The message was loud and clear for heavy Hereford cattle for short term trading in grass fed markets as buyers jockeyed at the rail on the final day of the week-long January weaner sales at Wodonga.
Selling agents Elders and Paull & Scollard Nutrien Ag Solutions yarded 2555 cattle for the NVLX Premier Hereford, Hereford Cross and Euro Grown and Feature Weaner Sale on January 5.
Grossing $2.48 million, the sale resulted in an overall average of $1047 or 281c/kg for steers and $846 or 258c/kg for heifers.
The sale opened on the heavy grown Hereford steers over 350kg liveweight, and fetching $980-$1480 or 283-306c/kg,.
A small number of heavy black baldy steers made $1085-$1320 or 238-297c/kg,
The autumn drop Hereford steers weighing over made $1054-$1100 or 268-305c/kg, while those weighing 280-350kg made $755-$1065 or 263-316c/kg.
The lighter weight pens under 280kg $650-$830 or 267-322c/kg.
Black baldy steers over 350kg averaged $965 or 268c/kg and those under 350kg made $750-$930 or 295-304c/kg.
Heavy Hereford heifers over 350kg made $910-$1040 or 246-279c/kg and the lighter weights under 350kg finished the day at $480-$840 or 212-280c/kg.
Black baldy heifers under 350kg were $715-$920 or 256-292c/kg.
Buyers operating included Elders Bendigo, Paull & Scollard Nutrien and Nutrien Ivone Agencies, Costello Rural, Cooper Agencies, PRL, Ray White, Northern Victorian Livestock, Corcoran Parker, Elders Holbrook, Elders Myrtleford, and commission buyers David Gillett and Graham Ward.
Grafton based commission buyer David Gillett judged the Herefords Australia champion pen of steers, awarding the sash to the Sleigh family, Jerilderie, for a pen of 22 Bayunga bred, Wirruna and Glentrevor blood steers weighing 360kg.
They were purchased by Phil Gledhill, Elders Holbrook, for $1100 or 305c/kg – the top price for the Hereford autumn drop steer weaners. Richard Smith, Tocumwal, topped the Hereford weaner heifers with his pen weighing 363kg and returning $940 or 258c/kg.
Tom Sleigh was on hand to see the Sleigh Pastoral’s 75 steers sell at Wodonga and had anticipated the steers to bring around 300c/kg.
“They are heavy boned steers with good size and overall we are pretty happy with them – we weaned them six weeks ago to aim for the premium in the market. They are low maintenance cattle and are run on the creek country with our sheep flock,” he said.
“They were supplementary fed hay in the yards and treated with Pestiguard but there is not a huge amount of input costs.”
David Gillett said the even line of Sleigh steers exhibited outstanding length and growth for age.
He sources Hereford cattle for backgrounders, lot feeders and processors and attended the Wodonga sale for the first time to buy feeder bullocks, feeder heifers, and backgrounder steers and heifers for Queensland.
“For our feeder bullocks, it is generally 400-500kg, the heifers are 350-400kg and the backgrounders 280-350kg. Prices here were to my expectations with bullocks around 300c/kg, feeder heifers 250-270c/kg, backgrounder steers 290-320c/kg and heifers 250-260c/kg,” Mr Gillett said.
To make a pen more appealing to buyers, Mr Gillett said vendors should ensure health treatments are up to date and the cattle are fully weaned.
He expected to send 700-1000 cattle north from the sales at an average of 300c/kg for weaner steers.
Phil Gledhill bought 101 calves from Sleigh Pastoral and Sleigh Farming, Ruffy.
“They were quiet cattle, well weaned, good length and shape, and presented in good fresh store condition, which is how we choose to buy,” Mr Gledhill said.
“They were in the price range I expected to buy today , the good cattle make the rates. Being a past buyer of those cattle I bought them for a finisher and they will run out to potentially a 550-600kg steer into one of the major programs in the south.
“I have been mainly selling cattle this week with clients and we, as agents, happy. A lot of cattle out of here have gone north along with the good local support. It wasn’t over the top but was good value for the vendor and the purchaser can see their way out at the end as they need to make money for this whole program to work.”
One of the local buyers putting a floor in the market was Justin Costello, Costello Rural, Corryong, operating on grown steers for Upper Murray clients finishing cattle for grass fed programs.
“Over the last few days, we have been looking for heavy Hereford bullocks and are very happy with the quality and presentation of the Herefords this year. Our clients are looking for good bone and growth in yearlings of 14 to 16 months of age,” Mr Costello said.
“We are sourcing the heavier end of the steers at over 380kg up to 500kg to turn into a bullock at a price point of up to $1500.
“The price represents the kill price today and is strong enough at around 280-300c/kg all the way through.”
Mr Costello is expecting around 200 head to go back into the Upper Murray under his banner plus numbers from other agencies, and will be sourcing additional calves from the Mountain Calf Sales in March.
Stephen Wilson and his family travelled from Orange to see their 87 Gunyah and Sugarloaf steer weaners sell at Wodonga.
Mr Wilson wanted to capitalise on the increased buyer competition at the larger selling centre.
The cattle carried accreditation for European Union, Greenhams Never Ever and Teys Grasslands, were yard weaned and educated through the yards for a further 10 days.
He said the accreditations “opened many doors” when it came to selling the progeny from the 400-cow herd.
The family sold 162 head at Wodonga in November to buyers finishing for grass fed programs and described the trip this month to the weaner sale as “worthwhile”.
Richard Long, Howitt Plains, Tamleigh, sold 84 March/April drop Yavenvale, Glentrevor and Wirruna blood steers at Wodonga. The tops weighed 337kg and sold for $1065 or 316c/kg.
A second-generation Hereford breeder, Richard was one of the early commercial producers to use performance data in bull selection when John Yelland, Glentrevor Herefords, began performance recording.
Today, his bulls must rank in the top 10-15 per cent for 600-day growth, intramuscular fat and eye muscle area.
“The Herefords were good value buying today – they are pretty tough and will do well in all sorts of areas. They are yard weaned and ready to bounce away in grass fed markets,” Mr Long said.
Elders Albury livestock manager Brett Shea quoted solid competition from lotfeeders and bullock fatteners sourcing 500kg plus cattle for short term trading in an anticipated dearer prime market in 2024.
“Arguably the weaner run was the best 24 pens of Hereford calves seen in the state at any time of the year, have all made between 300-330c/kg,” Mr Shea said.
“Those cattle were soaked up by local north east agents being Holbrook, Wangaratta, Corryong and also northern competition in Inverell and crossing the border to Toowoomba.
“They were all vendor bred, grass assured, a few were EU, all are weaned, they are clean in the eyes and were a credit to the vendors. They go on to hit those heavy grass-fed specifications in this north east Victorian country.
“All week we have seen the heavy end of the steers and heifers have been up there with the highlight – clearly shown there is a lack of depth in heavy cattle throughout NSW and Queensland.”
Mr Shea said an odd pen of heifers was bought by restockers to join but the majority were destined for backgrounding programs for feedlots.
He said the sale finalised six fixtures of 22,000 cattle for the week at Wodonga and Wangaratta.
“It was definitely dearer to our pre-Christmas sales as it was a step up in quality, with the rain solidifying the kick in the market, and it was rock solid from day one to day four.”
Mr Shea said a line of 600 one-mark Hereford weaners from Tarabah Livestock Company earmarked for the Friday sale had been prevented from attending due to wet weather but would be listed in the February store sale.
Quotes
Grown steers
A McKoy & Son, Holbrook: 17, Hereford, 565kg, Ohio bred, $1480 or 261c/kg
K A Cardwell, Kergunyah South: 12, Hereford, Rotherfield blood, 562kg, $1470 or 261c/kg
Malwa Pastoral, Narrandera: 19, Hereford, Wirruna blood, 481kg, $1310 or 272c/kg
D & V McCallum, Tooma: 17, Hereford, Yavenvale blood, 470kg, $1290 or 274c/kg
A H Odewhan, Walla Walla: 24, Hereford, Bona Vista bred, Rotherfield and Ravensdale blood, 449kg, $1240 or 306c/kg
Weaners
Sleigh Pastoral, Jerilderie: 22, Bayunga bred, 360kg, $1100 or 305c/kg
J M Hiscock & Sons, Kilmore: 22, Glendan Park and Tarcombe blood, 363kg, $1095 or 301c/kg
S & R Wilson, Forest Reefs: 9, Gunyah and Sugarloaf blood, EU accred, Greenhams Never Ever, Teys Grassland, 364kg, $1095 or 300c/kg
Sleigh Farming, Ruffy: 18, Allendale, Mawarra and Wirruna blood, 359kg, $1090 or 303c/kg
R & J Smith, Tocumwal: 13, 367kg, $1084 or 295c/kg
H & R Long, Tamleigh: 26, Yavenvale, Glentrevor and Wirruna blood, 337kg, $1065 or 316c/kg
Cocketgedong, Jerilderie: 10, Tondara blood, 371kg, $1054 or 284c/kg
D & V McCallum, Tooma: 27, Yavenvale blood, 366kg, $1050 or 286c/kg
GJ Hore, Wymah: 11, Rotherfield blood, 391kg, $1050 or 268c/kg
Heifers
GJ Hore, Wymah: 3, Hereford, 422kg, $1040 or 246c/kg
R & J Smith, Tocumwal: 10, Hereford, 363kg, $940 or 258c/kg
G Prichard Nominees, Jarvis Creek: 31, black baldy, EU accred, 334kg, $920 or 275c/kg
S & R Wilson, Forest Reefs: 20, Hereford, Gunyah blood, EU, Never Ever, Teys Grassland, 361kg, $910 or 252c/kg
R & M Cheesley, Indigo Valley: 7, Hereford and black baldy, 364kg, $880 or 241c/kg
B W Prichard, Tallangatta Valley: 17, Hereford, Rosstulla blood, $805 or 256c/kg
R & M Trethowan, Cookardinia: 26, Hereford, 316kg, $795 or 251c/kg
Almond Lane, Corowa: 20, Hereford, Injemira blood, 315kg, $775 or 246c/kg
Cecily Trickett, Morven: 22, Hereford, 301kg, $755 or 250c/kg
Sleigh Farming, Ruffy: 14, Hereford, Allendale, Mawarra and Wirruna blood, 234kg, $600 or 256c/kg

Tom Sleigh, Sleigh Pastoral, Jerildierie, is presented with the Herefords Australia champion pen by judge and commission buyer David Gillett, Grafton.

Tom Sleigh, Sleigh Pastoral, received the champion pen for the Bayunga bred steers weighing 360kg and selling for $1100.

Phil Gledhill, Elders Holbrook, bought 101 steers from Sleigh Pastoral and Sleigh Farming for southern grass-fed programs.

Pat Pearce, Yavenvale Herefords, Borambola, with Richard Long, Howitt Plains, Tamleigh, who sold Yavenvale, Glentrevor and Wirruna steers to $1065.

Cecily Trickett, Morven, and daughter Katrina, sold this pen of 22 heifers, weighing 301kg, for $755 or 250c/kg.

Ellie, Georgie, Stephen, Claudia, and Rachelle Wilson, all of Orange, sold Gunyah and Sugarloaf blood steers, 364kg, for $1095, and heifers, 361kg, for $910.