Cows with calves sold on Friday peaked at $2770 for these re-joined Angus first-calvers from Tenterfield, NSW

THE final Eastern States AuctionsPlus cattle sales for 2016 still saw big numbers on offer, with 6772 head offered online, plus 1178 head interfaced at the Euroa Feature Female sale on Wednesday, to total 7950 head.

Steers made up one third of today’s offering and unjoined heifers a close second. Rain across the south and heading north for the weekend meant plenty of buyer interest with 491 registered bidders logging-in for Friday’s Tasmanian and Eastern States sales.

Numbers of cows with calves at foot dropped last week, offered primarily in small lot sizes. Overall the average price for cow/calf units was $2166, topping at $2770 for re-joined Angus first-calvers from Tenterfield, NSW.

Other notable sales included three-year-old Angus cows with calves from Tasmania making $2650, and $2600 for rising three-year-old Simmental cows with 253kg Simmental calves at foot, heading from Robe, SA to a new home in central NSW.

PTIC heifers averaged $1874 and topped at $2340 for Hereford heifers from Skipton, Vic PTIC to Hereford bulls. PTIC cows made $1330 to $2600 to average $2209. The majority of these were part of a large offering South Boorook, Yarram Park and Injemira blood Herefords out of Skipton.

In Tasmania, a small number of unjoined future breeder Speckle Park/Angus heifers weighing 328kg sold for $1760.

With big numbers and more starting to appear with the kickoff of southern weaner sales, there was a slight easing in young cattle prices on AuctionsPlus last week, with the exception of the heavier end of the heifers.

In a breakdown of young cattle sold, by weightrange:

• Steers weighing less than 250kg sold from 405c to 485c/kg to average 433c/kg, easing 9c; while heifers in the same weight range sold from 355-440c, with an average of 384c, easing 6c
• Steers 250-300kg sold from 349-442c to average 397c, back 7c; while heifers sold from 352-392c to average 366c, back 13c
• Steers 300-350kg sold from 351-423c, averaging 388c, back 7c; while heifers sold from 331-421c, averaging 364c/kg, up 22c
• Steers 350kg+ sold from 326-393c, averaging 366c, down 8c; while heifers sold from 299-394c, averaging 337c, up 24c.

Big SA offering

A highlight of Friday’s sales was a large offering of EU-eligible steers and heifers totalling around 430 head account Krongart Pastoral Co from Penola, SA. Krongart Station is one of South Australia’s oldest grazing enterprises, tracing its roots back to 1846. The well-grown Angus and black baldy weaners, 9-10 months of age, sired by Coolana and Glaetz Angus bulls, made 393c for the heavier steers weighing 373kg, returning $1474 a head, and 442c for the lightest draft at 286kg, returning $1266. The heifers sold from 360c to 367c.

A highlight of Friday’s sales was a large offering of about 440 steers and heifers a/c Krongart Pastoral Co from Penola, SA. The well-grown Angus and black baldy weaners made 393c for the heavier steers weighing 373kg, and 442c for the lightest draft at 286kg.

Other notable sales included 267kg Angus/Santa steers from Goondiwindi, QLD selling for 419c and the 265kg heifer portion making 392c, 357kg Angus steers from Drysdale, Vic making 398c, 315kg Angus heifers from Glen Innes, NSW selling for 373c and 368kg Hereford heifers from Skipton making 394c.

Last Monday AuctionsPlus interfaced the Kenny’s Creek Angus Autumn Female dispersal, securing 23 lots to online buyers.

The Euroa Feature Female Sale on Wednesday was also interfaced and online bidders purchased three pens of heifers, with 62 registered bidders and 63 guests accessing the sale to listen live and follow the bidding activity from the saleyard.

Click here to access a full summary of Friday’s AuctionsPlus sales.

• This week AuctionsPlus will hold the last sales for the year today (Monday) and Tuesday, and will re-open on Wednesday 4 January.