December Market Update: Early weaners make to 745c/kg and demand continues for Hereford females

Hereford producers continued to turn off heavy grass-fed steers, grown heifers and the autumn drop calves in December with the early weaners reaching a top of 754c/kg.

Heavy grown steers finished at $1923-$2736 or 360-544c/kg, yearling steers made $1720-$2280 or 422-532c/kg and feeder steers $1954-$2050 or 481-618c/kg.

Weaner steers over 350kg averaged $1560 or 411c/kg and those under 350kg settled at $1351-$1982 or 500-754c/kg.

In the females, heifer weaners under 300kg made $1289-$1620 or 440-556c/kg, and the grown heifers over 300kg $1453-$2149 or 360-595c/kg. PTIC cows made $2350-$2360, PTIC heifers $2450-$2700, station mated cows and calves $3000-$4000 and unjoined cows and calves finished at $2930-$3720.

At Warrnambool, Farnham Springs sold Hereford steers, 503kg, for 544c/kg or $2736, Millers sold 488kg steers for 540c/kg or $2635 and C and M Baulch sold 306kg steers for 648c/kg or $1982.

At the Wangaratta December store sale, the Tonini family sold Hereford cows 586kg, depastured to a Glenpoll bull, for $2350; Diamond A sold steers, 373kg and 12 to 14 months, for $1800 or 482c/kg; P and L Mundy sold 308kg steers, seven to eight months, for $1660 or 538c/kg whilst the seconds weighing 279kg made $1660 or 594c/kg and the heifer portion, 260kg, returned $1370 or 526c/kg.

Perkins Pastoral, Lima South, sold future breeders, 423kg and 15 to 17 months, for $1865 or 440c/kg. The heifers were Days Whiteface and Kerlson Pines blood.

J and S Jeffcott, Berringama, sold Yavenvale yearling steers, 424kg and 12 to 14 months, for $2260 or 532c/kg. The family selects bulls on top 10 per cent for growth, 600-day weight and calving ease.  M and J McNamara, Nariel Valley, sold weaned heifers, 388kg and 13 to 14 months, for $1630 or 419c/kg.

C and J Griffiths, Bowmans Forest, sold PTIC Yavenvale and Morganvale blood heifers, 539kg, 26 to 27 months and joined to low birthweight Yavenvale bulls for $2820.

At the Mortlake December store sale, Seven Oaks sold PTIC heifers, 549kg and three years, joined to Angus bulls to calve April-May for $2450, R Dunn sold grown steers, 481kg and 16 to 18 months, for 464c/kg or $2232, Roslan Property Pty Ltd sold grown steers, 502kg, for 448c/kg or $2249 and milk tooth steers, Injemira blood, eight to nine months and 255kg, for 530c/kg or $1351, and E Sherman sold milk tooth steers, 276kg and 12 to 14 months, for 586c/kg or $1617.

Also at Mortlake, Rhodenvale sold grown heifers, Rhodenvale bred and blood, 24 to 26 months and 597kg, for 360c/kg or $2149. CW Pastoral Co sold a draft of 75 heifers, 12 to 14 months, EU accredited, and 275-348kg, for 508-528c/kg or $1430-$1768.

At Mortlake on December 15, Stanley Harris sold grown Hereford steers, 405kg, and 16 to 17 months, for 456c/kg or $1847, S Tanis sold a run of bullocks, 22 to 26 months, with the tops weighing 532kg and returning 410c/kg or $2181, the seconds making 438c/kg or $1980 and the thirds were aged three to four years, weighed 581kg and made 360c/kg or $2091.

Highridge sold weaner steers, 337kg and eight to nine months, for 500c/kg or $1685, and a pen at 275kg for 522c/kg or $1435. S and F Rundle sold weaner heifers, 346kg and eight to 10 months, for 420c/kg or $1453 and the seconds weighing 293kg for 440c/kg or $1289.

At the Casterton annual weaner and store sale on December 21, M and L Nolte sold grown steers, 532kg, 18 to 20 months, and Taronga blood, for 400c/kg or $2128, J and S Staude sold grown steers, 541kg, 20 to 21 months, and Russlyn blood, for 411c/kg or $2223 and their seconds weighing 441kg for 436c/kg or $1923. A and M Harrison sold yearling steers, 16 to 18 months, 456kg and Taronga blood, for 422c/kg or $1924.

In the weaner steers at Casterton, Kevin Upton sold 268kg steers, 8 to 10 months, for 516c/kg or $1383. Matlock Farm Partnership sold PTIC Hereford heifers, 22 to 24 months, Banemore blood and joined to a Banemore bull, for $2520. Sullivan Partnership sold grown heifers, 474kg and 18 to 20 months, for 380c/kg or $1801 and the seconds weighing 401kg for 400c/kg or $1604. The Russlyn blood heifers weighing 502kg and aged 20 months from the Staude family returned 402c/kg or $2108. Sunnybrae sold weaner heifers, eight to nine months and 281kg for 464c/kg or $1304 while Kevin Upton sold weaner heifers, eight to 10 months and 304kg for 465c/kg or $1413.

Rosebank, Foster, sold station mated cows, 552kg, and seven to 10 years, and their black baldy calves for $3000. J and J Thynne, Brimin, sold unjoined Hereford cows, 567kg and five years, with black baldy calves for $2950 while Mathew Fitzpatrick, Maldon, sold station mated cows, 608kg and three to five years, with calves, for $3120.

At Pakenham store market, Bergamin Pastoral, Willow Grove, sold Hereford steers, 294kg, for $1660 or 564c/kg and the seconds weighing 259kg for $1550 or 598c/kg.

I and J Marshman Partnership, Limestone, sold Glentrevor and Banemore blood PTIC heifers, 433kg and 21 to 22 months, for $3000. They were joined to Wirruna Rundle R145 and Glentrevor Kalimna R254.

At Wodonga, Ryder Pastoral, Tawonga, sold Wirruna blood heifers, 330kg, for $1500 or 454c/kg, Amanda Watkins, Tocumwal, sold Hereford cows and calves for $3020 and K J Jackson, Tallangatta South, sold 379kg steers for $1560 or 411c/kg.

Also at Wodonga, K Clark, Berrigan, sold Hereford cows and calves for $3720.

JH Nankervis & Co, Corryong, sold steers, 294kg and seven to nine months, for $1640 or 557c/kg

Heading north over the border to NSW, at Grafton, Baryulgil Pastoral sold steers weighing 223kg for 754c/kg or $1687 while the Moorhead family’s Brahman/Hereford steers, 243kg, made 672c/k or $1635.

BRK Contracting Pty Ltd, Paterson, have been breeding Herefords for over 60 years and sold unweaned Elite blood heifers, 290kg and eight to 10 months, for $1620 or 556c/kg. Bulls are selected on calving ease, milk and performance.

Okeview Pastoral, Scone, continued turning off feeder steers with a line of 75 weighing 419kg, aged 14 to 16 months, and Yavenvale blood, making $2020 or 481c/kg. Stephen Oliver, of Hebden, sold Dalkeith blood cows 526kg and three to eight years, with calves, for $2930.

H & H Pastoral, Megalong Valley, sold unjoined heifers, Yarram Park and Morganvale blood, 319kg, and 12 to 15 months, for $1900 or 595c/kg, while their steer portion 328kg and 12 to 15 months, for $1720 or 524c/kg.

Umbango Pastoral Partnership, Peak Hill, sold feeder steers, 396kg and 14 to 18 months, for $1970 or 497c/kg and Charlton Brothers, Dubbo, sold PTIC heifers, 524kg and 20 to 22 months, for $2700. The heifers were Beggan Hill and Glenholme blood and joined to Angus bulls.

Glenellen Pastoral, Geurie, sold PTIC heifers, Yavenvale and Centennial blood, 516kg, and 18 to 20 months, for $2700. The heifers were joined to Wirruna President P078 for an autumn calving.

Miralai Partnership, Bombala, sold a draft of 70 steers, Wirruna blood, Greenhams Never Ever Accredited, 483kg and 14 to 15 months, for $2280 or 471c/kg.

Peter and Sheryl Conlan, Binya, sold station mated cows, 440kg and five to eight years, with black baldy calves for $3400.

P and J Woodhouse, Book Book, sold Injemira blood feeder steers, 391kg and 15 to 18 months, for $1954 or 498c/kg. Their heifer portion weighing 328kg and aged 15 to 16 months, made $1598 or 487c/kg.

Meurer Pastoral Co, Bowna, sold PTIC cows, 442kg, Glentrevor blood and 2.5 to 3.5 years, for $2360 while M and M McMeekin, Ladysmith, sold Wirruna blood weaned steers, 317kg, and eight to nine months, for $1870 or 589c/kg.

Heading north to Queensland and WT Ariens and family, Calliope, sold Brahman/Hereford cross cows and calves for $2725 at the final sale at CQLX for 2022.

At the Roma store sale, C and K Murphy, St George, sold Hereford cross steers to 455c/kg reaching a top of $1817 to average $1754.

Into South Australia and at the Naracoorte December store sale, Brinhot sold purebred steers, 337kg and seven to eight months, for 540c/kg or $1820.

Nupey Pty Ltd, Keith, sold Kerlson Pines blood station mated cows, 679kg and 2.5 to 4.5 years, with calves, aged four to seven months, for $4000. Murrawong Trust, Kaniva, sold Bundulla blood, vendor bred steers, 546kg, at Naracoorte for $2200 or 402c/kg.

Across to Western Australia and the Boyanup springing heifer sale resulted in a top price of $3400 paid in the Hereford-Friesian offering for heifers syncro AI mated to a Limousin bull and due to calve for 20 days from January 20. They were sold by the Roberts family to GE Payne. Hopkins Hill Pastoral Holdings, Chapman Hill, secured two pens paying to $3200 while DV Brockman, Cowaramup, outlaid $3100 for four heifers with the same joining details.

Tamaru Grazing Co sold Hereford cross weaner steers weighing 410kg for 400c/kg or $1640 at the Mt Barker sale.

Down to Tasmania, G and D Marshall, Sheffield, sold feeder steers, 354kg, Greenhams Never Ever Accredited and 12 to 14 months, for $2150 or 606c/kg, and the seconds weighing 331kg and 12 to 14 months, for $2050 or 618c/kg.

The Eastern Young Cattle Indicator remained steady at 901.4c/kg – down from 902.14c/kg in November.

Meat and Livestock Australia reports indicator prices at December 30 for vealer steers at 470.06c/kg – down from 567.17c/kg in November, restocker yearling steer at 569.04c/kg, down from 580.46c/kg, feeder steers at 438.9c/kg, down from 456.41c/kg, and processor yearling steers at 457.3c/kg, down from 462.21c/kg.

Medium steers fell sharply again to 359.8c/kg from 404.69c/kg in November, heavy steers rebounded to 427.7c/kg from 390.03c/kg and medium cows slipped to 255.2c/kg from 284.4c/kg.