steers at 387kg then sold for 662c/kg to make $2562.
“Its pretty red hot really — I wouldn’t like to be buying them,” said local breeder Kieron Moore, Aringa West Pastoral at Yambuck who sold 96 head.
His results are a good example of how the sale tracked on weights, with the strength on cattle under 360kg.
The property’s top 16 steers at 400kg made 628c/kg or $2512; second run at 358kg made 710c/kg to deliver a higher income of $2542; and the thirds at 326kg made 726c/kg or $2367.
Feedlot buyers to operate included JBS buying calves to background in NSW before being fed at their Yambinya site; Hopkins River Beef; Mort & Co which feeds cattle at Peechelba and Ravensworth; with reports a northern NSW feedlot was buying through AuctionsPlus.
The strongest interest agency was Ray White Emms Mooney which operates branches at Bathurst, Orange and Cowra, and bought more than 500 cattle.
Gippsland agents Terry Ginnane, Nutrien at Leongatha, and Neil Darby, of Alex Scott & Co at Warragul — both regular buyers at these Hamilton sales — purchased cattle.
Commission buyer Andrew Lowe was also active buying cattle destined for interstate.
-JENNY KELLY
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