ONE HUNDRED PENS into the Elders Yea 32nd annual Blue Ribbon calf sale, and no steers weighed less than 300 kilograms liveweight.
This was a very high quality yarding of 3567 head of 6 to 11 month old steer and heifer calves, which after the late, but good spring, weighed up to 448kgs for steers.
This was an exceptional yarding of cattle for breeding, quality and weight, and this led to some top competition.
Processor feedlot buyers were present, but few could go the pace against numerous South Gippsland and local district bullock fatteners.
Ravensworth feedlot did purchase a couple of pens of steers, but producers led them by the nose.
Top of the sale was the first pen of 166 Angus steers of Boxhill Pastoral Company. Their 22 EU accredited steers, 427kgs, sold for $1360, which was a state high price for this season.
Boxhill Pastoral Co’s younger steers sold for $870, the balance made between $1010 and the top price.
In liveweight price terms the Boxhill steers sold form 304 to 334c with a high average price of around 328c/kg.
Sibling rivalry, possibly not, but the Drysdale family, “The Lily”, Yarck, sold 216 Angus steers, 285-395kgs, between $1020 and $1300, which equaled 329 to 357c/kg lwt. The Lily steers had been weaned, which did make a difference to competition.
“Villa Brae Past Co” sold 106 Angus steers from $1030 to $1300, equaling up to 342c/kg lwt.
The list of Angus steers that sold over $1000 goes on and on, but there were equally very good sales of other breeds too.
PJ&V Hauser’s pen of award wining Charolais-Angus steers, 423kgs, sold for $1220, and most others made from $1005 to $1240.
The 95 Hereford steers of Armstrong Evergreen, sold from $730 for light weight steers, to $1200, and equaled 348 to 350c/kg for the top two pens.
Simmental-Hereford steers offered by Nuttfield Pty Ltd, Molesworth, sold very well too. Their 55 head sold from $990 to $1230, which was 304 to 332c/kg lwt.
Many of the middle and lightweight steers sold to strong competition, including Landmark Live export, who purchased numerous pens.
Most of the younger steers sold between $720 and $990. Larnoo Ag’s Hereford-European breed steers sold between $720 and $925.
This was purely a calf sale, and the heifers penned weighed mostly between 260 and 382kgs, the top weight being Charolais heifers.
As a percentage of the total yarding, the heifer offering was only small. However, their quality was excellent, and feedlot competition was much stronger for heifers.
Producers did fight over some of their proffered breeds, and paid up to the heifer’s top price of $1130.
Boxhill Past Co sold 70 Angus heifers from $810 to $1130, the top price equaling 326c/kg lwt.
M Hamilton, Waimarie Angus, sold 68 Angus heifers from $680 to $1000. These and many other heifers equaled 265 to 290c/kg lwt.
Charolais and Charolais cross heifers sold mostly between $820 and $1100, the top price here, was paid for 14 heifers of P&V Hauser.
Hereford heifers were less proffered, and this saw them sell at rates cheaper to most other heifers on the day.
Having said this, these were the second, or third drafts of heifers, and did not have the weight to attract full competition.
Armstrong Evergreen’s 48 Hereford heifers sold from $590 to $645. A heavier pen of 17 Hereford heifers, of L&M Ridd, sold for $860.