Victorian and NSW steer finishers, restockers and lot feeders converged on the Victorian High Country on Tuesday to bid for whiteface cattle at the 84th annual Mountain Calf Sales circuit opener.
Selling agents Nutrien East Gippsland Livestock yarded 900 yearling and weaner Hereford, Hereford cross, Angus and Euro steers and heifers for the March 5 fixture at the Hinnomunjie yards.
Buyers included Elders Yea, Elders Korrumburra, Elders Leongatha, Corcoran Parker Wangaratta, Charles Stewart & Co, Colac, Everitt Seely & Bennetts, Koo Wee Rup, Alex Scott & Staff, Warragul, Alex Scott & Co, Pakenham, Rodwells Euroa, ECM Livestock, Moss Vale, Gippsland steer finishers Graham Osborne, Alan Mitchell and Paul Pendergast, and Albury commission buyer Graeme Ward.
Heavy yearling Hereford and Hereford/Shorthorn steers, spring drop 2022 and over 400kg liveweight, sold for $1620-$2000, 330-357c/kg.
The run of autumn drop Hereford steers over 350kg topped at $1500 and sold down to $1160 while the lighter pens under 350kg returned $810-$1250.
Black Baldy steers over 400kg returned $1630-$1920 and were also displayed with green weights to five a curfewed price of 328-352c/kg.
The autumn drop black baldy steers under 350kg sold for $740-$1010.
In the heifer pens, spring drop 2022 Hereford/Shorthorn and Black Baldy females over 350kg sold for $1280-$1400 to give a curfewed price of 270-304c/kg.
The autumn drop Hereford heifers returned $640-$1110 while the Black Baldy heifers made $600-$970.
Gippsland steer finisher Graham Osborne judged the Herefords Australia champion pen, awarding the sash to Peter Soutter, Benambra, for 18 Karoonda and Nunniong blood autumn drop steers, Greenhams Never Ever accredited and antibiotic free.
With their health treatments also displayed for buyers, the steers were snapped up by Mr Osborne for $1440.
Mr Osborne described the pen as displaying evenness, muscle, eye pigmentation, softness, and docility.
He has been sourcing Hereford cattle out of the Mountain Calf Sales for more than 20 years for finishing for grass fed programs at Leongatha.
The cattle he bought at the sales last year were finished on improved pastures to 380kg carcase weight for export as boxed beef to the US while the lighter cattle are grazed over two seasons to 400kg carcase weight.
“When we get to the end of the season, we look at those cattle to decide whether to take them through the winter or enter feedlots,” he said.
Graham has never bought less than four B-double loads of cattle out of the calf sales.
Graham said it was critical for the grass-fed cattle to carry accreditation and be fully weaned.
“We like to see antibiotic free, grass-fed and vendor bred – that is part of the reason we come here for the genuine producer-bred cattle.
“Last year all the cattle we bought had an average daily gain of 0.75kg over a wet winter. We receive the MSA feedback sheets and track the best performing cattle back to individual vendors.
“If we know who the vendor is and they have produced a premium for us, nobody beats us. People think we pay big money but usually those cattle are good value buying. We will chase down those producers who give us the results.
“The kill market is a little erratic – it got too cheap last spring and has kicked up to a better level now. We will see reasonable prices here – at $1500 a head we all can make money.”
The sale opened on the heavy spring drop 2022 Hereford and Hereford/Shorthorn, Karoonda and Yarram Park blood, steers sold by Donald Betts, Bairnsdale. the 637kg steers were bought by Jamie Quinlan, Elders Yea, for $2000 or 330c/kg.
The seconds weighing 559kg made $1900 to Nutrien Ag Solutions Dargo.
Topping the autumn drop Hereford steers was Gus and Sandra Crisp, Omeo, with a pen of 27 Mawarra and Newcomen blood, selling to Graham Osborne for $1500. Mr Osborne also paid $1480 for the seconds.
Donald Betts also offered heavy black baldy yearling steers, 582kg (green weight), to $1700 or 343c/kg to Benambra steer finisher Paul Pendergast.
In the females, Donald Betts sold heavy grown black baldies (522kg green weight) for the top price of $1400 or 282c/kg (curfew weight) to Jamie Quinlan, Elders Yea.
He had finished the cattle on pasture at Omeo and held them especially for the sale. Donald likes the environment adaptability of the Herefords and the complementary cross with Shorthorn. He had sold heavy grass-fed steers recently to Greenhams for $2160.
A & K Farms topped the autumn drop Hereford heifers with a pen selling for $1110 to Everitt Seely & Bennetts.
Sharon Pendergast and son Stuart, Benambra, sold 127 March/April drop Black Baldy steers to $1010 and heifers to $950.
Stuart said repeat clients from Leongatha usually operate on their steers, with the family offering 540 head across three sales. “I was nicely surprised how the sale started today – we culled hard this year and left 300-400 lighter weight cattle at home, and will sell them in April-May,” he said.
Brad Obst, Nutrien East Gippsland Livestock principal, said the sale result exceeded expectations.
“It’s evident there are people really chasing these better bred Hereford cattle for their notable traits,” Mr Obst said.
“Once we got off the top end it came back and was fully equal to the rest of the market. The top end of the Herefords in both the heifers and steers certainly sold very well.”
Mr Obst said there was strong demand from NSW but Queensland buyers were noticeably absent.
“The cattle went to mainly southern NSW, one truck into northern NSW, and South Australia was strong on the heifers, while northeast Victoria and south Gippsland cleaned up the rest.
“We have several areas looking for stock, and that is driving the market here. The feeder and kill prices don’t support the level these calves are at, but they will catch it.
“It’s good to see a level of confidence with the price and season, and that is keeping the market at a satisfactory level. There were some pretty significant buyers here and that was good to see.”
Top quotes
Steers
D Betts: 12, Hereford and Hereford/Shorthorn, Karoonda and Yarram Park blood, 637kg (green weight), $2000 or 330c/kg
A & S Pendergast: 10, Herefords, milk teeth, Karoonda blood, $1620
G & S Crisp: 27, Hereford, Mawarrra and Newcomen blood, $1500
Coleman and Munson: 22, Hereford, Sugarloaf Creek blood, $1460
P & S Soutter: 18, Hereford Karoonda and Nunniong, Never Ever accredited, $1440
R & A Connley: 16, Hereford, $1400
Ray and Max Pendergast: 13, Hereford, $1370
B Dyer: 14, Hereford, Karoonda and Sugarloaf Creek blood, $1330
AL Fitzgerald: 13, Hereford, $1140
Heifers
D Betts: 6, Black Baldy, 522kg (green weight), $1400 or 282c/kg
A & K Farms: 8, Hereford, $1110
R & A Tomkin: 7, black baldy, $970
Pendergast Alpine Livestock: 23, black baldy, $950
G & S Crisp: 21, Hereford Mawarra and Newcomen blood, $930
B Dyer: 13, Hereford, Karoonda and Sugarloaf Creek blood, $890
Coleman and Munson: 9, Hereford, Sugarloaf Creek blood, $880
AL Fitzgerald: 10, Hereford, Hereford/Shorthorn, $860
P & S Soutter: 15, Hereford, $810
R & A Connley: 18, Hereford, $780
Willow, Brandon, Ava and Donald Betts, Bairnsdale, at the Hinnomunjie Calf Sale.
David Boad, Newborough, Peter Smith, Latrobe Valley, and Manny Portelli, Warragul South, all buyers at the Hinnomunjie sale.
Brad Obst and Ellie Woodgate, Nutrien East Gippsland Livestock, present the Herefords Australia champion pen sash to Peter Soutter, Benambra.
Olivia Pearce, Herefords Australia, with Peter Soutter, Benambra, and Ellie Woodgate, Nutrien East Gippsland Livestock.
Gippsland steer finisher Graham Osborne and Brad Obst, Nutrien East Gippsland Livestock.
The Hinnomunjie Calf Sale is the circuit opener for the annual Mountain Calf Sales.
Autum drop Hereford steers topped at $1500 at Hinnomunjie.
Kathy Gabriel paid $610 for Greenhams Never Ever accredited Hereford heifers from Peter Soutter, Benambra.
Max Pendergast, who sold autumn drop Hereford steers to $1370, with Jim Pendergast, “Penderscourt”, Hinnomunjie.
Max Pendergast, and his brother Ray, offered 83 autumn drop steers across Hinnomunjie and Benambra weaner sales.
Graeme Fullgrabe calls for bids on the opening pen of the Mountain Calf Sales circuit.
Pat Joiner and his daughter Leayla, from the Omeo Valley.
Joss Battersby, Stuart Pendergast and Sharon Pendergast, sold black baldy steers to $1010.
Peter and Deanne Sykes, Mawarra Genetics, Longford,
Rebecca Lawson, Nicholson, and Amber Connley,Benambra, were both selling and spectating.
Stuart Pendergast and Joss Battersby, Pendergast Alpine Livestock, with Diane Anderson, Benambra.
