Hamilton cattle bought by feedlots in three states as graziers take back seat

Agents yarded 1250 steers and heifers at the February 29 sale on Thursday where feedlotters from Victoria, NSW and SA competed on the rail for their share of cattle.

J&J Kelly Stock Agency director Jack Kelly said dry conditions throughout the Hamilton district and further afield played on the conscience of many graziers.

"In the last two to three weeks, the grass has disappeared and people have to be very careful, unless they are supplementary feeding their cattle with hay or silage or on crops," he said.

"This is a normal period where we dry off and over the last few years we haven't seen that, but that has definitely been the case in 2024.

"It means people are pressured into selling because the feed is disappearing due to the weather we're getting at the moment, and it doesn't mean they necessarily want to buy back in."

Mr Kelly said grown steers weighing 420-500 kilograms sold between 320-348 cents a kilogram, while weaner steers 320-380kg made 320-350c/kg.

"We had feedlots there including TFI, Teys, Coates from Balranald, NSW, along with Creek Livestock from SA and Miller Whan & John buying cattle for the Ogilvie Group," he said.

"There weren't as many cattle that returned to the paddock because the grass has gotten lighter, so a bulk of the cattle went to feedlots.

Grown heifers range from 270-300c/kg and topped at 310c/kg, while heifer weaners made 240-300c/kg.

Hamilton agent Hugh Douglas, LMB Livestock and Land, described the sale as a "clean-up yarding".

"The quality of the cattle was very mixed with a handy run in each weight category across the steers and heifers, but there was also a lot of secondary cattle and that caused prices to be erratic," he said.

"The highlight of the sale was the heavier cattle and the feeder heifers.

"If there was a good pen of feeder steers, 450-550kg, they made from 310-330c/kg and they went to feedlots., while coloured steers in the same weight were 270-310c/kg."

Tooranga, Broadwater, sold 50 Angus, Black Baldy and Hereford steers, 22 months, including 13 Angus steers, 497kg, for 348c/kg or $1729, and 21 Black Baldy steers, 496kg, for 345c/kg or $1711.

Brung Brungle, Wannon, sold 60 Angus and Angus/Shorthorn-cross steers, 7-8 months, including 30 steers, 330kg, for 360c/kg or $1188.

BJ & KB Ball, Bulart, sold 50 Angus and Angus/Gelbvieh-cross heifers, 20 months, including 26 heifers, 445kg, for 312c/kg or $1388

Eulong, Cavendish, sold 15 Hereford heifers, 18 months, 425kg, for 290c/kg or $1232.

AW & T Johnson, Willatook, sold 15 Angus and Black Baldy steers, 14 months, 442kg, for 335c/kg or $1480.

Glynbrae Pastoral Company, Gazette, sold 15 Angus and Black Baldy heifers, 10-11 months, 379kg, for 294c/kg or $1114.

Nutrien Savin Livestock Marketing director Sam Savin, Hamilton, said most heifers made 275-305c/kg in his sale.

"The good lines of cattle sold as well as anywhere, but the coloured cattle and the secondary cattle were fairly off from where they have been," he said.