COMPETITION VARIED for a mainly good quality offering of 1671 heifers at the Wangaratta annual heifer calf sale.
Agents offered a few pens of yearling heifers at the start of this annual heifer sale.
Weighing mostly from 350 to 433 kilograms liveweight, the yearlings sold from $845 to $1060, with the Blackshaw family’s “The Pelicans”, Oxley Flats property, topping this part of the sale.
This heifer sale is predominantly for heifer calves, and most of the sale comprised of heifers, 8-11 months.
Competition between producers for breeding heifers set a top price of $1100 for a pen of Angus heifers, 411kgs, of Lorna Nankervis, Laceby.
A few pens of heifers sold between $850 and $1050, including 11 Angus heifers of N&M Buchan, Warrenbayne.
These heifers sold for $1050, and their 18 Charolais-Angus heifers, awarded the best presented pen, sold for $950.
Prices at this top end of the sale were very good, with prices being equal to other major calf sales held this year. Demand varied greatly for the balance of the yarding, and this created mixed price trends.
Competition for heifers for grain feeding was strong with many pens selling from $650 to $850, equaling around 245 to 260c/kg lwt. These prices were lower than expected.
If it was not for this strong competition for feeder heifers, the sale’s result could have been a lot different.
Corcoran Parker’s Justin Keane, said “I am happy with today’s results, as many heifers sold in the range of 245 to 265c/kg lwt.”
A&J Simpson, Docker, sold 32 Angus heifers, 11-12 months, from $790 to $980.
Many of the European breeds went to feedlots. This included L&M Currie, selling 27 Limousin-Angus heifers from $750 to $795.
Some of the crossbreeds sold quite well. Nokila Holdigs, “Kaloomah, Kanumbra, sold Shorthorn, Angus-Hereford, and Hereford heifers, 306-337kgs, from $745 to $835.
Shorthorn-Angus heifers of “The Pelicans”, Oxley Flats, sold from $635 to $825.
Several pens of Poll Hereford heifers were offered, with Mrs J Brownless, Euroa, topping this list with 16 heifers making $755. It wasn’t the best day for the Hereford breed, but then, they were joined by numerous others.
Progressing onto a run of younger heifers saw demand lift. Many of these heifers were not weighed, and prices were mostly between $390 and $600.
Kensal Green Beef (property sold), offered 54 Shorthorn cross, Angus, and Angus-Shorthorn heifers. These were weighed, being 204-253kgs, and sold from $495 to $540.
Top of the younger Angus heifers was MS Henwood Family Trust, Grong Grong, selling 26 head, 259kgs, for $600.
Toward the end of the sale, Murphy & Sons Pty Ltd, Clear Creek, Byawatha, sold 57 younger Poll hereford heifers, which were in plain condition.
Demand for these was quite strong, and they sold from $400 to $550, the weighed from an estimated 190kgs, to an offical weight of 273kgs lwt.
