YEARLING Angus steers were at the forefront of the Corcoran Parker, Elders and Landmark annual weaner sale at Wodonga, Friday, January 8.
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Because of the varied season across all of the large drawing area of the Wodonga markets, quality and weight varied. However, most of the cattle were of good quality for their weight and age.
Cleveland Farming, Staghorn Flat, sold a small pen of 8 yearling steers for $1560 with most of the yearlings selling between $1120&$1455, or 310-365c/kg liveweight.
SR&TL Jones, Cu;cairn, sold 59 yearling Angus steers to $1440, to average $1370, and PR Harvey, “Woodstock”, Rosewood, 81 steers to $1220, av $1141. The larger pen of 64 yearling steers weighed just 307kg, and equalled 365c/kg lwt. While some of the previous day’s buyers did not return, there was plenty of competition, especially from the northern districts to create another very strong sale. Cattle were purchased again, to enter Queensland with more feedlot competition from the Riverina and central NSW.
This was another very good market with a larger percentage of the 2015 drop steers weighing between 320&395kg lwt.
Many had been weaned, but there remained a reasonable number that were straight off their mothers.
This did make a difference to some buyers, and therefore price, but only at a liveweight rate mostly of 340-355c/kg for un-weaned steers. The feature line of 474 EU accredited Angus steers of Davilak Pastoral Co, Mansfield, was drafted into five even lines, ranging in weight from 335 kilograms down to 262kg liveweight.
Manager, Rodda Manning, said “purchasing quality bulls and keeping the best females has aided the length and quality of the steers, and weaning them 8 weeks prior to the sale with good silage and hay has seen us produce this quality line of steers”.
Buyers appreciated the breeding, quality, and finishing power of the Davilak Past Co steers, and competition was very solid.
Prices ranged from $970-$1195 for an average of $1149, or the equivalent of 370c/kg liveweight. The highest price for a pen of 18 Angus steer weaners was $1370.
It was a long way into the sale before any steers sold below $1000, and because there was a larger percentage of younger and light weight steers offered, the price average will be slightly down on the previous day.
WM McDonald & Son, Rosewhite, sold 98 Angus steers from $1125-$1275, which was over $300 dearer than their 2015 sale. The McDonald family also sold 11 yearling Angus steers for $1555, 330c/kg lwt.
Deepdale Tallarook P/L, Tallarook, sold 132 steers, 8-9 months, from $975-$1200, or 352-367c/kg lwt. CP Boyd & Son, Bobinwarrah, sold a mixture of light to heavier steers, 284-368kg, from $1000-$1250.
Yearling heifers sold between $980&$1305, or 298-320c/kg lwt. Willowhaven P/L, Table Top, sold 41 Angus heifers at the top price. While many heifers were purchased by northern feedlots, backgrounders and breeders, there was less pressure than the previous day. Heifers were purchased for grain feeding in southern Queensland, but many pens were bound for NSW feedlots.
Despite there being fewer buyers for heifers, the quality kept the competition rolling on well. Overall, this larger yarding of 1627 heifers averaged $919, or 327c/kg lwt, according to the statistics supplied by MLA in their sale summary.
Prices for the 2015 drop heifers were mostly between $810&$1185, or 305-345c/kg lwt. “Kapunda”, Deniliquin, sold 21 heifers to $1185, and G&H Mercieca, Mansfield, 61 heifers from $905-$1070.
