Yarding reflects season at Euroa

The yarding of just over 2000 cattle featured grown and weaner steers and heifers, as well as a large female herd dispersal.

Landmark International was again a volume buyer, taking about 300 cattle, while local, Goulburn Valley, and western Victoria agents also operated.

Agents from Coonamble and Bathurst in NSW also picked up a handful of pens, and Gippsland’s Westside Meats were particularly strong on the heifer portion.

Prices were an estimated 10c/kg to 15c/kg cheaper than the opening week of feature weaner sale, primarily down to the lighter weights of a majority of the weaner calves.

Steers sold mainly from 280c/kg to 315c/kg, with some light pens under 290kg falling to 270c/kg, and most in the 290c/kg range.

Landmark Euroa’s Russell Mawson said the sale was reflective of the season, with many of the feature lines of calves sold early.

“The conditions of the cattle was good given the season - the heifer job was stronger and the herd dispersal saw good quality cattle achieve good prices,” he said.

“People should be putting them away because you won’t be able to find them anywhere if we get a break in six weeks.”

Castle Coombe sold 20 Angus steers, 321kg, at $1000, or 311c/kg, while Karalee had 20 Poll Hereford-Simmental steers, 9 to 10 months, Rotherfield and Wombat Hills blood which sold at $1040 for the 340kg lots, or 305c/kg.

Graham Johnston of Springfield, Ruffy Tablelands, sold 41 Angus mixed sex weaners, to a top of $1050 for 363kg Connamara-blood steers and $755 for 299kg heifers. 

Mr Johnston said prices met his expectations and he was happy with the returns.

Jan and Neil Beer of Cheviot Hills purchased 61 heifers to fatten on grass, and said they took the opportunity to purchase heifer lots then usual because they were affordable.

This included a pen of 15 Ashwood Park blood Charolais heifers from vendor Dorset Park at $1200, or 288c/kg.

“We usually buy them younger at 320-350kg and turn them over in 12 months, but the price was good and now we will be ahead on weight,” Mrs Beer said.

They also purchased a second pen of Charolais-Angus at $850, and Mrs Beer said the prices were definitely buyable.

“We find the Charolais-Angus do well and keep growing without going to fat – we get them up to between 550-700kg grassfed, and the tops last year made $2000,” Mrs Beer said.

Heifers 300kg to 400kg sold mainly at 240c/kg to 265c/kg, with T Rainey selling 13 Angus heifers, 385kg, at $1020 or 264c/kg, and Warwoo making $775 for their 20 at 302kg, equating to 256c/kg.

The Oak Valley dispersal opened at $2225 for 22 Angus 2016 cows with 22 Rennylea blood calves at foot, three to five months, and depastured to Bellaspur bulls for an August calf, purchased by Peter Wilson Livestock, Cobram.

The top price in the dispersal was $2300, achieved by a pen of 21 Angus cows with their second to fourth calves at foot.

The remainder of the three in one packages sold at $1550 to $2050, while the mixed age autumn calving portion, pregnancy tested in calf for March, returned $1050 to $1850, topped by 2016 Angus second calvers, and purchased by Landmark Ballarat.