An influx of northern buyers combined with southern NSW and Victorian support pushed prices to 362c/kg for autumn drop steers in the opening Hereford fixture for January.
Selling agents Corcoran Parker, Rodwells Peter Ruaro, Brian Unthank Rural, and Schubert Boers yarded 3085 cattle for the Premier Hereford, Hereford cross and Euro Grown and Weaner Sale on January 4 at NVLX Wodonga.
Grossing $3.018 million, the sale resulted in an overall average of $1055 or 296c/kg for steers and 253c/kg or $862 for heifers.
The sale opened on the heavy grown Hereford steers which sold for $850-$1310 or 242-306c/kg while the black baldy pens finished at $1120-$1500 or 275-318c/kg.
With the focus squarely on the autumn drop weaners, the purebred calves over 350kg made $940-$1285 or 249-362c/kg, while those weighing 280-350kg finished at $870-$1075 or 271-318c/kg and the lighter weights under 280kg settling at $630-$855 or 252-319c/kg.
Topping the Hereford autumn drop weaner run was M & J McNamara, Nariel Valley, with a pen of 23, aged 9-10 months, Newcomen blood, and weighing 355kg.
The pen was snapped up by steer finisher David Braniff, Corryong, for $1285 or 362c/kg.
“We have had these cattle before, and they perform well. We are grass fed assurance finishing to above 750kg liveweight to major processors,” Mr Braniff said.
“Ideally, I want the older well-bred steers and consider how long it will take to turn them over..
“We have turned off the calves we bought last year, and they averaged 400kg carcase weight off pasture, hay and silage.”
Mr Braniff said the Hereford steers were reliable with a durability aspect and finished well.
He said having the cattle weaned beforehand was critical.
In the black baldy steer weaners, those over 350kg sold for $1050-$1240 or 290-311ckg, and the middle run of 280-350kg made $910-$1070 or 302-342c/kg.
In the heifers, those grown females over 350kg made $750-$1100 or 206-258c/kg and the lighter heifers under 350kg sold for $500-$860 or 170-251c/kg.
The black baldy heifers over 350kg made $890-$985 or 256-276c/kg and those under 350kg $450-$890 or 174-270c/kg.
Buyers operating included Corcoran Parker, Jeff Cooper Agencies, Corryong, Brian Unthank Rural, PRL, Costello Rural, Corryong, AWN Inverell, Rodwells Euroa, North East Livestock, Elders Shepparton, Allied Beef, and commission buyers Graham Ward and Andrew Lowe.
Cookardinia producer David Trethowan made it a hattrick of wins in the Herefords Australia champion pen under judge and Indigo Valley steer finisher Bryan Proctor.
Mr Proctor described the yard weaned steers as exhibiting evenness, length, good eye pigment and supple skin.
The pen of 50 Wentworth blood steers averaged 382kg and sold for $1205 or 315c/kg to Allied Beef.
Mr Trethowan offered 103 Hereford and black baldy steers, and had anticipated prices of 310-320c/kg.
He retained 160 heifers and uses a nucleus of ex-stud cows joined to AI sires, including Cootharaba Magnum, to produce herd bulls.
“The sires are selected on 600-day weight as a lot of the calves go to grass fatteners,” Mr Trethowan said.
John and Jane Witherow, Murmungee, sold a run of Yavenvale blood steers, March/April drop, with the tops weighing 366kg making $1060 or 287c/kg and the seconds weighing 317kg making $940 or 299c/kg to Upper Murray steer finishers.
The couple offered 90 steers (270-366kg) and heifers (249-285kg) after a challenging year of growing conditions where the cattle were fed silage after weaning.
David McCormack, Bullioh, sold his Mawarra blood weaners, 10 months and 321kg, for $900 or 280c/kg to a Toowoomba buyer. The family have supported the blue ribbon weaner sale for over three decades.
He runs a 300-cow herd over a split autumn and spring calving, and has ridden the rollercoaster market all year as he regularly turned off steers into the Wodonga store markets.
David Hocking, Mullengandra, uses Hereford bulls over quality Angus cows to produce black baldies, and topped the sale overall with his Rotherfield blood steers, aged 14-15 months, weighing 518kg, and returning $1500 or 289c/kg.
The second run of the 9-10 month-old black baldy steers made $1220 while the black baldy heifers, nine to 10 months and 356kg, made $985.
“We achieve an extra 80kg in our crossbreds using Hereford over Angus.” Mr Hocking said
G Hiskins, Howlong, topped the Hereford heifers with a pen of 17 yearlings aged 12-14 months and weighing 433kg, making $1100 or 254c/kg.
Liz White, Albury, was among the buyers in the heifer pens to restock a family property at Gunning.
She paid $1040 or 244c/kg for Wirruna blood heifers, 18-20 months, and 425kg from D L Cameron & Sons.
Corcoran Parker auctioneer Bo Helwig described the sale as solid and consistent with feeder types making 270-300c/kg liveweight.
Corcoran Parker auctioneer Justin Keane said many of the northern bound cattle would be backgrounded for 100 days to 400kg liveweight and then straight onto grain feeding.
Quotes
Grown steers:
M Smith, Nariel Valley: 15, 12-14 months, Newcomen blood, 456kg, $1310 or 287c/kg
G & M Hiskins, Howlong: 12, 12-14 months, 453kg, $1240 or 273c/kg
Running Creek Herefords, Dederang: 20, Wirruna blood, 12-14 months, 421kg, $1260 or 299c/kg
J & G Macdougall, Mullengandra: 20, 388kg, $1130 or 291c/kg
S Lewington, Uranquinty: 10, 407kg, $1090 or 267c/kg
Autumn drop steers
M & J McNamara, Nariel Valley: 23, 9-10 months, Newcomen blood, 355kg, $1285 or 362c/kg
D & M Threthowan, Cookardinia: 50, 382kg, Wentworth blood, $1205 or 315c/kg
Nankervis Nominees, Corryong: 32, 383kg, $1135 or 296c/kg
Artworthal Pty Ltd, Jamieson: 17, Glendan Park blood, 338kg, $1075 or 318c/kg
J Witherow, Murmungee: 15, Yavenvale blood, 8-9 months, 366kg, $1060 or 289c/kg
Ingleby Ag, Walla Walla: 17, 8-10 months, 362kg, $1035 or 285c/kg
M Swasbrick, Eskdale: 6, Echarina blood, 8-10 months, 400kg, $1030 or 257c/kg
J & R Scales, Dartmouth: 18, EU accredited, Never Ever, 11-12 months, 378kg, $1010 or 269c/kg
Fogarty family, Bungil: 12, Newcomen blood, 10 months, 338kg, $1010 or 298c/kg
S & I Jones, Huon: 15, Rosstulla and Kanimbla blood, 10 months, 351kg, $990 or 282c/kg
T Ralston, Euroa: 20, Morganvale and Kanimbla blood, 359kg, $980 or 265c/kg
Syndal Herefords, Yea: 18, 10-11 months, Mawarra and Wirruna blood, 336kg, $930 or 276c/kg
B & J Elliott, Talgarno: 46, Talgarno Park blood, 334kg, $920 or 275c/kg
R & G Zauner, Bungil: 17, Yavenvale blood, 321kg, $920 or 286c/kg
Helen Campbell, Bullioh: 15, Yavenvale blood, 309kg, $900 or 291c/kg
J McCormack, Bullioh: 16, Mawarra blood, 10 months, 321kg, $900 or 280c/kg
Black Baldy steers
D Hocking, Mullengandra: 6, Rotherfield blood, 14-15 months, 518kg, $1500 or 289c/kg
V & J Ross, Holbrook: 14, 513kg, $1470 or 286c/kg
M & I Turner, Red Bluff: 13, 10-11 months, $1240 or 306c/kg
J & G Macdougall: 12, 403kg, $1225 or 303c/kg
N & R Hodgkin: 12, 12-14 months, 424kg, $1170 or 275c/kg
B & B Campbell, Bullioh: 15, 373kg, $1125 or 301c/kg
Ingleby Ag, Walla Walla: 15, 8-10 months, 379kg, $1100 or 290c/kg
D & M Trethowan, Cookardinia: 23, 337kg, $1070 or 317c/kg
S & M Turner, Mitta Mitta: 5, 10-12 months, 343kg, $1045 or 304c/kg
James Marshall, Wooragee: 10, 9-11 months, 334kg, $1030 or 308c/kg
M & J McNamara: 6, Newcomen blood, 316kg, $1015 or 321c/kg
Cameron Gray, Molyullah: 11, Ironbark blood, 327kg, $990 or 302c/kg
Nankervis Nominees: 13, Yavenvale and Sugarloaf blood, 310kg, $980 or 316c/kg
Heifers
G Hiskins, Howlong: 17, 12-14 months, 433kg, $1100 or 254c/kg
D & L Cameron and Sons: 12, Wirruna blood, 18-20 months, 425kg, $1040 or 244c/kg
M Smith: 27, 12-14 months, Newcomen blood, 404kg, $1020 or 252c/kg
Roseleigh, Bungowannah: 30, Never Ever accred, Glenpoll and Rosstulla blood, 12-14 months, 431kg, $1000 or 232c/kg
J McCormack: 8, Mawarra blood, 15 months, 356kg, $920 or 258c/kg
M & J McNamara: 8, 9-10 months, Newcomen blood, 316kg, $770 or 243c/kg
Black baldy heifers
D Hocking, Mullengandra: 28, Rotherfield blood, 9-10 months, 356kg, $985 or 276c/kg
Ingleby Ag: 15, 8-10 months, 337kg, $890 or 264c/kg
B & B Campbell: 21, 324kg, $850 or 262c/kg
S & M Turner: 8, 10-12 months, 323kg, $800 or 247c/kg
Nankervis Nominees: 17, 297kg, $770 or 259c/kg
David Trethowan, Cookardinia, has won the Herefords Australia champion pen three times in succession with his Wentworth blood steers.
The champion pen of 50 steers weighed 382kg and sold for $1205 or 315c/kg.
The team from Rodwells Peter Ruaro take bids on the champion pen of steers.
Trevor Ralston, Euroa, sold a pen of 41 Morganvale and Kanimbla blood steer weaners, 10 to 11 months, with the tops weighing 359kg for $980 or 265c/kg.
David McCormack and his daughter Clare sold Mawarra blood steers, 10 months and 321kg, for $900.
Upper Murray steer finisher David Braniff paid the top price in the autumn drop weaners of $1285.
Scott Lewington, Uranquinty, sold Hereford steers, 407kg, for $1090 to North East Livestock.
David Trethowan, Cookardinia, winner of the Herefords Australia champion pen with judge and steer finisher Bryan Proctor, Indigo Valley.
Jeff Cooper, middle, from Jeff Cooper Agencies, Corryong, was actively buying heavy Herefords for Upper Murray producers finishing for grass fed programs.
The top price pen of autumn drop Hereford steers from M & J McNamara, Nariel Valley, which sold for $1285.
Bids fly on the top price autumn drop Hereford steers.
Liz White, Albury, paid $1040 for Wirruna blood grown heifers from D & L Cameron & Sons.
Jane and John Witherow, Murmungee, sold Yavenvale blood steers, 8-9 months, for $1060 or 289c/kg.
The team from Corcoran Parker take bids on the top price pen of autumn drop Hereford steers.
Auctioneer Leigh McEvoy takes bids on the McNamara family’s steers during the opening weaner sale for the breed.
A large contingent of backgrounders, steer finishers and lot feeders pack the gallery at the NVLX yards.
Buyers were presented with an outstanding run of Hereford autumn drop steers.
