Grass fed programs fuelled demand for Hereford and Hereford infused autumn drop weaners, sending steer prices to $1670 at the Ensay Weaner Sale.
Selling agents Elders Bairnsdale yarded 1276 mixed sex weaners for the March 6 fixture at the Ensay yards to average $1080 and gross $1,379,126. A total of 777 steers averaged $1219 and 499 heifers averaged $864.
The sale was dominated by Anthony Delaney, Delaney Livestock and Property, operating on the heavy end of the steers while other buyers included repeat steer finishers Arthur Angliss, Romsey, Graham Osborne, Officer, and Ian Lester, Scotts Creek, along with SEJ Leongatha, Alex Scott & Staff, Warragul, YC Feeding, Geelong, Elders branches at Yea, Holbrook, Moss Vale, Tasmania, Hotson Ag, and Rodwells Euroa.
Anthony Delaney, Delaney Livestock and Property, Warragul, bought 300 of the heavier end of the steers at Ensay for clients in central and west Gippsland, and north of Melbourne.
Paying to a top of $1540, Mr Delaney was sourcing steers 400kg liveweight plus with the prices meeting his expectations.
“The cattle are excellent quality here and every year they are consistent – that’s why these people keep coming back. They will all be fattened for grass fed programs,” he said.
Autumn drop Hereford steers rang the bell to top the sale on $1670 and sold down to $500 for lighter end cattle, and for those pens displaying green weights the cents per kilogram on a curfewed basis was 301-405c/kg.
The Shorthorn/Hereford autumn drop steers sold for $1010-$1530, or a curfewed price of 324-393c/kg.
The purebred unjoined heifers sold for $510-$1290,. Shorthorn/Hereford unjoined heifers made $760-$1280.
Ian Lester, Scotts Creek, judged the Herefords Australia champion pen, awarding the sash to Barry and Topsy Newcomen, Newcomen Herefords, Ensay, for a pen of 20 Hereford European Union accredited and Newcomen blood steers. Mr Lester was impressed with the steer’s weight for age.
The April/May drop calves had a green weight of 434kg and were snapped up by repeat buyer Arthur Angliss, Romsey, for the sale’s top price of $1670 or 405c/kg (curfewed).
Ian Lester and his partner Denise O’Keefe previously finished steers on King Island for grass fed markets but relocated their operation to Scotts Creek, Victoria, two years ago.
The couple finish 200 Hereford and Charolais steers, and share-farm 500 dairy cows. They paid to a top of $1320 for 362kg Hereford and Shorthorn/Hereford steers from C and J Lloyd at Ensay.
“We manage to achieve an average daily gain off grass of around 2kg – the best we got out of a paddock in the spring was 3.1kg/day. The best purebred Hereford steer in that paddock was 4.2kg/day off grass over six weeks.
“We buy out of these sales for the quality of the cattle and they always perform.”
The Hereford steers are finished from 300kg liveweight to 350kg carcase weight in eight to 10 months – no animal is kept for over 12 months – to Greenhams Never Ever program. He said chiller feedback indicated a compliance rate of 95-100 per cent.
“The Herefords do really well – on King Island the weight for age of the Hereford meant they could be turned off two months earlier than the other breeds under the same pasture conditions. Overall, Herefords are the best breed, especially for temperament.”
Repeat buyer and steer finisher Arthur Angliss, Romsey, was back at Ensay after outlaying the top price pen at last year’s sale of $2130 for Evan Newcomen’s Shorthorn/Hereford steers.
Those steers are due to be processed at the end of the month after performing well on pasture.
Mr Angliss is planning to transition from grass fed domestic to European Union markets this year due to higher returns.
“We keep an eye on the MSA data and when you have people like Barry (Newcomen) who is on the ball with genetics, it translates to weight gain and performance at the other end,” he said.
“We buy cattle at around 380-400kg liveweight and they are finished over 12 months to a fat spec of 9-22mm.”
Gary and Samantha Owen, Budgaree Beef, Mirboo North, were inspecting cattle at Ensay to fit their grass-fed program for Coles Graze.
“The Hereford cattle out of Ensay do an exceptionally good job at that – we have bought out of here in the past, they are nice medium framed and thick, easy doing cattle on grass,” Mr Owen said.
Being former dairy farmers, the couple are grazing at any time from 1000 to 1200 cattle on high performance pastures using a daily paddock rotation.
The majority of cattle are turned off within six and nine months, and achieve an average daily gain from 0.8-1.5kg.
“We supply Coles every week with 48 steers at 500-550kg liveweight (280 kg carcase weight). Most of our cattle are sourced from AuctionsPlus or direct from the paddock,” Mr Owen said.
“The good Hereford is just as much as any other breed. All our cattle are MSA graded and the better ones are in the early 60s (MSA Index) with most of our cattle being 18 to 20 months old when they are killed.
“The Herefords have good fat cover especially on the ribs – we find with young cattle getting the fat cover on the rib is the hard bit so we have to be selective on the cattle we buy.
“Once we find those cattle which perform, we tend to be a repeat buyer. Most of the good producers want all the feedback on them as well.
“We normally turn off between 1500 and 1800 head a year, and from December onwards we supply a load a week.”
Elders auctioneer Joe Allen, Euroa, said the heavy end of the Hereford and roan heifers would go back to the paddock to be joined, while others were bought by lot feeders.
“There was a good mix of buyers here today from the local area, south Gippsland and a fair share of cattle going over the Great Divide,” Mr Allen said.
“The second and third draft of the Hereford heifers presented good value buying with years of breeding and good husbandry. The middle run of the steers at a genuine weaner weight of 300kg were a tick over 400c/kg.”
The Ensay sale’s best presented pen made in honour of Tony Pianto was awarded to Anthony Pendergast for his 20 Hereford steers, which sold for $1540 to Delaney Livestock and Property.
Anthony also sold the top priced purebred unjoined heifers at $1290 while the Shorthorn/Hereford heifers topped at $1280 for a pen of 21, European Union accredited females from Evan and Di Newcomen. They were bought by James Cleland, Rodwells Euroa, on behalf of Mansfield restocker David Lidolf.
Quotes
Steers
B & A Newcomen: 20, Hereford, EU, 434kg, $1670
E & D Newcomen: 21, Hereford and Shorthorn/Hereford, EU, $1530
A & E Pendergast: 20, Hereford, $1540
R & W Newcomen: 23, Hereford, EU, $1540
C & J Lloyd: 16, Hereford and Shorthorn/Hereford, $1480
Bindi Station: 18, Hereford, $1400
W McCole: 23, Hereford, $1380
Nunniong Herefords: 22, Hereford, $1150
Heifers
A & E Pendergast: 20, Hereford, $1290
E & D Newcomen: 21, Shorthorn/Hereford, EU, $1280
R & W Newcomen: 26, Hereford, EU, $1230
Nunniong Herefords: 22, Hereford, $1180