Murray Arnel sale reports and videos

Biggest rises for heaviest cattle as strong southern market gains momentum at Ballarat

Murray Arnel, 21/06/2021

SUMMARY

Yarded: 3686

EYCI: 913c/kg

Feeder steer rating: +22pts

Steers: 500-650kg: $2450-$2720, av 477c/kg: 360-500kg $1920-$2600 av 515c/kg; 280-360kg $1600-$1880, av 556c/kg; 200-300kg $1360-$1680, av 606c/kg

Heifers: 360-500kg: $1720-$2290, av 466c/kg; 280-360kg $1350-$1810, av 510c/kg; 200-280kg: $1250-$1550, av 548c/kg

Kevin Maher, Springbank, sold his top pen of 16 Angus steers, 447kg, at $2250.

THE heaviest grown steers and heifers penned in this month’s Ballarat store cattle market made the best price gains.

Bids mostly placed between $2500 and a top of $2720 a head for steers weighed upwards of 500 kilograms liveweight were the order of the day for these to average 35c/kg higher than the centre’s month earlier sale.

Feeder steers weighed from 360 to 500kg, were also in higher demand.

These averaged 20c/kg dearer, due in part to the inclusion into the feeder buying field of the nation’s largest privately-owned feeder, Queensland-based Mort & Co.

The order, although not overly dominant on the day, has reportedly taken pens at a northern Victorian contract feed-yard.

Watch this recorded vision of the opening lane of sales:

TB White joint-principal and auctioneer, Leo White said the biggest rise definitely went to the cattle with the most weight.

The heaviest cattle were all significantly dearer while the lighter cattle were although also all dearer didn’t see the same rise, Mr White said.

The weather has been tough on cattle here in the southwest over the past month, Mr White said.

“Most in the yarding were visibly drier in the coat. They have lost their bloom but they were still good underneath and they will do well in warmer conditions” he said.

Paid his best-ever money for weaners David Baird, Learmonth, received $1920 for Angus steers, 364kg.

HF Richardson auctioneer, James Haddrick said while the feeder buying group was larger, the depth of the local restocker competition was not as widespread.

“That said, the better style and lines of weaners did sell well and attracted more money”, Mr Haddrick said.

This was especially the case in the steer market, and then he added: “if buyers think they can come to the market and buy small steers for less than $1500, I’d say they’d be dreaming”.

Watch Beef Central’s post-sale interview with James Haddrick

Heading the results list, vendor M Neil sold, at $2720 a head, a yard of 11 Angus weighed at 627kg.

Next in line, W Fawcett, Bridgewater sold, at $2660, a pen of 11 Angus, 585kg while a second lot from the same vendor: 16 Angus, 515kg, made $2620.

AC Archibald also sold two Angus steer yards. The first of these a pen of 19, 536kg made $2610 while the second was a pen of 16, 526kg made the same money.

Three tightly-drafted pens comprising 73 Western District-bred Angus, consigned to the market by vendor, Mt Ararat, were hotly contested items.

The line’s first yard of 24, 505kg was sold at $2610, the second pen of 25, 492kg, gained bids to $2600 while a third yard of 24, 482kg, made $2530.

Avoca lot feeder, Cheryl Field has been a regular buyer at Ballarat sale for 40 years.

The best priced of the heavier coloured steers was a yard of seven Herefords, 598kg that made $2620.

Lot-feed buyers, Thomas Foods (SA), Teys (Charlton), Australian Food and Fibre (Conargo), Garrison (Murray Downs) and Hopkins (Dunkeld) along with Mort & Co completed for the feeder line-up.

This saw L Harkins sell six Angus, 468kg at $2600, J Edwards clear 14 Angus, 455kg at $2350, MMDE Cummings sell 21 Charolais, 438kg at $2190 and Carrahil quitting 39 Angus, 390kg at $2040.

Down slightly in the weights a second pen of 21 MMDE Cummings Charolais steers, 381kg, were sold at $1960, Mt Boninyong sold 10 Angus, 376kg at $1990 while Ballanee cleared two yards of Angus- 12, 379kgs at $2040 and 10, 369kg at $2000.

Glen Rogers, Neerim South, dispersed his Arrandale Red Angus stud cow herd to commence new opportunities nearer to Ballarat.

Amongst the lighter weaner steers, Hoodless and Heard sold 37 Angus, 316kg at $1820, Claymore cleared 31 Angus, 314kg at $1810 while Grandview sold 33 Angus, 308kh at $1760.

A strong display of Hereford steers was also met great with enthusiasm.

Examples included: Deloraine selling 19 Herefords, 432kgs at $2130 and a second pen of 36, 432kg sold at $2000 while Chandpara sold 20 Herefords, 302kg at $1660.

Commission buyers, Campbell Ross and Duncan Brown were heavily active throughout the market filling feeder and restocker requirements for both interstate and intra-state orders.

James Haddrick said demand within the heifer market mirrored that of the steer sale whereby the heaviest cattle received the greatest mark-up.

Feeder heifers were mostly sold between 450 to 480c/kg while lighter heifers all received a rating stamped above $5/kg.

Feature results included W Fawcett- 15 Angus 505kg, sold at $2290, MG & LA Toohey- 13 Angus, 418kg $1960, KP Maher & Sons, 11 Angus- 396kg, $1900, Mt Boninyong- 14 Angus, 329kg $1700 and Weatherby Downs- 38 Angus 276kg $1770.

Angus feeders were again hot property at Ballarat.

The diverse yarding of breeding females was bolstered by the inclusion of the two herd dispersals.

Meredith vendor, Tambourine sold as its feature age-group a yard of 20 Angus third-calvers, pregnancy tested to calve September/October.

Comprising Toora West-bloodlines and joined to Murdeduke Angus bulls these made $2720 while a yard of 18 fourth and fifth-calvers, same details made the same money.

And from Neerim South GL&SL Rogers, also sold at $2720 a pen of 19 Arrandale Stud Red Angus 2nd-calf cows while a yard of 15 third-calvers from the same vendor made $2700.

The highest priced cows with calves at foot made $2900. These were 3rd & 4th-calf re-depastured Angus, with 4–6-month Angus calves at foot while other pen-lots with younger calves mostly made $2450 to $2850.

 

 

 

 

 

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