The annual sale of spring-drop weaned steers from Cobungra Station in Victoria’s high-country saw 776 mostly black baldie steers sell well. The heaviest pens from 270-281kg made from $1085 to $1105, while the lighter end 185kg sold for 470c/kg, or $865.

CATTLE listings on AuctionsPlus this week increased marginally to 8940 head, producing a 53 percent national clearance rate, much the same as last week.

Biggest offerings this week came out of NSW, which catalogued 3743 head for a clearance rate of 51pc, and Queensland, offering 2570 head for a 47pc clearance. Victorian vendors offered 878 head with a clearance rate of 82pc.

Three large lines of Brahman cross feeder steers and heifers, totalling 1700 head were offered out of Hayfield Station, Katherine, NT.

The first line of 660 Hayfield Brahman steers, 18-36 months averaging 331kg, were passed in for 326c/kg or $1082 a head. A line of 720 Brahman heifers from the same drop, averaging  298kg, were passed in for 306c or $911 a head. Connections remain confident that a post-sale result will be achieved with the final bidders – most likely live export buyers.

The annual sale of spring-drop weaned steers from Cobungra Station near Omeo, in Victoria’s high-country saw 776 mostly black baldie steers offered across 11 lots, all selling extremely well. The heaviest pens from 270-281kg made from $1085 to $1105; lots ranging from 220-224kg selling from $950 to $1005; and the lighter end around 185kg selling from 469-470c/kg, or $820 to $865. Landmark agent Daniel Fischer said “it was an excellent result, with all steers going to repeat buyers.”

Cobungra will offer a further 500 weaner heifers on AuctionsPlus next week.

How cold does it get at Cobungra mid-winter? Check this picture taken last week, for an answer. More like “Cowabunga, dude.” It’s not often that AuctionsPlus cattle listings in Australia include snow-season road restriction warnings to buyers, as they did in this case. “Trucks can travel north out through Mitta or Corryong, weather permitting,” Daniel Fisher advised.

Click on image for a larger view

Soft demand for joined females

Joined female numbers on AuctionsPlus were down again this week from 1521 to 961 head, with clearance rates slipping to 24pc. Demand for joined heifers was soft, seeing only proven breeders sell. PTIC cows averaged $1509 to a top of $1800. This went to a line of 50 Hereford cows, 4-8 years, PTIC to Charolais bulls from Armidale, NSW.

Cows and calves saw a larger offering this week of 498 units, averaging $2070.

Top price of $2520 was paid for two lots of 20 framey Hereford x Shorthorn cows, 6-7 years at 645kg, with Angus sired calves at foot, from Tarrawingee, VIC.

Top priced cows and calves this week at $2520 were these framey Hereford x Shorthorn cows, 6-7 years at 645kg, with Angus sired calves at foot, from Tarrawingee, VIC.

In a breakdown of young cattle sold this week, by weight range:

• Steers less than 250kg sold from 319c to 470c/kg to av. 401c (down 6c); while heifers sold from 291- 347c to av. 322c (down 19c)
• Steers 250-300kg sold from 312-401c to av. 370c (down 5c); while heifers sold from 318-361c to av. 338c (up 37c)
• Steers 300-350kg sold from 331-378c to av. 347c (down 10c); while heifers sold from 265-417c to av. 346c (down 2c)
• Steers 350-350kg sold from 300-333c to av. 317c (down 20c) ; while heifers sold from 319-341c to av. 330c (down 30c)
• Steers 400-450kg sold for 327c/kg (up 13c)

Some of the younger steer highlights this week included 7-10 month old Angus steers 214kg from Hannaford, QLD which sold for 431c/$925, and their 267kg brothers selling for 414c/$1105.

A line of 9-11 month old Angus steers 235kg from Tenterfield, NSW sold for 389c/$915.

Heifer highlights this week, all straight Angus breeding, included 10-11 month old heifers 332kg from Bellata, NSW selling for 375c/$1245; 10-11 month old 266kg heifers from Glen Innes, NSW selling for 361c/$960; 11-13 month old 343kg heifers from Stanthorpe, QLD selling for 417c/$1430; 20-21 month old 380kg heifers from Bridport, TAS selling for 319c/$1210.

Wagyu dispersal highlights

The Codenwarra Fullblood Wagyu sale out of Emerald, Central Queensland, saw 152 Fullblood heifers, cows and bulls sold as individual lots, selling in a wide price-range depending on quality and breeding. Bulls sold to $14,250 for a February 2016 calf with excellent breeding with pedigrees extending to Itoshigenami; World K’s Michifuku and Haruki 2. Heifers sold to $10,900 for a Sumo Cattle Co Shikikan D107 daughter, while cows sold to $3150 for a Hirashigetayasu E148 daughter. Some females carrying lesser breeding sold for as little as $1000.

Click here for full Codenwarra sale results.

Source: AuctionsPlus