These 19-21 month old Angus PTIC heifers ,from Cassilis, NSW, joined to Trio Angus bulls, made $1850 on Friday

THE current dry spell across eastern Australia is continuing to take its toll on livestock transactions – both cattle and sheep – on AuctionsPlus.

Clearance rates were again impacted in last week’s Eastern States cattle sales.

Numbers in the weekly Friday sales decreased to 6404 head down 18 percent from the previous week. This was balanced somewhat by an offering of 2600 head offered in the Pitt Sons Walcha Weaner Sale, interfaced online and the Spry’s Bull and Genetics Sale which made up for fewer numbers.

Joined females presented well last week, with numbers spread across all Eastern States.

Among stand-out female sales, a line of 19-21 month old Angus PTIC heifers, joined to Trio Angus bulls, from Cassilis, NSW made $1850. A line of 44 Angus second-calvers from Gunnedah, NSW PTIC to Kenny’s Creek and Onslow bulls, also made solid money, selling for $1590.

Rising six-year-old Angus PTIC cows from Ebor, NSW, PTIC to Rennylea, Kansas and Milwillah bulls, saw the top price for this age bracket, making $1500.

Further north, large lines of Brahman and Brahman cross cows from Proston, QLD made some cracking prices, with all lots making over $1100 and the top price of $1320 for station-mated Simmental x Brahman cows and calves, cows five years and station mated. The best of the Brahman cow offering, 140 in number and station-mated, sold to $1270. The Bungoona-blood cattle were on agistment at Proston from their home-base at Longreach, still desperately dry after three years.

These five year old station-mated Simmental x Brahman cows and calves, on agistment at Proston from Longreach, made $1320.

Topping the overall female market last week was a line of Angus heifers and calves from Tintinara, SA, which made $2050. The calves averaged 60kg with the heifers consisting of Te Mania and Hazeldean bloodlines, with calves by Booroomooka bulls.

In a breakdown of last week’s young cattle sales, by weightrange:

• Steers weighting less than 250kg sold from 339c to 364c averaging 355c, up 18c; while heifers in the same weightrange sold from 279c to 344c averaging 316c up 3c
• Steers 250-300kg sold from 299c to 317c averaging 308c down 3c; while heifers sold from 261c to 333c averaging 295c down 4c
• Steers 300-350kg sold from 303c to 317c averaging 310c, unchanged from the previous week; while heifers sold from 284c to 341c averaging 301c up 38c
• Steers above 350kg made 279c/kg.

Other sales

Wagyu also made a presence in Friday’s Eastern States sales with steers, heifers and bulls all featuring prominently. A line of 7-9 month old Wagyu cross steers making $1565 from Coolah, NSW, while young Fullblood Wagyu bulls out of the paddock from Canowindra, NSW made $5000.

The annual AuctionsPlus-interfaced Pitt Sons Walcha weaner sale held at the Walcha saleyards last Wednesday saw 2600 weaners go under the hammer. Despite the difficult season throughout the region, the cattle were presented in excellent condition. Proof was in the pudding when the first pen of the day was knocked down to a local butcher.

The tops of the steers from Mirrabooka, the Lockyer Family, Loloma Pastoral & Karori all sold well. The top price pen, 314kg Angus calves from Mirrabooka, sold for 336c/kg.

There was strong competition on the day from local re-stockers, and two major lotfeeders across the large lines of top quality New England weaners.

All heifers were back slightly and sold to a top of 296c/kg for a pen of 281kg Angus. With 26 online bidders logged into the sale AuctionsPlus sold five pens of heifers to restockers, and lent strong bidding on many of the heifers offered.

Last week AuctionsPlus also interfaced the on-property Spry’s Shorthorn Bull and Genetic Sale, out of Wagga Wagga, NSW. The top prices at the sale included a bull for $18,000 and a heifer for $8000. The top priced bull purchased online was $8000 and he is heading to the New England region in NSW.

Source: AuctionsPlus