CHRISTMAS and the New Year, are almost upon us, and the Yea store sale, last Friday was the first of many annual sales to occur.
This annual autumn drop calf sale saw a yarding of 1670, February-March drop steer and heifers calves penned.
With the the spring of 2016 being the best season for many years, the quality of the yarding was very good with most cattle 50-60 kilograms liveweight heavier than the 2015 comparable sale.
Equally, this yarding was down in number by comparison, and these conditions created a very strong sale. Competition came from the north east, local and surrounding districts with some Gippsland competition.
Not all of the usual feedlot buyers were present, and of those that did attend, bullock and steer fatteners took pride of place in the steer. However, processors and particularly feedlot buyers, tipped the tables in the heifer portion. All cattle sold very well, and were quoted being $20-$50 dearer, with some isolated sales even higher, than the previous saled at Yea, two weeks ago. Three vendors sold steers to equal the top price of $1520.
One of these was Barry Griffiths, Northwood, Seymour, selling his annual draft of Feb-Mar drop steers and heifers. BM&MM Griffiths, sold 130 mixed sex calves, selling steers to $1520, and heifers for the sale’s top prices of $1410. PD&P Ryan, Pyalong, also sold 23 Angus steers for $1520, and Adam Mountjoy, Rodwells Yea & Alexandra, said they sold 630 steers for an average of $1360 with none under $1100.
The other vendor selling steers to the top price of $1520 was Howes Creek Hills, Mansfield, selling 16 Poll Hereford steers.
They also sold 16 Angus-Hereford steers for $1490. Bullock and steer fatteners paid the equivalent of between 375 & 392 cents per kilogram liveweight for the heavier end of the steers.
With lightweight steers selling mostly from $950-$1200, liveweight figures soon creeped over 420c, and very young steers sold over 500c/kg lwt.
Because of the better demand from feedlot buyers in the heifer sale, prices were very solid throughout. Some of this competition came from genuine feedlot companies, and some from processors ensuring supply by grain feeding heifers.
Rodwells sold 230 heifers to the sale top of $1410, for an average of $1064.
Heifers old enough, and big enough, to be joined sold to $1250, and heifers purchased to background sold between $900 & $1050.
BM&MM Griffiths, Seymour, sold Angus heifers for $1410, and Howes Creek Hills, Mansfield, 23 Angus-Hereford heifers for $1200. Most of the younger heifers sold between $750 & $900, and this led to liveweight price equivalents of 360-430c/kg.
Because the season is so good, and producers are generally understocked, their competition is helping to boost the sale of heifers.
However, feedlots are facing a lack of stock for finished cattle from February on, and this is keeping the ratio of herd build up to slaughter at equal levels. Adam Mountjoy, Rodwells, said theirs, and Landmark’s Upper Goulburn Rivers Classic weaner sale will be on Wednesday January 11 commencing at 1pm, following the Euroa sale, which starts at 10am. Elders will hold their Blue Ribbon weaners sale, Friday, January 13, which will be a 10:30am start.
Three vendors sold steers to equal the top price of $1520.
The cattle to be sold in January will be in excellent condition, and of heavier weight, created by the very good season from Winter on.
