Wodonga sale cattle prices: Huge numbers reap rewards for sellers

2400 head of quality cattle were yarded at Wodonga recently, where strong prices weren’t affected by the rain. Full prices here.

Big money flowed again for quality cattle at Barnawartha today, with Angus cows and calves to $4720 and the feature lines of spring drop calves making from 700c to 870c/kg liveweight.

It was one of the bigger fortnightly sales the centre has held in recent times, with 2400 head yarded – lured out by the strong prices in a tightening autumn season.

But more numbers and little rain on the immediate horizon failed to make a dent in the market, with prices quoted as firm to dearer than recent sales by auctioneers.

The tempo did sideline commission buyers such as Andrew Lowe and Graham Ward, who stood back after declaring there was better buying chances at Tumut yesterday and potentially more to come with big sales of young cattle scheduled in both southern Victoria and NSW next week.

A feature of the yarding was young spring drop calves, built around the annual offering of 457 head from Angus breeders David and Este Collins of Fairfield Park, Greta.

The mixed sex calves were all August/September drop, weaned, and from a herd boasting generations of Lawson blood genetics.

The opening line of 64 steers with a displayed weight of 325kg sold for $2300 to kick-off the run at 707c/kg lwt. The middle draft of 131 calves, average 285kg, then sold for $2245 at 787c/kg. Prices then climbed over 800c for the lighterweight pens, with 54 at 243kg selling for $2070 and the tail-end 20 calves at 205kg for $1790 to peak at 870c/kg lwt.

Selling agents Corcoran Parker calculated an average of $2069 over the steers.

It was a boom result for the Collins family, who run more than 600 cows in the Benalla region.

“Isn’t it amazing,’’ said Este: “I honestly thought we have hit the peak last year and the market would have tailed-off by now but it hasn’t.’’ From memory the Collins said their top calves made around $1800 last autumn to be hundreds behind today’s result.

Another vendor to have a strong result was SpaCorp from Mansfield, its line of 68 Angus steer calves aged 7-8-months selling for $2200 on a weight of 256kg to work out at 859c.

The Fairfield Park heifers sold to $1860 for the lead pen of 21 at 285kg (652c/kg); followed by 65 at $1880 on a lighter weight of 255kg to work out at 737c/kg; 32 at 254kg made $1800 (708c); 44 at 225kg then sold for $1630 and the tail-end pen at 195kg for $1500.

All these heifers bar one pen sold to Corcoran Parker agents, and local support was the backbone of the market.

Auctioneer Justin Keane, Corcoran Parker, said the price for these calves had to be viewed alongside their reputation, quality, and presentation which included proper weaning.

“They have sold enormously well, but they are properly presented too,’’ he said: “There are calves here that have got more weight in them making around $2000 (so less on a c/kg basis) but they are often unweaned and buyers won’t get the immediate gain like you do from calves that have already gone through the weaning process.’’

There was a lot of ‘bellow’ in the yarding as a lot of young calves were pushed onto the market straight off cows.

Bidding did ebb and flow around quality, breed, and number in a pen.

It was possible to buy some nicely bred yearling type steers with weight for less than 600c/kg.

Examples included 18 Herefords, listed at 16-months and weighing 406kg, which sold on a single bid of $2250, working out to 554c; and a standout pen of 30 Charolais Angus steers, 12-14 months and showing plenty of shape and condition at 446kg which made $2590 or 580c/kg.

But heavier black cattle that suited feedlot orders made from 600c to 630c/kg lwt.

Competition was the most animated for quality Angus cattle across the yarding.

The sale opened on an advertised line of 37 young Angus cows and calves from Kentucky at Corowa. Big young cows, aged 4-6-years, and with a very even drop of calves 1-2-months they made $4500.

A few pens on, a pen of seven Angus heifers with young calves topped the market at $4720, sold account Grealy Family Farms.