Victorian grass-fed steer finishers batted away the hype around the northern buying behemoth, snapping up the majority of Hereford steer weaners at Wodonga on Thursday, with over $4 million exchanging hands.
And vendors were left smiling with prices for heavy feeder steers lifting up to $600 on last year’s sale and heifers rising by $400 a head while they pocketed an extra $500 for their autumn drop weaners.
Selling agents Elders and Paull & Scollard Nutrien Ag Solutions yarded 3535 cattle for the Premier Hereford, Hereford Cross and Euro Grown and Feature Weaner Sale on January 9 at the Northern Victorian Livestock Exchange.
Grossing $4.15 million, the sale resulted in an overall average of $1259 or 401c/kg for steers and $998 or 333c/kg for heifers.
Buyers operating included Allied Beef, Toowoomba, Elders Tamworth, GDL St George, Nutrien Tamworth, AWN Squires, Inverell, Bindaree Beef, Killara Feedlot, Yambinya Feedlot, Elders Goulburn, Elders Kilmore, Cooper Agencies and Costello Rural, Corryong, Elders Wangaratta, Elders Holbrook, Elders Euroa, Elders Shepparton, Nutrien Wangaratta, Corcoran Parker, and Elders Hay.
The Sleigh family, Sleigh Pastoral, Jerilderie, made it back-to-back wins in the Herefords Australia champion pen of autumn drop steers with 17 Bayunga bred, Wirruna and Glentrevor blood and yard weaned steers weighing 374kg.
They were purchased by repeat buyer Phil Gledhill, Elders Holbrook, for $1520 or 406c/kg.
“It is still 20 to 25 per cent better than last year – it is important for breeders to be recognised when they present quality livestock and rewarded with good prices,” Mr Sleigh said.
His brother, David Sleigh, Sleigh Farming, Ruffy, topped the run of genuine Hereford weaners at $1625 or 413c/kg for his pen of 13 Allandale, Mawarra and Wirruna blood steers, yard weaned and were snapped up by Elders Wangaratta.
Richard Long, Howitts Plains, Tamleigh, topped the Hereford run with a pen of seven yard weaned Yavenvale, Glentrevor and Wirruna blood steers, aged nine to 10 months, making 464c/kg or $1290 to Elders Euroa.
“When the season is good up north it always helps the market here – most of my cattle sell to feed lotters up to Queensland and local bullock fatteners,” Mr Long said.
Mr Long is particular with presenting cattle with all health treatments and selects his bulls in the top 10 to 15 per cent for marbling, growth and eye muscle area.
A highlight of the steer offering was a run of 678 one-mark steers from vendors Michael and Anna Coughlan, Tarabah Livestock Company, Tarabah Station, Morundah.
Commission buyer, David Gillett, of Grafton, competed heavily on the offering, with the steers destined for backgrounding in northern NSW, and paying up to $1220 or 437c/kg. The balance of the calves went to Shepparton and Mansfield for backgrounding.
Alister McKoy, Ohio, Holbrook, claimed the overall top price for the yarding of $1970 for 21-to-22-month-old Ohio blood steers weighing 538kg and heading off to the Yambinya Feedlot, Burraboi, NSW.
In the heifers, Springdale Nominees, Greta, topped the market with a pen of 50 Wirruna, Yavenvale and Injemira blood females weighing 400kg and pregnancy tested empty. They were vaccinated with Bovilis MH + IBR and bought by Elders Tamworth for $1440 or 360c/kg for grain feeding.
The autumn drop heifers were topped by Stephen and Rachelle Wilson, Forest Reefs, NSW, with 16 Gunyah and Sugarloaf blood females, European Union and Greenhams Never Ever accredited. They weighed 406kg and made $1400 or 344c/kg.
Haydn Bull, Narrandera, was looking for heifers to join his 400-autumn calving cow herd at Narrandera and Morundah.
The Bull family sell their Wirruna blood steers direct to feedlots.
“I have steers finished on natural grasses and supplementary hay, ready to go to the feedlots so I am seeing what the feedlots are offering here today,” Mr Bull said.
Stephen Wilson and his family travelled from Orange to see their Gunyah and Sugarloaf steer weaners sell at Wodonga.
The 211 steers and heifers carried accreditation for European Union, Greenhams Never Ever and Teys Grasslands, were yard weaned and educated through the yards for a further 10 days.
Mr Wilson sold his top pen for 428c/kg to Jeff Cooper, Cooper Agencies, Corryong, for grass finishers in the Upper Murray.
Jeff and his son Matt Cooper were sourcing quality Hereford cattle for their own and clients grass fed programs.
“We like Herefords, they put on weight quickly and are always the heaviest cattle we sell.
“We grow them out to proper bullocks with the majority to Australian Meat Group. We look for maturity, frame and weight for finishing over 12 to 14 months. The kill price and the weather are the two biggest risks for us. It’s hard to buy a bad Hereford steer but easy to buy an ordinary black steer.”
Jeff Garland, GDL Toowoomba, bought Hereford steers for backgrounding on pasture at St George for the supermarket trade.
“The cattle were value buying at Wodonga despite the transport costs – we work on a transport rate of 20c/km. There are always big numbers and reasonable lines presented so that’s why we hook in.
Simon Rafferty, Elders Tamworth, spent three days at Wodonga buying cattle for both grass and grain finishing.
Mr Rafferty said the cattle destined for grass markets would be finished in the northern tablelands while the feeder cattle were destined for Tamworth.
“The sales here have been real good for the week because of the widespread rain and the buyers just have to have the cattle – plenty of rain in Queensland has set the market” Mr Rafferty said.
Elders Albury livestock manager Brett Shea said the highlight of the Hereford run was the amount of cattle remaining in the local district.
“It is fair to say 80 per cent of the cattle went north over the past two days but it showed today there is a real appetite for those quality Hereford steers to do our certified grass-fed programs in the south,” Mr Shea said.
“We saw one vendor setting up their heifers perfectly for a feedlot with Bovilis MH + IBR vaccination.
“The tops of the heavy Hereford steers weighed 537kg and will go out to the Yambinya Feedlot at $1970 while allied Beef bought the seconds and thirds at 383c/kg for 485 and 474kg steers.”
Mr Shea said 23,000 cattle were due to be sold at the Wodonga and Wangaratta yards for the week, with Elders Albury responsible for 5500-6000 head.
“We always look forward to this Hereford sale as it has a number of repeat clients selling grown steers or weaners, and it is as good a run of Hereford calves as you would see anywhere in the country, and today they sold accordingly.”
Quotes:
Grown steers
A McKoy & Son, Holbrook: 23, Hereford, 538kg, Ohio bred, $1970 or 366c/kg
C & Y Connley, Omeo: 7, Mawarra and Karoondah blood, Greenhams Never Ever, 587kg, $1860 or 316c/kg
S & R Wilson, Forest Reefs: 31, Gunyah and Sugarloaf blood, 432kg, $1760 or 407c/kg
D & V McCallum, Tooma: 12, Hereford, Yavenvale blood, 400kg, $1525 or 381c/kg
K A Cardwell, Gundowring: 12, Hereford, Rotherfield blood, 562kg, $1470 or 261c/kg
Weaners
Sleigh Farming, Ruffy: 13, Allendale, Mawarra and Wirruna blood, yard weaned, 393kg, $1625 or 413c/kg
S & R Wilson, Forest Reefs: 36, Gunyah and Sugarloaf blood, EU accred, Greenhams Never Ever, Teys Grassland, 379kg, $1625 or 428c/kg
Cocketgedong, Jerilderie: 7, Tondara blood, 402kg, $1540 or 383c/kg
Sleigh Pastoral, Jerilderie: 27, Bayunga bred, 374kg, $1520 or 406c/kg
J M Hiscock & Sons, Kilmore: 34, Glendan Park and Tarcombe blood, 347kg, $1500 or 432c/kg
A Odewhan, Walla Walla: 23, Bona Vista bred, Rotherfield and Ravensdale blood, 357kg, $1470 or 411c/kg
R Smith, Tocumwal: 17, Wirruna blood, 377kg, $1470 or 389c/kg
H & R Long, Tamleigh: 20, Yavenvale, Glentrevor and Wirruna blood, 325kg, $1390 or 427c/kg
Cecily Trickett, Morven: 20, Wirruna blood, 328kg, $1320 or 402c/kg
Heifers
Springdale Nominees, Greta: 50, Wirruna, Yavenvale, and Injemira blood, 400kg, $1440 or 360c/kg
S & R Wilson, Forest Reef: 16, Gunyah and Sugarloaf blood, 406kg, $1400 or 344c/kg
C & Y Connley, Omeo: 16, Mawarra and Karoondah, 407kg, $1350 or 331c/kg
B & F Hicks, Gundowring: 8, Yavenvale blood, Greenhams Never Ever, $1270 or 331c/kg
Barry and Fay Hicks, Gundowring, sold Yavenvale blood heifers, 383kg, for $1270 or 331c/kg to Elders Kilmore.
Andrew Sleigh, Sleigh Pastoral, Jerilderie, receives the Herefords Australia champion pen sash from Howard Yelland, Finley, and Herefords Australia chairman Marc Greening.
Kirsty Taylor, Elders, and Ian Wilson, Ruglen, Bungowannah, bought these Wirruna blood steers for grass finishing for $1430 or 434c/k. Ian recently sold grass fed Gunyah blood steers, 643kg liveweight, for 345c/kg to Stanbroke.
Hereford breeder Haydn Bull, Narrandera, was looking for heifers to join his commercial herd at Narrandera and Morundah.
Cecily Trickett and her daughter Katrina Morrison, Morven, sold their top pen of Wirruna blood steers, 328kg, for $1320 or 402c/kg
The Elders team make a start on the big run of Hereford weaner steers at the NVLX.
Buyers from all points of the compass crowd the rails at the Wodonga feature weaner sale.
Jeff Cooper, Cooper Agencies, Corryong, bought these Gunyah and Sugarloaf blood steers, 379kg, Greenham’s and Teys Grasslands accredited, for $1625 or 428c/kg from the Wilson family, Forest Reefs.
Matt Cooper, Cooper Agencies, Corryong, bought Yavenvale blood steers, 322kg, from David and Vicki McCallum, Tooma, for $1370 or 425c/kg on behalf of Malcolm Star, Cudgewa.
Richard Long, Howitt Plains, Tamleigh, with Pat Pearce Yavenvale Poll Herefords, Borambola, topped the market at 464c/kg with his Yavenvale blood steers weighing 278kg.
Georgie, Stephen, Rachelle and Claudie Wilson, Forest Reefs, sold spring drop steers, Gunyah and Sugarloaf blood, 379kg, Greenhams and Teys Grasslands accredited, for $1625 or 428c/kg.
Autumn drop weaner steers topped at $1625 or 464c/kg at the NVLX Premier Hereford, British Breed and Euro Feature Weaner sale.
Michael and Anna Coughlan, Tarabah Livestock, Morundah, sold a big run of one-mark steers, eight to 10 months and Wirruna blood, to a top of $1220 or 437c/kg.
The champion pen from Sleigh Pastoral, Jerilderie, were nine to 10 months, yard weaned and made $1520 or 406c/kg.
The overall sale averaged $1176 or 380c/kg and grossed $4.15 million.
The steers averaged overall $1259 or 401c/kg and heifers $998 or 333c/kg.
Fifth generation Hereford breeder, Howard Yelland, Glentrevor, Finley, was among the crowd and optimistic about the autumn bull selling season following the buoyant weaner sales, with own his sale being the benchmark season opener for the breed on February 10. The family marks 143 years of breeding Herefords in 2025.
Ian Wilson, Ruglen, Bungowannah.
