Markets

Young cows & calves to $2405 in bigger AuctionsPlus offering

Jon Condon, 29/11/2015
This pen of 66 Angus cows 6-7 years averaging 798kg, with Limo cross calves at foot and re-mated, topped the Hartley Grazing breeding herd dispersal offering on Friday, making $2330 per unit.

This pen of 66 Angus cows 6-7 years averaging 798kg, with Limo cross calves at foot and re-mated, topped the 929-head Hartley Grazing breeding herd dispersal offering on Friday, making $2330 per unit.

 

NUMBERS increased significantly to 8903 head in Friday’s AuctionsPlus sales – up 2400 head or 37 percent, in a week where saleyard numbers remained static in all states bar Queensland.

A large proportional representation of cows and calves (see Hartley Grazing herd dispersal notes below) provided a clear indication that restockers are starting to get back into the market, out-competing processors on some lines that could easily have ended up either in a breeding paddock or the killfloor.

In overall sale results on Friday, young females with calves sold from $1305 to a top of $2405 for a pen of 20 2-3 year old Angus cows with Angus calves at foot and re-mated to Angus bulls out of Chatsbury NSW; while 49 mixed age unjoined Belmont Red cows with Belmont Red calves at foot made $1650 out of Blackwater, Central Queensland.

Smaller numbers of PTIC females saw young cows sell for $1130 to a $1650, and a mixed-age line of 60 PTIC Santa and Santa cross cows at Blackall, 5-13 years, made $1310.

Young cattle prices on Friday were relatively static, with only the lighter end of heifers experiencing any significant change.

In a breakdown of young cattle by weight category:

  • Steers weighing less than 250kg made 332c to 416c averaging 375c, up 6c; while heifers in the same weight category made 290-368c to average 322c, down 18c.
  • Steers 250-300kg made 322c to 376c to average 357c, down 7c; while heifers made 286-337c averaging 313c, down 10c on last week.
  • Steers 300-350kg sold from 323-370c to average 349c, up 5c; while heifers made 299-326c, down 2c to average 316c.
  • Steers over 350kg sold from 326-343c to average 334c, steady on last week; while heifers were also steady at 300c with a range of 274c to 323c.

 

Hartley herd dispersal averages $2227 for 929 Angus breeders

A highlight of Friday’s catalogue was the dispersal of the Hartley Grazing herd of 929 Angus and Charolais cross cows, with Limousin calves at foot (see Beef Central’s earlier preview), out of Mendooran, NSW.

Vendor and former AMLC chairman Dick Austen and his family paid a visit to the AuctionsPlus office in Sydney to watch the sale proceedings, and the results certainly delivered on earlier expectations. The cows, were aged between four and eight years, with calves at foot and re-mated, sold from $2100 to $2330 to average an incredible $2227.

Significantly, restocker buyers out-competed processors, with the bulk of the herd heading into commercial breeding areas across NSW and Victoria. With lines of Angus females like those pictured at the top of this page, nudging 800kg liveweight (367kg dressed weight at a theoretical dressing percentage of 46pc) the offering would have tempted any processor with access to a supply chain to handle the calf portion.

Former AMLC chairman Dick Austen and Mrs Austen, centre, visited the AuctionsPlus headquarters to witness the dispersal of their Hartley Grazing herd on Friday.

Former AMLC chairman Dick Austen and Mrs Austen, centre, visited the AuctionsPlus headquarters to witness the dispersal of their Hartley Grazing herd on Friday. Click on image for a larger view.

 

Other notable larger cattle lines sold on Friday included:

  • 130 PTIC Droughtmaster heifers from Clermont, Central Queensland, 36-48 months and EU eligible, $1200
  • 456 Angus backgrounder steers ex Brewarrina NSW, 9-15 months sold from $970 (243kg) to $1150 (311kg)
  • 177 EU-eligible Brangus steers 12-18 months ex Emerald, Central Queensland, in two lines – 361kg ($1230) and 311kg ($1085)
  • 104 crossbred feeder steers 18-24 months from Glenmorgan, southern Qld weighing 442kg sold for 335c or $1485/head
  • 112 Angus backgrounder heifers 7-13 months and 271kg at Meandarra, southern Qld made $910, while a further 68 Angus x Charolais half –sib heifers, 286kg, made $905.

In Wagyu-influnced offerings on Friday, Angus cows 4-7 years mated to Wagyu bulls at Drillham, western downs, made $2215.

 

Upcoming feature lines on AuctionsPlus:

Highly regarded Cooplacurripa Station near Walcha has 500 Angus and black baldy steers 230-300Kg listed for sale on Friday 4 December. Elders Walcha is the agent: 02 67742600

 

Special Wagyu feature sale planned

It’s been impossible to miss the spectacular results achieved for lines of Wagyu and Wagyu-infused cattle sold via the AuctionsPlus online platform from southern parts of Western Australia all the way to Central Queensland over the past six months.

Not all feedlot buyers have been happy with the ‘discovery’ of AuctionsPlus by Wagyu breeders this year, however, because it has broken up some cosy long-standing direct consignment relationships by exposing listed in-demand feeder and backgrounder cattle to a larger, more geographically-spread  buyer pool, to vendors’ advantage. Occasional threats by individual buyers to boycott AuctionsPlus for this reason are nothing new, and have been in evidence virtually since the start of online marketing as Computer Aided Livestock Marketing back in 1986.

In response to the rapidly emerging, and obviously successful channel for Wagyu cattle marketing, AuctionsPlus has scheduled its first-ever Special Wagyu Sale on Wednesday 16 December.

“There has never been more demand for Fullbloods to F1s and F2s,” Elders AuctionsPlus manager, Bob Jakins said.

Agents are calling for sale listings for the sale including:

  • Fullblood to F1 and F2 females, PTIC to Wagyu bulls
  • British bred & Bos Taurus females, PTIC to Wagyu bulls
  • Feedlot entry weight steers and heifers from F1 to Fullblood
  • Weaner steers & heifers F1 to Fullblood, suitable for backgrounding.

The sale will offer a range of options including:

  • Forward contract, for delivery up to March 31 2016, sold c/kg basis
  • $/head sales for all PTIC females, with 7 days delivery
  • Direct feedlot entry sales, sold c/kg basis

All lots will be sold as a delivery on-farm, with freight the purchaser’s responsibility.

Interested vendors can contact Elders AuctionsPlus manager Bob Jakins 0419 788 366.

 

 

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