Confidence kick for milk vealers

Offering a smaller 1010-head penning - 200 less than a year ago, a decent gathering of South West Victorian vealer producers competed with persistent Gippsland interests paying to $1225 a head for Angus-Friesian springing heifers and up to $1380 for similar Charolais-cross F1 lots.

With most pens set for a January-February calving to Limousin bulls, the market's top price at $1380 was achieved by perennial supplier Neville Hann, of Gorae West, while volume sellers, Ryan and Suzie McClure, of Harrow, collected an encouraging $1150/hd average over a consignment of 52 bucket-reared Angus-Friesians.

The couple's offering of 47 hand-reared Hereford-cross and Murray Grey-cross springing heifers made to $1275, av $1178, as very few sales drifted below a four-figure sum.

J&J Kelly principal, Jack Kelly said prices - which varied from $50-$150 better than 12 months ago - were in line with pre-sale expectations.

The vealer industry has been much-maligned for some years, Mr Kelly said.

"However producers who have stuck with their vealer rearing have, in recent times, collected better money than their counterparts breeding straight-beef calves, he said.

The market's principal buyer, Michael Golby of Portland-based agency South West Farmers agreed, and confirmed that recent sales of mixed sex vealer consignments sold direct to meat works had realised per head returns of $900-$1000.

"And, on some lots we've been pinged (penalised) for carcases being too heavy," he said.

"But at this money we're not complaining - it's a better return than raising beef weaners."

Although happy with his market top, Neville Hann admitted he had hoped pent up restocker enquiry may have been even more buoyant on the better-presented lots.

The slaughter value of trade-in cows was better than 12 months ago, he said.

Ryan and Suzie McClure said they also expected better prices for their top-end sales, but average prices were satisfying.

The difficulty was sourcing F1 calves to bucket rear, Mr McClure said.

Demand for a small muster of unjoined F1 heifers, aged 12-18 months, was also intense as most sales saw prices rise above $500, and up to $750.

The market top was achieved for Ebony Churchill, of Gorae West, on a yard of eight Angus/Friesians, aged 18 months, while Freedom Dairy, Winslow, sold a line of 37, 16 month-old, Angus Friesians to $710, av $660.

A pen of 29 Angus-Friesians, 14-15 months, were keenly sought to $700. These were also offered by the McClure family, while two further pens of younger 12-13 month-old Hereford-Friesians offered by the McClures made $460 and $650. All of these were sold a year prematurely due to water pressures on the McClure family property.