Big lines of vendor bred, cold country calves create buyer frenzy

By Kim Woods

Buyers were met with some of the best line-ups of vendor bred, one mark whiteface weaner calves in the nation for the final leg of the 83rd annual Mountain Calf Sales at Omeo, with steers hitting $2090 and heifers $2050.

Selling agents Elders Omeo and Bairnsdale yarded 1500 Hereford and Shorthorn/Hereford cross yearling and mixed sex weaners for the March 8 fixture.

The sale finalised two days of selling where 7000 cattle were offered at Hinnomunjie, Benambra, Ensay and Omeo, injecting much needed funds back into a post-COVID community.

Autumn drop Hereford steers sold for $980-$1910, while spring drop purebred steers returned $1850-$2090, and Shorthorn/Hereford autumn drop steers finished at $1010$1880.

Shorthorn/Hereford heifers finished the sale circuit at $1100-$1930, while the purebred autumn drop heifers settled at $760-$2050.

The sale opened on the spring drop 2021 calves of Betts and Noonan with the pen of 11 Herefords snapped up by SEJ Leongatha for $2090.

Then it was onto the autumn drop 2022 Herefords with the top price of $1910 shared between vendors Peter and Christine Faithfull, Omeo, and Simon and Sonya Lawlor, Omeo.

It was a back-to-back win for Simon and Sonya Lawlor, Omeo, for the Herefords Australia champion pen after taking the sash in 2022.

Their 35 April/May drop weaned steers were given the nod by judge Pat Cleary, Elders Cleary McDowell, Moss Vale, for their length, evenness, and temperament.

Gippsland steer finisher Graeme Osborne outlaid $1910 for the pen. Princess Royal feedlot, Burra, SA, paid $1910 for a pen of 32 Herefords offered by Peter and Christine Faithfull.

The couple went on to top the heifers with a pen of 23 Herefords making $2050 to Delaney Livestock and Property.

Pat Cleary was buying cattle for Willinga Park, an operation owned by entrepreneur Terry Snow, requiring 340-380kg steers to fit a grass-fed supermarket program. Mr Cleary purchased over 300 steers to average $1588 and at an estimated 410420c/kg.

Brendan and Tracey Ah Sam, Omeo, topped the Shorthorn/ Hereford heifers with a pen of 19 making $1930, after setting a record price of $2900 for females in 2022.

The family offered 111 April/May drop Hereford and Shorthorn/Herefords steers to $1870.

Alan and Noeline Smith, Omeo, topped the Shorthorn/ Hereford steers with a pen of 17 at $1880 to Graeme Osborne.

David Hill, Elders Omeo, quoted the middle run of steers at $1600-$1750 to predominantly Gippsland buyers with excellent feedlot support.

“With the top heifers over $2000, around two thirds returned to breeding programs and one third into grass programs,” Mr Hill said.

“Breeders were dominant on the heavier end of the heifers and the lot feeders ran out of weight.

“These events are not only good for the livestock producers from their income basis but also for these little communities with the catering, accommodation and hotels.

“Post-COVID it is really good to see these little communities back to normal.”

Anthony Delaney, Delaney Livestock and Property, Bunyip, is a return buyer for the Hereford temperament, weight gain and performance off grass.

“Different clients have different specifications with one in particular wanting the heavier end to go into some intensive fattening programs with irrigation and supplementary silage, while another client will grow out the cattle in the Yarra Valley,” Mr Delaney said.

“For that job we buy them small and grow them out over winter, spring and autumn next year.”

Mr Delaney was chasing steers weighing close to 400kg and sourced around 500 head out of the Mountain Calf Sales.

Among those buying cattle for grass fed programs was Marc Greening, Injemira Beef Genetics, Book Book, NSW, with over 300 steers.

“We were targeting the heavier end to give us a shorter turn over than what we normally do,” Mr Greening said.

“With the uncertainty of the season, it is an insurance policy to have cattle that won’t take as long to get to target weights.

“There were discerning buyers over the last two days – the sales of the better quality cattle made more money.

“Depending on the quality and past performance of the cattle we went up to $1850 for those high 300kg steers.”

Repeat restockers paid the top price for Hereford infused weaner heifers of $1412 at the 2023 annual George and Fuhrmann British breeds weaner sale in northern NSW.

Selling agents George and Fuhrmann Casino yarded a total of 1997 steers and heifers for the March 17 fixture at the Northern Rivers Livestock Exchange. Steers averaged 408c/kg and heifers 357c/kg.

Sponsored by Herefords Australia, the champion pen of steers was judged by Yuglibar manager Brett Ellem and presented to John and Maree Smith, Woodenbong, for a pen of European Union accredited steers averaging 341kg and returning $1341 or 393c/kg.

Jim, Jan, Jamie and Vanessa Smith, Townview, Urbenville, sold EU accredited Hereford steers weighing 322kg for 430c/kg or $1388 to Wickham Farms. Their draft of 177 steers topped at 354kg and averaged $1150 or 421c/kg.

George, Shirley and Karen Hardcastle, McPherson Herefords, Old Koreelah, topped the Hereford steer offering with a pen averaging 314kg, McPherson blood, and returning 442c/kg or $1389.

The family’s heifers sold to first-cross breeder Darryl Amos, Old Bonalbo, and destined for joining to Brahman bulls. The seconds made 402c/kg to Yulgilbar Station for their Santa GertrudisHereford program.

Paul and Marian McKey, Bundaleer, Woodenbong, topped the heifers with their pen weighing 282kg returning $1412 or 500c/kg selling to a Whiporie buyer while their brothers weighing 311kg sold for $1282 or 412c/kg.

Jim and Jan Smith sold a feature line of 230 Santa/Hereford cross weaners in the third leg of the weaner sales series at Casino on March 24. Their top pen of steers weighing 328kg returned 416c/ kg or $1367.

Jamie and Vanessa Smith, Upper Toolum, also sold a run of mixed sex, European Union accredited Santa/ Hereford weaners. The best of the lighter steers at 200kg made 500c/kg or $1000 while a 251kg pen made 480c/kg to return $1205. Their Santa/Hereford cross heifers topped at $1560.

The nation’s longest running regional multi-vendor bull sale, the 78th Glen Innes Hereford show and sale, will be held on Wednesday, July 26, 2023.

To be held at the Glen Innes saleyards, the show and sale is expected to draw a similar number of vendors as past years

Saturday 24th June 2023 @ 1pm

• 15 Hereford Bulls

• 14 Poll Hereford Bulls

• 10 Stud Heifers offering

All bulls are semen and pestivirus tested, vet checked and ultra-sound scanned.

An evening social function will be held at the New England Club on Tuesday, July 25 from 6.30pm for all vendors, buyers and visitors.

Cattle will be judged in the morning from 9am by Geoff Bush, Glenholme/Kirraweena Herefords, Cootamundra, NSW, with classes for junior, intermediate, and senior bulls, the champion pen of three, and champion truckload of six bulls.

Starting at 2.30pm, the sale will be interfaced with AuctionsPlus and auctioneer in the sale barn will be Lincoln McKinlay, Elders Stud Stock.

Glen Innes Hereford Bull Show and Sale Committee chairman Peter Weller said the sale has been changed to a one-day show and sale on a Wednesday this year.

“We are seeing a strong demand for Hereford and Hereford cross cattle, for their ability to fatten on grass and meet MSA specifications, which contributes well to any crossbreeding program,” Mr Weller said.

“Producers have a great opportunity to secure quality bulls at Glen Innes, with high-quality fertility, good temperament and weight for age.”

Last year’s sale topped at $26,000 for the grand champion, Willgoose Detour, offered by Phill and Lyle Yantsch, Willgoose Herefords, Toowoomba, Qld. A total of 47 bulls were cleared from the 57 offered to average $8915.

There was a 100 per cent clearance of nine PTIC females to a top of $7000 and average of $4750.

The catalogue will be online at www.herefordsaustralia. com.au or from Elders Glen Innes on 0267 397 300.

For Sale

45 Bulls

BULL SALE - Friday 21st July 2023

OPEN DAY - Thursday 22nd June 2023

SALE HELD ON-PROPERTY @ TYCOLAH BARRABA NSW

ContactBen 0419 832 270 or Steve 02 6783 2278 www.tycolah.com.au

By Kim Woods

Restockers chasing quality females and steer finishers sourcing the heavy end for grass fed branded programs kept the market buoyant for Hereford cattle at national store sales over the autumn.

Heavy grown pasture finished Hereford steers over 350kg liveweight finished the autumn sales season at $1430-$2714 or 325-590c/kg while yearling steers settled at $1400-$2060 or 319-434c/kg and feeder steers at $1400-$1762 or 333420c/kg.

Backgrounding purebred steers made $1400-$2080 or 416479c/kg, the heavier weaners weighing over 350kg sold for $1165-$1950 or 314-490c/kg, steers weighing 280-350kg made $936-$1830 or 325-584c/kg and the lighter weights $930-$1395 or 428-525c/kg.

In the females, weaner heifers over 300kg finished at $1210$1643 or 352-473c/kg, weaners under 300kg made $870$1620 or 340-587c/kg, and grown unjoined heifers sold for $1517-$3025 or 327-597c/kg.

Yearling heifers finished at $1120-$1610 or 308-456c/kg, background heifers at $1090 or 355c/kg.

Moving into the breeding females and PTIC heifers sold for $1720-$4000, heifers and calves for $2020-$3700, station mated heifers and calves, $2150-$2400, PTIC cows for $1800$2980, cows and calves $2025-$2740, PTIC cows and calves made $2750 and unjoined cows $2078.

In Victoria at the Creek Livestock Blue Ribbon Weaner Sale in January, Neville and David McClure, Mooree Partnership, Chetwynd, offered 450 Yarram Park and Glendan Park blood steers and 150 heifers. The purebred steers topped at $1560 or 448c/kg for a pen of 106 weighing 348kg. The heifers topped at $1275 for a pen of 73 weighing 294kg. W Richardson sold Hereford steer weaners weighing 349kg for $1570 or 449c/ kg while I Ross, Sandford, sold weaned steers, 363kg, nine to 10 months, for $1640 or 451c/kg.

At Pakenham female sale, Vearing and Davies sold a draft of unjoined grown Hereford heifers, with the top price pen weighing 506kg and aged two years, for $3025. M Armstrong sold heifers, 28 to 30 months, with calves for $3300 at the same sale.

Armstrong Evergreen, Yea, sold Yavenvale and Tarcombe blood heifers, 532kg and 20-22 months, and joined to a Yavenvale bull for $2720. G and D Comerford, Mansfield, sold PTIC cows, 752kg, Ravensdale and Morganvale blood, and six to seven years, for $2500.

At the Elders Yea 36th annual blue ribbon weaner sale, Armstrong Evergreen Pty Ltd sold steers, 10 months, Yavenvale and Tarcombe blood, 390kg, for $1900 or 487c/kg. J Hiscock and Sons sold Coolana and Glendaloch blood steers, 385kg, for $1890 or 490c/kg while I and P Ralston sold Tarcombe blood steers, nine to 10 months, 360kg, for $1690 or 469c/kg. G and M Aldridge sold Injemira and Wirruna blood steers, 310kg, EU and Greenhams Never Ever accredited, for $1640 or 529c/kg.

Phil and Kerry Geehman, Ensay, topped the Bairnsdale store sale on $2310 or 590c/kg for Hereford and Hereford/ Shorthorn steers, 354kg, bought by Nutrien Delaney Livestock and Property director Anthony Delaney. Their seconds weighing 354kg made $1940 or 548c/kg and bought by Colin Jones, Bill Wyndham & Co, Bairnsdale.

Tim Woodgate, Buchan, consigned a big run of 247 mixed sex, June-July 2022 drop Herefords to a top price of $1610 at Bairnsdale in March. His draft included 368kg steers at $1610 or 448c/kg, 347kg steers at $1330 or 383c/kg, 301kg heifers at $1210 or 401c/kg and 276kg heifers at $1100 or 398c/kg. G and S Moon Pastoral, Black Mountain, sold 81 Hereford steers and 48 heifers, JuneJuly 2022 drop, including a top pen of 304kg steers for $990 or 325c/kg and heifers weighing 256kg for $920 or 378c/kg at Bairnsdale.