Heifers' turn to shine at Yea, as interstate breeders seek quality females

Elders Yea Blue Ribbon weaner sale saw the unusual result of the highest priced heifer selling for $10 a head more than the top steer - $1590 to $1580.

Heifers averaged $1044 a head, against $1308/hd for steers, in the yarding of nearly 4000.

Episode 3 analyst Matt Dalgleish said concerns about the impact of a potential El Nino had eased, bringing breeders back into the market.

"Producers are responding to what is actually in front of them, in the paddock, rather than the three month seasonal outlook," Mr Dalgleish said.

"To really give it legs, we need to keep looking at the outlook, once we get through summer and to the autumn break."

He said it was obvious the Bureau of Meteorology's predictions of a dry summer had turned out to be incorrect.

Melbourne-based commission buyer Campbell Ross picked up heifers for Mount Gambier, SA agents, Miller, Whan and John, but young females also went to Holbrook, Gundagai, Inverell and Coonamble, in NSW.

Several pens of heifers also went as far north as Dalby, Qld.

In Victoria, heifers went to Yea agents, Gippsland, Bendigo and Shepparton.

Elders Yea territory livestock manager Jamie Quinlan said there appeared to be "breeder interest" from numerous areas, with producers wanting to buy the best four or five pens, to join, for an autumn calving next year.

"Some of the 340-380 kilogram top-end heifers probably outsold their brothers, because they had breeder interest."

Other heifers, from 300-340kg, were purchased for a later joining, possibly in June or to be held until September or October.

"Let's be real about it, if you are paying $1500 or $1590/hd, it's really not a hell of a lot of money, when you consider the bigger picture," he said.

"You are going to have those heifers for anywhere from five to seven years - it's not a real great outlay."

Mr Dalgleish said it was "early days" as to whether the country moved to a dry spell, either this year or next.

"I think we are in for a more normal season, so I think the market is taking some confidence from that as well," he said.

In terms of the normal run of averages, a dry spell could be coming.

"Generally you get a dry spell, after two wet years, - I don't think it's far around the corner," he said.

"In the back of producers' minds is that we have had three good seasons, so the law of averages says we are bound to have a dry one, sooner or later."

Michael Spagnolo, Box Hill Pastoral, Yea, was one of the local producers who turned off large annual drafts of steers and heifers.

He was among producers who made $1200/hd, or 353c/kg, for a pen of 24, 341kg heifers.

"It was an amazing heifer sale, wasn't it?,"

"I can't work it, at a lot of the sales leading up to Yea heifers were not sought after."

Mr Spagnolo said he put it down to quality and breeding.

"If two people are after them, they are after them - the quality is certainly up there with the best of them, I think anyway," he said

"There have been a couple of years where heifers have been going to feedlots.

"There is a fair bit of breeding in them but all they are going to do is fatten them, and cut their heads off.

"A breeder would rather see the heifers go off to continue the bloodline."