Markets

30th annual Euroa female and weaner sale: PTIC heifers top at $2120

Murray Arnel, 12/12/2019

SUMMARY:

Joined heifers to $2120

Cows with calves at foot to $1850

Heifers + 360kg $960- $1090, av 265c/kg

Heifers 280-360kg $600- $930, av 241c/kg

Live coverage of today’s annual Euroa female cattle sale of 2000 cows/calves, joined females and weaner heifers 

WELL-bred lines of pregnancy-tested-in-calf Angus heifers have exceeded sale prices of $2000 per head on five occasions at the 30th annual Euroa female cattle held Thursday.

Topping at $2120 a head for a MJ & OJ Hill, Ruffy yard of 11 Connamarra rising two-year-olds, top end sales were about $500 to $600 a head better placed than 12 months ago when bidding struggled to rise much beyond the $1500 a head level.

Marcus Hill, Ruffy and sale topping MJ & OJ Hill Connamarra Angus Heifers purchased at $2100 by Heath Cowell of Tallarook

All five yards from a 55-head draft of the Connamarra Angus heifers – depastured for an eight week calving to commence mid-February – were cleared on bids of $2000 a head or more while yards from GE & MA Hill, Innesfail, Ruffy ($1950) and Good Hope Pastoral, Bonnie Doon ($1900) were priced close behind on a slightly later joining to commence calving early- to mid-March.

Rodwell Euroa branch manager, Michael Curtis said the best inquiry was for the earliest joined lots.

“Local weaner vendors like the earlier joined females” Mr Curtis said. “They provide the extra time for their calves to reach the nine to 10 months of age for the annual Euroa weaner sale held each December”.


Watch wrap of the 30th annual Euroa feature female cattle sale with Murray Arnel and Mick Curtis, Rodwells Euroa.

Mr Curtis said the better-bred and earlier joined February-March calvers had all met pre-sale price expectations, making from $1600 to the market top of $2120, while other later joined and smaller framed lots made upwards of $1400.

While the joined heifer lots were the feature of this annual fixture a limited display of joined older-aged cows, some with calves at foot, made from $1050 to $1850 depending on aged, condition and the age of the calves at foot.

The top priced lot was a yard of 11 by 11 Enderby Park Angus heifers sold with 3-4-month-old Angus calves at foot while Dennis Heather, Kilmore sold a yard of six Angus 2nd and 3rd calvers, with similar aged Angus calves at foot for $1800 each outfit.

Michael and Olga Hill, Ruffy, sold 55 of their Connamarra-blood and bred Angus heifers joined to top line Angus bull for a mid-February calving. The Hill’s have been breeding Connemara-blood Angus for about 38 years.

Two yards of large-framed, heavy Tarrawarra, Violet Town, Angus cows, 6-7 years, (weighed at 810-840kg) PTIC, calving March 2020 were passed at $1525 after failing to reach the vendor’s reserve.

Selling agent, Col Broughton, Landmark, said the line was worth on their slaughter value.

Michael Curtis said the main reason for the limited supply joined and calved older females was vendors had elected to retain their numbers where adequate feed and water reserves prevailed.

Angus breeders, Robert Love, Violet Town and Brodie Collins, Merridale Angus, Tennyson chat cattle genetics during the Euroa female sale.

“Significant numbers have also been brought into the district from up north”, Mr Curtis said.

A further feature of the Euroa December female sale, which offered about 1700 head, was the annual drafts of unjoined heifers comprising both yearling-off and weaner lines.

Mr Curtis said that similar to the previous week’s steer sale, where expectations were higher than the market could deliver, the better-bred and heavier lines suiting breeder restockers and the lot feeders sold best but sales of lighter opportunity/backgrounder heifers were somewhat disappointing.

Old-timers, Kevin Hill, Euroa, Jim Rockcliffe, Euroa and Mike McGuinness, Shepparton jokingly “bought and sold at lot of cattle on the day“ but couldn’t remember who would cart them.

Sales of the higher-priced and better-grown young heifers were made mostly in the 250- 280c/kg price range while the lighter heifers mostly made 200 to 240 cents.

Among the better priced weaners McGeehan & Gall, Euroa sold 22 Angus, Newnham-blood, 352kg, at $920 and a second draft of 25, 317kg, at $890.

Mansfield agent, Ryan Sargeant, Elders, was a keen supporter of Euroa unjoined heifer for both breeding purposes and lot feeding.

Ingpen Farms, Ancona sold 19 Angus, Te Mania- and Connamarra-blood, 355kg, at $880 while an IL Dickson, Longwood yard of 18 Angus, 357kg, made $840.

Gooram Springs, Gooram – 21, 340kg, $860, Villa Brae – 16 Angus, 328, $850, Mundarra Park, Seymour- 25 Angus, 335kg, $830 and S& G Clifton, Oakridge, Seymour – 20 Angus, 344kg, $810 were other well-supported sales of weaners while lighter and younger heifers generally made $650 to $750.

Better sales of yearling-off heifers, which were mostly made from $950 to $1090 a head, saw a pen of Toohey’s, Cobram Angus, 403kg, sold at $1090, 19 Mata Farming Angus, 408kg, realize $1060 while a second pen of 23 Mata Farming Angus, 373kg, made $1000.

A pen of 16 Simmons Angus, 395kg, made $1060 while yards of Minto Pastoral Angus, – 35, 362kg and 23, 364kg each made $1010 a head.

 

 

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