Part of a run of 132 mixed sex F1 Wagyu weaners out of Angus and Murray Grey dams, from Iker Partnership, Rolleston, Central Queensland aged 7-11 months averaging 171kg which made 1069c/kg live, to return $1830 a head on Friday.

IT was another busy week for AuctionsPlus cattle sales last week, with the offering jumping ten percent on the week before to 18,642 head.

While catalogue views and bidder enrolments remained high, price changes and clearance rates were the most volatile experienced for several months, with an increasing distance developing between vendors and buyers through the breeding lines.

Young steer price movements were mixed, while all five young heifer categories declined significantly, in c/kg terms.

The 1341 head of 200-280kg steers sold to a 100pc clearance – falling 61c/kg on the previous week to average 614c/kg or $1617/head. The lightest less than 200kg category, offering only 330 head this week, was up 148c/kg on the previous week, while medium weight steers 280-330kg steer cleared 98pc of the offering of 1325 head, averaging 33c/kg higher, at 655c.

Excellent demand continued for 400kg+ steers, with a comparatively large 1104 head offered selling to a 92pc clearance and averaging 14c/kg lower at 530c.

Included was a line of 48 Angus feeder steers out of Staghorn Flat, Northeast Victoria, averaging 479kg which sold to 578.8c/kg liveweight, equating to $2772/head. Another line of 66 Angus feeder steers averaging 412kg at 11-12 months, from Adjungbilly, Southwest Slopes and Plains of NSW, sold to 587.5c.

Within the young heifer lines, the largest category, 330-400kg, sold 92c/kg or $111 cheaper, averaging 483c, for a 96pc clearance of the 1956 head offered. Also moving sharply lower were heifers less than 200kg, down 94c/kg to average 586c, from a small offering of 442 head; and +400kg heifers down 82c to average 428c, from a small offering.

Among specialist lines, several lines of mixed sex Wagyu cross weaners attracted attention this week.

A run of 132 mixed sex F1 Wagyu weaners, out of Angus and Murray Grey dams, aged 7-11 months averaging 171kg from Iker Partnership, Rolleston, made 1068.9c/kg live, to return $1830 a head.

Further south, a line of 26 F1-F3 Wagyu x Angus weaners and yearlings 7-18 months averaging 202kg from The Branch on the NSW North Coast made 919c/kg live, returning $1860 a head. Their older steer brothers 12-24 months averaging 397kg made 792c/kg to return $2440.

Part of a line of 26 F1-F3 Wagyu x Angus weaners and yearlings 7-18 months averaging 202kg from The Branch on the NSW North Coast which made 919c/kg live on Friday, returning $1860 a head. Their older steer brothers 12-24 months 397kg made 792c/kg to return $2440.

Poor clearances for breeding cattle

With plenty of confidence for the year ahead, interest for PTIC heifers continues to be robust, albeit with weekly clearance rates continuing to hinge on vendors expectations and reserves.

With a 58pc jump in offerings this week to 2426 head, the clearance rate for the category fell to only 40pc, while the average price dropped 13pc on last week, to $2223/head.

PTIC cows registered a similar decline in both price and clearance rates, down 65c/kg to average 425c/kg or $2274 a head – again highlighting a growing standoff between vendors expectations and buyers’ limitations.

A line of 41 Angus PTIC heifers out of Euroa, Northeast Victoria, sold to $2650 – averaging 414kg at 23-24 months of age.

One of the best results from Friday’s Eastern States sale was the $4350/unit paid for a line of 27 SM heifers with calves. The Red Angus line out of Woomargama, Riverina NSW, with the heifers averaging 468kg at 27-28 months, while the CAF average 139kg.

Prices as at 2pm Friday 17 September.

Source: AuctionsPlus