October Market Wrap: Breeding females top at $4620 and heavy grown steers a stellar $3990

Widespread flooding rains played havoc with store and prime markets along the eastern seaboard during October, resulting in challenging conditions for vendors but not dampening prices for Hereford cattle.

There was pent up demand for breeding females with unjoined Hereford cows and calves returning $2680-$4620, unjoined heifers and calves $3660-$4400, and rejoined cows and calves $4275. In the joined females, PTIC cows made $2200-$3520 and PTIC heifers $2600-$3420.

Heavy grown Hereford steers finished at $2285-$3990 or 480-620c/kg while yearling steers made $1975-$2740, backgrounder steers $1630-$2350 or 563-640c/kg and feeder steers $2435-$2470 or 556-597c/kg.

Weaner Hereford steers over 350kg made $2070-$2350 or 603-688c/kg and those under 350kg settled at $1262-$2180 or 418-690c/kg.

Backgrounder/feeder heifers finished at $1620-$2290 or 551-644c/kg and weaner heifers over 300kg made $1700-$2410 or 523-624c/kg and those under 300kg settling at $1300-$2000 or 525-918c/kg.

In Victoria, M and D Ward, Corryong, sold yearling steers, 384kg and 18 to 24 months, for $1975 or 514c/kg while K Hide sold Hereford cows, five to six years and 606kg, and calves for $3040 at the Wangaratta store sale.

Magpie Hill sold cows, five to nine years, with fresh calves for $2680 at Wangaratta while Maree Patton sold steers, 365kg and 10 to 11 months, for $2180. Lighter steers at 270kg, 11 to 12 months, returned $1920 for A and F Ashworth.

At Warrnambool, Grassy Banks sold Poll Hereford steers, 334kg, for 646c/kg or $2157.

At Bairnsdale, The Camp Pastoral, Forge Creek, sold heavy steers, 646kg, for $3300 while Janine Cooper, Wulgulmerang, sold 16-month-old steers, 419kg, for $2600 or 620c/kg and 388kg steers for $2460 or 634c/kg.

D and J Ingram, Bonang, sold 583kg steers for $3100 or 531c/kg, 471kg steers at $2710 or 575c/kg while B Ingram, Bonang, sold 580kg steers for $3100 or 534c/kg. Penderscourt, Benambra, sold Hereford cows and calves for $3700.

J Fleming, Rosedale, sold Hereford cows with black baldy calves for $3500 at Pakenham store sale while D and D Hocking sold Hereford cows, rejoined, with autumn drop calves for $4275 at Colac store sale. Also selling at Pakenham was Nuntin Pines Pty Ltd, Stratford, with heavy steers 661kg returning $3490 or 527c/kg.

Ex-stud unjoined heifers, 539kg and 25 to 26 months, with August-September drop calves averaging 90kg by Wirruna Molong M010, returned $4040 for Tarcombe Herefords, Ruffy.

Geekay Pty Ltd, Neerim Junction, sold unjoined heifers, 593kg, and 28 to 30 months, with black baldy calves, four to five months, for $3660. Warba Junction sold Hereford cows and calves for $3420 at the Ballarat store sale.

Mooree Partnership, Chetwynd, sold feeder heifers, EU accredited, Yarram Park and Glendan Park blood, 415kg and 18 to 19 months, for $2290 or 551c/kg. At Sale, Geoff Gooch, Pearsondale, sold Hereford heifers, 305kg, for $1800 or 590c/kg.

At Leongatha store sale, D and L Lomax, Foster, opened the sale with 555kg steers returning $3990 or 538c/kg while APS Properties sold 557kg steers for $3000 or 538c/kg and Ponderosa Herefords sold 462kg steers for $2800 or 606c/kg.

At Mortlake store sale, P O’Shaugnessy sold 561kg steers, 30 months, for $2917 or 520c/kg; D Phillips sold steers, 446kg, EU accredited and 16 to 17 months, for 574c/kg or $2560 and N and J Lillie sold a run of 89 yearling steers with the tops weighing 391kg, 12 to 13 months, and Wolbul blood, making 640c/kg, and another pen at 340kg for 658c/kg or $2238.

In the younger pens, K Ludeman sold steers, 235kg, Ennerdale blood and seven to eight months, for 690c/kg or $1621; PB Farming sold 301kg steers, Wolbul blood and 12 to 13 months, for 688c/kg; A Rundell sold weaner steers, 300kg and 12 to 13 months, for 552c/kg or $1656; and Montrose Station sold steers, 10 to 12 months and 329kg for 658c/kg or $2165.

In the heifers at Mortlake, A Rundell sold 281kg heifers, 12 to 13 months, for 525c/kg or $1475 and K Ludeman sold 203kg heifers, six to seven months, for 640c/kg or $1300. Grevon sold Hereford cows, four to 10 years, with spring drop Ravensdale blood calves for $2850.

In the Elders Kerr & Co spring cattle sale at WVLX Mortlake, the heavy grown Hereford steers were topped by K and E Harvey with a pen weighing 603kg and returning $2894 or 480c/kg. The Karoonda and Mawarra blood draft of steers from McRae Trading, 17 to 19 months, topped at $2709 for a pen weighing 517kg. Hutton Partnership sold Yarram Park blood steers, 488kg, and 17 to 19 months, for $2733 or 560c/kg.

In the lighter steers, J Humphries sold Glenfern blood steers, 313kg and 12 to 14 months, for $2135 or 682c/kg. TA Swift sold Hereford cows, three to four years, with spring drop calves for $3660.

K and L Dean, Euroa, sold Tarcombe blood PTIC cows for an autumn calving, 579kg and 4.5 years, for $2920 online. Wheaton Farms, Telopea Downs, sold Allendale and Bowen blood unjoined cows, 663kg and two to 11 years, with calves, for $3460.

At Wodonga, a line of Glenellerslie blood steers, 368kg, from John and Robyn Scales, Dartmouth, sold for $2330 or 633c/kg and Jeanette McCormack, Bullioh, sold 340kg steers for $2180 or 641c/kg. Burrumbuttock Football Club sold Hereford cows and calves for $3560.

At Myrtleford spring store sale, the Matheson family, Whorouly South, sold a draft of 73 steers, 14 months, to average $2321 and the heifer portion to average $2051.

Martin Family Trust, Lucyvale, sold weaned Kanimbla blood steers, 389kg and 13 to 14 months, for $2350 or 603c/kg, 12 to 13-month-old steers, 328kg for $1960 or 596c/kg and weaned heifers, 360kg, 13 to 14 months, for $1910 or 529c/kg.

A line of 30 unjoined cows, three years and 660kg, with calves returned $4620 for D Cahill Investments Pty Ltd, Echuca whilst the second pen, aged four years, made $4500. The cows were sired by Wirruna N523 and the calves by Injemira P075. A draft of unjoined heifers, 620kg and two years, with calves made $4400, and unjoined cows, seven years and 820kg, with calves, made $4380. Unjoined cows from the same vendor and aged six to eight years with calves sold for $4000 and PTIC cows, five to seven years, $3520, and PTIC heifers, 620kg and 22 to 26 months, $3420. All females were based on Chandivan, Wirruna and Mt Hope blood.

Flooding also forced D Cahill Investments to turn off 83 weaned heifers, with the tops weighing 460kg, 13 to 15 months, returning $2410 or 523c/kg.

Heading north to NSW, Bullroy Creek Pastoral Co, Dunedoo, sold Dalkeith and Kidman blood heifers, 302kg, 12 to 14 months, for $1960 or 647c/kg in online sales.

Piercy Group, Wagga Wagga, sold Billilingra blood weaned mixed sex Herefords, 226kg and nine to 10 months, for $1620 or 716c/kg while Woodstock Partnership, Cooma, sold Wirruna blood cows, 485kg, three to four years and PTIC to a Wirruna bull, for $2500 or 514c/kg.

Unjoined Pine Hill and Yavenvale blood cows, 502kg and three to six years, with composite calves returned $3540 for John Tweddle, Tarcutta, while R and V Jacka, Tarcutta, sold Injemira blood feeder steers, 413kg and 12 to 14 months, for $2470 or 597c/kg.

Courabyra Estate, Tumbarumba, sold Kanimbla, Yavenvale and Wirruna blood backgrounder steers, 405kg and 12 to 14 months, for $2350 or 579c/kg.

Allendale, Days and Morgan Vale blood feeder steers, 437kg and 18 to 19 months, returned $2435 or 556c/kg for Woodbury Cattle Company, Brungle, while James Simpson, Gregadoo, sold unjoined heifers, 291kg and 12 to 14 months, for $1790 or 614c/kg.

Rollsville Partnership, Gulgong, sold unjoined heifers, 316kg and 13 to 15 months, for $1720 while Charlton Bros, Dubbo, sold unjoined cows, three years and 520kg, with crossbred calves for $3900.

In the Elanco Spring Feature Female Sale at Dubbo, Hereford cows, two to six years and 530kg, with black baldy calves made $3425; PTIC Hereford cows, three years and 533kg, made $2550; M and M Brennan sold purebred heifers, 24 to 36 months, Dalkeith blood and PTIC, for $2975; D Greer sold heifers, 285kg, for $1675; and P Telford sold weaner heifers, 148kg, five to six months, for $1360 or 918c/kg.

Kerringle Pastoral Co, Geurie, sold unjoined cows, six years and 562kg, with calves for $3600. The calves were by a Wirruna bull and weighed an average of 84kg. Coolah Creek Partnership, Coolah, sold Dalkeith blood heifers, 13 to 14 months and 333kg, for $1850 or 555c/kg.

Old Farm Pastoral, Girilambone, sold a draft of PTIC heifers, 420kg, 18 to 20 months, for $2600 after being purchased as weaners at Hamilton in January.

Backgrounder heifers, 251kg and seven to 10 months, returned $1620 or 644c/kg for Clonard Trust, Warialda, while their future breeders, 307kg and nine to 13 months, made $2000 or 649c/kg. Okeview Pastoral, Scone, sold unjoined Yavenvale blood heifers, 368kg and 13 to 15 months, for $2100 or 569c/kg.

Backgrounder steers weighing 378kg and aged 12 to 14 months, returned $2130 or 563c/kg for Cara Park Herefords, Delungra. J and D Hood, Bombala, sold Wirruna and Bendoc blood PTIC cows, 529kg and three to six years, for $2200.

T and J Jardine, Bullenbalong Partnership, Cooma, sold unjoined Gunyah blood cows, seven to 11 years and 610kg, with black baldy calves for $3320. Padco Pastoral, Forbes, sold weaned steers, 292kg and seven to nine months, for $1790 or 612c/kg and weaned heifers, 274kg for $1550 or 565c/kg.

Yaven Pastoral, Adelong, sold backgrounder Yavenvale and Injemira blood steers, 408kg and 13 to 14 months, for $2310 or 565c/kg while A Beaven, Tumbarumba, sold unjoined cows, 589kg and eight years, with calves, for $3100. Woodbine, Howlong, sold unjoined Hereford heifers, Yavenvale and Cascade blood, 475kg, and 22 to 23 months, with black baldy calves for $3800.

At Dungog store sale, Poll Hereford cows with calves from Peter Tomlinson, Bandon Grove, brought $3500. Gary Williams, Bonshaw, sold PTIC cows, five years and 479kg, for $2320.

At Tamworth store sale, Michael Tanner, Mulla Creek, sold two pens of Hereford steers with the tops making $2320 and a second pen $2150, all sired by Franco and Tummel Hereford bulls.

Across to South Australia, K and J Chant and Sons, Cape Jaffa, sold Verna Park and Wongawilli blood heifers, 497kg, 18 to 20 months, EU accredited and joined to Angus bulls for $3000.

At Narracoorte, K and Y Hegarty, Naracoorte, were among the heavyweights with their March/April 2021 drop 465kg Hereford steers making 560c/kg or $2604. McLachlan Props, Pewsy Vale, sold September and October drop European Union accredited steers, 280-300kg, for 670-674c/kg.  Greenham, Tas, bought the McLachlan Props heifers, 302kg, at $1886 or 624c/kg.

Sam Property Trust, Myponga, sold unjoined cows, six years and 648kg, with black baldy calves for $3600.

Nampara Pastoral Co paid the top dollars a head price for Hereford steers at Mount Gambier store sale with $2740 or 558c/kg for 491kg PCAS eligible Days Whiteface and Allendale blood steers sold by Paltridge family, Kingston.  A lighter draft from the Paltridge family weighing 431kg sold at $2400 or 557c/kg to Thomas DeGaris and Clarkson a/c Tranter.

H Parker, Kingston, sold 494kg PCAS eligible Bundulla blood steers for $2610 or 528c/kg to Teys Australia, and a second draft averaging 435kg sold at $2430 to Tranter.

In Western Australia, Days Pastoral Co, Meekatharra, sold steers, 668kg, for $2285 and a 920kg steer for $2778 at the Muchea market. M and J Culloton, Geraldton, sold Poll Hereford steers, 386kg, for $1922, steers 342kg for $1731 or 506c/kg, heifers 302kg for $1262 or 418c/kg.  Banksia Downs Grazing, Coomberdale, sold Poll Hereford heifers for $2330 at Muchea.

North to Queensland and Jarrah blood organic certified steers, weighing 250kg and aged six to 10 months, returned $1650 or 658c/kg when sold online by B and K Lloyd, Yaraka, Queensland. The heifer portion, 241kg, made $1330 or 550c/kg.

Non station mated yearling heifers, 281kg and 12 to 14 months, were sold by Winter Grazing Company, Toowoomba, for $1700 or 603c/kg while Mt Mee sold steer calves for $1010 at Stariha Auctions Woodford and Terry Pratten, Kilcoy, sold six-month-old calves for $1530.

EU accredited backgrounder steers from Smith Farms, Killarney, weighing 298kg and aged 13 to 15 months and McPherson, Cara Park and Kylandee blood, returned $1780 or 597c/kg.

Queensland’s only multi-vendor single bloodline store sale for Hereford genetics topped at 688c/kg and grossed $1.8 million on October 13.

Grant Daniel Long hosted the 2^nd annual Lambert infused feeder and weaner sale at Blackall, yarding 868 Hereford and Hereford infused steers and heifers to average $2073.

CA Hauff & Son, “Colart” and “The Springs”, Blackall, offered a draft of 220 Hereford feeder steers averaging 460kg and milk tooth, winning the champion pen of feeder steers for the sale.

The top pen weighed 530kg and sold to 528.2c/kg or $2798. Read the full report in the Herefords Australia summer magazine.

In Tasmania, Dadz Pastoral, Winkleigh, sold future breeders, 269kg and 11 to 13 months, for $1700 or 630c/kg and backgrounder steers, 253kg, same age, for $1630 or 643c/kg.

Hylands South Farms, South Forest, sold unjoined heifers, 495kg and 20 to 22 months, for $2310 or 466c/kg and a second pen weighing 435kg for $2420 or 555c/kg.

Tigers Ranch, Ridgley, sold trade heifers, 373kg and 16 to 18 months, for $2070 or 556c/kg, while B and B Elphinstone, Melrose, sold yearling steers, 389kg and 12 to 13 months, for $2360 or 605c/kg.

Melton Vale Pastoral, Whitemore, sold a draft of 44 Quamby Plains blood future breeders, 390kg and 14 to 15 months, for $2260 or 578c/kg.

There was just a single stud stale in October with Chris Lethbridge holding the 53^rd annual bull sale at Warren Point, Mitchell, Queensland. A total of 47 bulls sold from the 54 offered to a top of $16,000 and average of $7260.

Warren Point Billings R016, a 23-month-old son of Grathlyn Montana M001 rated in the top 10 per cent of the bred for 200, 400 and 600-day weight, sold to JJ7 Partnership, Havelock, Mitchell.

The volume buyer was Brooks Pastoral Company, Adria Downs, Birdsville, with 18 bulls for an average of $6000.

The Eastern Young Cattle Indicator declined slightly to 1041.46c/kg – down from 1074c/kg in September.

Meat and Livestock Australia reports indicator prices at October 31 for vealer steers at 621.3c/kg – up from 605.9c/kg in September, restocker yearling steer at 642.1c/kg down from 662.6c/kg up, feeder steers at 517.9c/kg up from 513.5c/kg and processor yearling steers at 517.5c/kg down from 537.5c/kg.

Medium steers rose to 483.8c/kg from 462.2c/kg in September, heavy steers rose to 479c/kg from 449.73c/kg and medium cows slipped to 347.1c/kg.