CATTLE numbers offered on AuctionsPlus rose sharply last week, as vendors cashed-in on once in a lifetime pricing levels for young cattle and breeders. The five sales completed by Friday attracted listings totalling 10,429 head, a 45pc jump on the previous week.
Young cattle continued to dominate the listings in Friday’s weekly sale, with breeder numbers slowly gaining a larger presence in the catalogue.
Offerings last week came from all over the continent, ranging from Alice Springs, NT to Mt Isa, QLD, down through the eastern states and heading over as far west as Dandaragan, WA. The bigger catalogue brought a large amount of interest from restockers, processors and feedlots, with a total of 519 individual bidders logging on to last week’s sales.
Young steer highlights include a line of 91 Angus and Angus cross backgrounder steers, 8-12 months averaging 227kg, from Meandarra, QLD which sold for 460c/kg or $1050.
A line of Morjuval blood Poll Hereford steers, 10-11 months weighing 215kg, from Cassilis, NSW sold for 445c/kg or $955.
Certified Organic Angus/Brangus and Ultra Black/Brangus steers, 8-12 months averaging 278kg, from Quilpie, QLD sold for 442c/kg or $1230, while Clunie Range blood Angus steers, 12-15 months weighing 270kg, from Coolatai, NSW sold for 440c/kg or $1185.
Angus steers, 10-12 months averaging 328kg, from Junee, NSW sold for 423c/kg or $1387.
A line of 12-15 month old Santa Gertrudis cross steers, 304kg, from Acland, QLD sold for 419c/kg or $1273, while Karoo-blood Angus steers, 11-12 months averaging 382kg, from Elong Elong, NSW sold for 411c/kg or $1570.
A line of Shorthorn and Angus cross steers, 11-13 months averaging 369kg, from Inverell, NSW sold for 399c/kg or $1470, and a large line of 208 heavy feeder steers (mixed breeds, including mostly Angus, Brangus, Senepol and Droughtmasters genetics), 14-18 months averaging 451kg, from Dingo, QLD sold for a huge 378c/kg or $1707 a head.
Heifer highlights
Young heifer highlights this week include a line of Angus cross and Angus heifers, 8-12 months averaging 207kg, from Meandarra, QLD sold for 414c/kg or $855, and Mojuval-blood Poll Herefords, 10-12 months weighing 234kg, from Cassilis, NSW selling for 402c/kg or $940.
A line of 283kg Angus heifers, 11-13 months, from Yass, NSW sold for 406c/kg or $1150, and Angus and Angus cross heifers, 11-12 months weighing 338kg, from Elong Elong, NSW sold for 394c/kg or $1330.
A line of 340kg Charolais cross heifers, 16-20 months, weighing 340kg, from Riverton, QLD sold for 365c/kg or $1240. Merridale and Banquet blood Angus heifers, 12-13 months at 356kg, from Euroa, VIC sold for 390c/kg or $1390.
In a breakdown of young cattle sold last week, by weightrange:
- Steers weighing less than 250kg sold from 343-463c to average 412c/kg, dropping 25c; while heifers in the same weightrange sold from 328c to 414c to average 37c, eased 3c
- Steers 250kg-300kg sold from 349-442c to average 407c, increased 2c; while heifers sold from 318c to 406c to average 374c, up 2c
- Steers 300-350kg sold from 355-423c to average 399c, up 7c; while heifers sold from 348-394c to average 376c, jumping up 20c
- Steers above 350kg sold from 349-411c to average 382c, easing 2c; while heifers in the highest weightrange sold from 365c to 390c to average 378c, climbing up 35c
Breeding females
Stand-out breeder female lines included a of Te Mania blood Angus cows from Trafalgar, VIC, 4-5 years, PTIC to Landfall Angus bulls, which sold for $2015. A line of Angus females from Denman, NSW, 24-26 months, PTIC to Waverly Angus Bulls sold for $1850.
Injemira blood Hereford cows from Cavendish, VIC, 4-7 years, PTIC to Angus bulls, sold for $1680, while a line of mixed-aged Mungalla blood Droughtmaster cows, joined to Droughtmaster bulls from Taroom, QLD sold for an impressive $1910.
Cows-and-calf highlights last week include a line of Angus/Friesian cows from Jerilderie, NSW, 3.5 years old, joined back to Speckle Park bulls, with Speckle Park calves at food averaging 230kg, which sold for $2960.
A line of Blonde Aquitaine/Shorthorn cows from Mendoorn, NSW, 3-8 years, joined back to Minnamurra Speckle Park bulls, with Speckle Park calves at foot, sold for $2700.
Wagyu listings continued to make cracking prices last week with two lines of Wagyu heifers, joined to Wagyu bulls, from Condamine, QLD selling for $4250. A line of Wagyu cows, 2-3 years, PTIC to Wagyu bulls, from Bendemeer, NSW sold for $4120.
Targeted feeder sale
AuctionsPlus ran another Targeted Feeder cattle sale last Tuesday, offering 470 young cattle suited to feedlot programs. Most were offered forward contract, some as far as the end of November. Some lots featured first-stage pre-vaccination with Bovillis MH.
A line of 50 Angus heavy feeders 451kg at 14-15 months, on winter oats from Forbes, NSW topped the sale at 397.2c/kg or $1795/head. Steers for November delivery topped at 355c/kg, for a line of 84 Droughtmaster and Droughtmaster x Angus steers from Binalong NSW, averaging 418kg.
Interfaced bull sales
Last week AuctionsPlus interfaced various stud bulls sales. The first one kicked off on Tuesday with the Te Mania Spring Bull Sale at Walgett where the top priced bull made $22,000 with a sale average of $7665. The top priced bull bought online was for $7000. On Friday there were two interface sales Wakefield and Booroomooka. The Wakefield sale offered Angus, Charolais and Composite Bulls. The top Charolais bull made $8000 and the top priced Angus, $6500. Online buyers bought a handful of lots and helped push prices up.
On Wednesday AuctionsPlus also interfaced the McLachlan Airlie Charolais and Talis Angus bull sale. Overall there were 22 users that logged into the sale; 11 guests and 11 bidders. The Top priced Angus Bull was $10,000, with the bulls averaging $5200 and the top priced Charolais bull was $5000 with all bulls averaging $4292. Overall AuctionsPlus bidders purchased six online.
AuctionsPlus also held the Bolinda South Devon bull sale which was online only. With 23 quality South Devon bulls on offer, 13 lots were purchased, averaging $4288. The two equal top priced bulls sold for $5750.
Lastly on Friday, AuctionsPlus also interfaced the Booroomooka Angus Bull sale with an amazing 229 bulls. With 75 users logging in throughout the sale, the average price for bulls was $9400. The top priced bull was Booroomooka Bartel K475 which made $26,000.
Coming up on AuctionsPlus
Elders has scheduled a Special Santa & Santa Infused sale next Friday, August 19, as part of the regular Eastern States sale. Listings include 1830 head, predominantly large lines of cows and heifers, some PTIC; and lines of feeder and backgrounder steers and heifers, some EU-accredited. Quality brands from some of Queensland’s sweetest cattle country are represented, including Clark & Tait’s Hobartville and Mantuan Downs (Alpha and Springsure respectively); Daandine Pastoral Co, Taroom; Northampton Downs, Blackall; Consuelo Cattle Co, Rolleston; Surbiton Station, Alpha; and Yarrawonga Cattle Co’s Stockade Station, Tambo.
Click here for details, or contact Don Tucker, Elders Emerald 0428 841 666.
Click here to access full details of Friday’s AuctionsPlus sale.
Great to see Anna Spears developing and marketing this sale option which our company APN Pty Ltd, trading as Hayfield Station and Sturt Plains, supported in the 1980’s under the CALM system. Bruce Cameron of Elders and I sold some export cattle under this system in the NT. This system allows buyers from Australia wide to know what cattle are available. Great to see the owners of AuctionsPlus investing in this system when the aim of the initial buyout was possibly to shut it down. Embracing IT in sales has finally surfaced as a positive for producers and buyers with the added advantage to animal welfare