Strong buyer interest delivers good prices for steers and heifers

A total of just more than 1100 weaners were penned at the Elders and Nutrien Livestock combined weaned weaner sale at Boyanup , with strong competition maintaining recent strong values.

Steer calves sold to a top of $1939 per head and 570c/kg liveweight, while heifers reached $1604 and 444c/kg.

The consistency of the higher prices was the feature, with only three pens of heifers failing to crack the 400c/kg mark and many of the steer lines selling more than 500c/kg.

A spread of lotfeeder and grazier interest took most of the lines.

Elders

Elders was up first with its yarding of 481 weaners.

The top steer price of $1811 was paid in the third pen offered containing 10 Angus steers weighing 458kg from JT & R Winfield Family Trust, bought by Chris Waddingham, Nutrien Livestock, Capel, for his lotfeeder client at 458c/kg.

A few pens into the sale, this combination combined for another eight steers weighing 371kg making $1755 at 472c/kg.

M Moriarty and R Craigie offered the first two pens of Angus steers, selling the first 10 to Semini Enterprises for $1783 and the second 10 for $1675 to John Gallop for his southern lotfeeder order, with both making 420c/kg.

Glenwood Estate, Busselton, sold 11 steers weighing 385kg to Graham Brown, Brown's Cattle Consulting, for $1809 at 470c/kg who later bought 11 weighing 358kg at $1683 from HW Marsiske at 470c/kg.

Mr Gallop also bid to 470c/kg to secure 12 Angus steers from Yanmah Estate costing $1805, while Mr Waddingham took the next 11 Yanmah steers for $1704.

The first pen of Angus sold by GJ & GM Allen, Boallia, went to Chris Dunlop, Nutrien Livestock, Collie, costing $1605 at 494c/kg.

Lexden Park, Capel, was one grazier to put together a number of pens, starting with 10 sold by Glenwood Estate costing $1616 and 510c/kg.

WA College of Agriculture - Harvey, sold five pens of Angus with Alex Roberts, Elders Boyanup, taking two pens for $1704 and $1619 bidding up to 552c/kg, while Lexden Park bought two lines for up to $1707 and 558c/kg.

The top of 570c/kg was paid for 11 lightweight Angus from Vaqueross Pastoral with the 266kg steers going to Terry Tarbotton, Elders Nannup, making $1518.

Ten Angus sold by GJ & GM Allen went to Elders Margaret River at 562c/kg.

Hereford steers sold by RJ & SG Lord, Busselton, topped at $1703 when Brad McDonnell, Elders Pemberton, bid to 468c/kg for the 364kg calves.

Red Angus from Mark De Beaux also were bought by Mr McDonnell, with the 354kg steers making $1614 at 456c/kg.

Yanmah Estate started the heifers well when its 10 Angus cross heifers weighing 368kg made $1510 at 410c/kg, going to Alex Tunstill, Elders Capel.

Nine weighing 347kg went to Mr Waddingham at 414c/kg to return $1437 to Bramley Estate, Margaret River.

The top of $1559 was a little way into the females with the 10 Charolais from Oakview Farm going to the bid of Mr Waddingham at 426c/kg.

Rosa Brook Pastoral got the 428c/kg top for eight weighing 280kg bought by Elders Margaret River.

Nutrien Livestock

Nutrien Livestock penned 631 weaners and got their top price with the first pen of steers offered, comprising eight weighing 446kg from MJ & CS Scott, Elgin.

These sold to Semini Enterprises at 434c/kg.

The next two pens of Scott steers went to Mr Brown for $1867 and $1815 bidding to 466c/kg.

Semini Enterprises bid to 451c/kg for nine Angus weighing 410kg from A & E Milentis, costing $1855.

Mr Gallop then paid $1662 at 464c/kg for another nine of the Milentis Angus.

A feature of the sale was on several occasions, buyers were given the opportunity to buy one pen or the run of pens of vendor's cattle, resulting in the run always taken.

Jock Embry, Nutrien Livestock, Busselton/Margaret River, did this with three pens of Angus from D & J M Walters, Acton Park, with the top weight pen of 365kg making $1722 at 472c/kg.

Mr Gallop snapped up the top eight steers weighing 389kg from MI Vuletic paying $1814 at 466c/kg.

Five Charolais steers from Murray Vale Farm Trust weighing 433kg cost Semini Enterprises $1906 when selling at 440c/kg.

Ahrens Holdings sold five Speckle Parks weighing 394kg to Mr Embry for $1733 and 440c/kg followed by three Gumnut Downs Angus for $1801and 460c/kg.

As the weights lowered, rates lifted with 11 mixed steers from Reenmore Grazing the first to break the 500c/kg rate when Pearce Watling, Elders Donnybrook, paid 514c/kg for 11 weighing 343kg to spend $1531.

Shortly after, 13 Angus of 301kg from SR Latch topped at 522c/kg to cost Lexden Park $1572.

Three steers sold by Murray Vale Farm Trust weighing 333kg made $1433 at 430c/kg, one of several lines purchased by Ray Johnstone.

Some quality lines of heifers were offered with the top of $1603 paid for five mixed breed heifers sold account

A & E Milentis to Harris Beef Enterprises when the 370kg heifers sold at 430c/kg.

Four Speckle Parks were close when they made $1600 at 400c/kg, going to Mr Embry.

Five Angus cross sold by MI Vulevic started the females and sold to Mr Tunstill for $1536 at 400c/kg.

He then bid to 416c/kg for 12 Murray Grey heifers weighing 368kg sold by Ronald A Quaiffe returning $1532.

Carbon Plus, Brunswick, sold a pen of nine heifers weighing 357kg to Mr Embry for $1531 at 428c/kg.

Ben Cooper, Nutrien Livestock, Bridgetown, put together a number of lines for his clients, including a pen of 14 weighing 340kg from KR & SA Gibellini costing $1415 at 416c/kg.

Later four heifers from MI Vuletic were added to the load for $1384.

The best of the heifers sold by MJ & CS Scott made $1310 at 416c/kg going to Harris Beef Enterprises.

The top of 444c/kg was paid by Adam Becker Livestock for 10 Angus sold by SR Latch weighing 264kg to cost $1174.

Black baldie heifers sold by LD & KE Redman, Elgin, weighed 281kg and sold to Mr Becker at 404c/kg to return $1135.

What the agent said

Elders auctioneer and Donnybrook representative, Pearce Watling, said beef feeder steers sold between 430-470 cents per kilogram, to remain firm.

"Backgrounder/grass-fattening steers sold between 460-558c/kg," Mr Watling said.

"Feeder heifers sold between 380-426c/kg, while backgrounder heifers made 380-420c/kg, to remain firm on recent markets."