Strong Local Support and Feedlot Competition Boosts Market at Casterton

Feedlotters and local buyers formed a solid buying base at the annual Casterton Hereford & Euro Steer Weaner Sale on Wednesday.

Selling agents Elders and Landmark drafted a quality yarding of 1164 head, the majority of which were Herefords.

Once again there was a premium on EU accredited cattle with heavier EU steers making an extra 15-20c/kg and lighter steers under 300kg making a 5-10c/kg premium.

Elders agent Sam Broomby quoted heavy EU calves at 300-318c/kg, non-EU heavy calves at 280-295c/kg, lighter EU calves at 280-295c/kg and the lighter non-EU calves at 250-270c/kg.

The top dollar per head price in the Hereford pens was $1161, which was paid by Princess Royal Station for a pen of 10 Injemira and Wilkah blood EU accredited steers averaging 387kg, offered by Rosebank Pastoral.

The top cents per kilo rate was $3.18, paid for a pen of 360kg Injemira, Melvile Park and Taronga blood EU accredited steers offered by Shallum Holdings.

The pen of 19 steers were purchased by Marc Greening of Injemira as part of the Injemira buy-back scheme to go into a grass finishing program.

“Our aim is to go Coles Graze which is roughly a 280kg carcase with about 11mm of fat at milk tooth stage, so that’s where we aim to get these cattle,” Mr Greening said.

In the crossbred runs the top dollar per head price was $1172, paid for a pen of 17 Hereford/Simmental steers which averaged 407kg offered by IJ Kerr of Glenaulin.

The top crossbred cents per kilo rate was $3.02 which was paid for a pen of 353kg Hereford/Simmental cross steers offered by Rosebank Pastoral.

The champion sash for the best presented pen of Herefords was judged by Herbie Neville of Elders Alice Springs and awarded to the Lambert family of Taronga Herefords.

The pen of 52 EU accredited steers averaged 369kg and sold for the second top cents per kilo and dollar per head rate of 314c/kg or $1159 to O’Connor and Graney.

Taronga had 151 head on offer at the sale of their own breeding which focusses on temperament and carcase attributes.

“We chase carcase and temperament. Temperament is the main thing and you can build carcase on after that,” Bill Lambert explained.

A well-managed weaning program also assists in building good temperament in the Taronga cattle:

“We started weaning on the first of December and then they’re yard weaned for four or five days, I work them through the yards twice a day, so they know where they’re going and they get handled,” Mr Lambert said.

Despite the yarding of cattle being lighter in weight than previous years due to a poorer start to the season, the quality was still good according to agents and buyers.

Luke Bavistock of Princess Royal Station picked up 65 head at the sale to be fed at their feedlot in Burra, South Australia.

“The cattle were a bit lighter, but the quality was good,” Mr Bavistock said.

Buyer numbers were down on previous years according to Sam Broomby; however, the sale result was still above what had been expected in the weeks leading up to the sale.

“The sales this week have been above our expectations, if you had asked me a week ago, I wouldn’t have thought our prices and cents per kilo would be as good as what they are.

“With the complete lack of grass north of us and with the fires going on in the east of the country, where the cattle were going to go was a big question mark,” Mr Broomby said.

 

Top Quotes:

Herefords

Rosebank: 10, EU, Injemira, Wilkah blood, 387kg, 300c/kg or $1161

Taronga: 52, EU, Taronga blood, 369kg, 314c/kg or $1159

Shallum: 19, EU, Injemira, Melville Park, Taronga blood, 360kg, 318c/kg or $1145

Claremont: 2, EU, Taronga, Glenfern blood, 390kg, 286c/kg or $1115

Welbanite: 20, EU, Banemore, Yarram Park blood, 363kg, 302c/kg or $1096

Butchers: 18, EU, Taronga blood, 375kg, 290c/kg or $1088

Top View: 12, Taronga, Russlyn blood, 365kg, 283c/kg or $1033

Glenside: 14, EU, Banemore blood, 358kg, 286c/kg or $1024

Trevallas Park: 20, Allendale, Kerlson Pines blood, 331kg, 298c/kg or $986

Springbank: 10, Ennerdale blood, 360kg, 272c/kg or $979

Sunningdale: 17, Banemore blood, 359kg, 270c/kg or $969

Ceanda: 4, EU, Wilkah blood, 340kg, 284c/kg or $966

Village View: 14, EU, Banemore blood, 338kg, 285c/kg or $963

Wyuna: 5, Injemira, Yarram Park blood, 354kg, 272c/kg or $963

Wilkah: 9, EU, Wilkah blood, 338kg, 284c/kg or $960

Woranga: 15, EU, Yarram Park, Bowmont blood, 348kg, 275c/kg or $957

Karingal: 11, EU, Injemira blood, 336kg, 274c/kg or $921

Strathlea: 15, EU, Melville Park blood, 324kg, 283c/kg or $917

Glencairn: 11, Bowmont, Yarram Park blood, 349kg, 260c/kg or $907

Sutherland Hills: 16, EU, Yarram Park blood, 313kg, 280c/kg or $876

Fassifern: 9, Banemore, Taronga blood, 306kg, 278c/kg or $851

 

Crossbreds

Glenaulin: 17, Hereford/Simmental, 407kg, 288c/kg or $1172

Rosebank: 17, EU, Hereford/Simmental, 353kg, 302c/kg or $1066

Wahroongah: 9, Hereford/Simmental, 300kg, 274c/kg or $822

Erindale: 10, Hereford/Shorthorn, 287kg, 285c/kg or $818

Sunningdale: 7, Hereford/Shorthorn, 288kg, 261c/kg or $752

Geoff and Bill Lambert of Taronga Herefords are presented the champion sash for best presented pen by judge Herbie Neville of Elders Alice Springs.

Elders agents take bids on the champion pen of Taronga steers.

David Jenkins of Banemore Herefords caught up with Alan Millard of Welbanite Pastoral at the Casterton sale.

Glen Davis of Sutherland Hills with Jeoff and Jill Hortle, Woranga.

1164 steers were yarded for the annual Casterton Hereford & Euro Steer Weaner Sale on Wednesday.