Armidale weaner sale kicks 20 to 30 cents a kilo for heifers; steers firm

Elders' Terry Williams, with Myles Williams, performed a father and son auction team, said prices for heavier steers held strongly and heifers kicked by an estimated 20 to 30 cents a kilo on previous sales.

Mr Williams said vendors from Guyra, Armidale, Walcha, Dorrigo, Uralla and Glen Innes had provided a high-quality yarding that generated plenty of interest in the region and across the border with Queensland buyers boosted by good falls of rain stepping up to the mark.

Before the sale, Mr Williams announced the prize-winning pens, judged by Killara feedlot's Mark Mulligan, who described the catalogue as a "magnificent run of calves with a very high standard" on show.

He announced that Richard and Prue Post, Glenavon Angus, Guyra entered the champion steer pen, while Michael and Sharon Vickery entered the champion heifers pen, a Charolais/Shorthorn cross.

The grand champion pen of the sale was from Michael and Anita Willcox, Dorrigo.

The Glenavon steers were among the first pens of the day, with another pen of 27. They averaged 335kg and made 404c/kg, selling for $1353 a head.

Glenavon then had a run of three pens, totalling 65 steers, averaging 313kg, making 430 cents a kilo and returning $1345.

The buyer was Peter Southwell, Southwell Grazing Company, Bingara, who was still on the road to the sale with his agent, Matt Hann, Davidson Cameron and Company, Moree, when the auctioneer knocked them down.

Mr Southwell said the steers would go onto pasture until crops of forage oats were ready to be grazed.

The Mills family, Mawarra Pastoral Company, Guyra, was the first pen off the rank. It had 17 Angus steers, averaging 379kg and making 380c/kg $1440. The buyer was Killara Feedlot.

The Spilsbury family partnership, Wiluna aggregation, Wandsworth between Tingha and Guyra, was another volume seller. Early in the sale, they offered a pen of 21 steers, sired by Eastern Plains bulls, averaging 347kg that sold for 396c/kg. Their next pen of 21, averaging 351kg, made 388c/kg, returning $1361.

Two pens of 23 and 24 steers, averaging 300kg and 301kg, sold for 416c/kg, returning $1248.

John Spilsbury said the weaner sale was an annual management practice for the partnership. However, this year, he said, the Wiluna property aggregation was on the market to be sold as a walk-in-walk-out concern.

Steers in the up to 200kg weight range sold between 320c/kg and 468c/kg, averaging 408.8c/kg for 80 heads. They averaged $738 and topped out at $805.

In the 200 to 280kg range, 396 head averaged 385c.kg topping at 448c/kg. They averaged $969, topping at $1162.

The largest representation of steers was 600 in the 230 to 330kg section. These ranged in price from 220c/kg to 430c/kg, averaging 393.6c/kg. They averaged $1197 and topped out at $1351.

Heavier weaner steers in the 330 to 400kg section were priced from 310c/kg to 404c/kg, averaging 382c/kg for 469 head. In dollar terms averaging $1368, for a top of $1462.

After the sale, Mr Williams said the strongest performer was the heifer portion, with an estimated price lift of 20c/kg to 30c/kg.

In the 200 to 280kg section, 521 head were priced between 240c/kg and 342c/kg, averaging 320c/kg. The heifers in this weight range averaged almost $801, topping out at $923.

Heifers weighing between 280 and 330kg topped at 348c/kg, averaging 317.9c/kg, for a $963 average and topping at $1096.

John and Julie Newsome, Glen Innes, offered good pens of Wattletop and Dulverton mixed-sex weaners. A pen of 26 heifers, averaging 297kg, made 328c/kg and returned $974.

Spilsbury Partnership sold 18 heifers, averaging 304kg and making 320c/kg, while another pen of 28, averaging 272kg made 326c/kg.

Rod Schultz, Westerlea, Black Mountain was looking for good steer pens, with an order of 60 needed for backgrounding on improved pasture to be turned off for the feedlot market at 450kg.

Mr Schultz said that while the season on the Northern Tablelands had been 'patchy,' his property was enjoying prime conditions. He bought a pen of 11 Angus cross steers in his consignment, averaging 188kg for 358c/kg. CE Brennan, Enmore, Uralla offered the steers.

Also seeking restockers, but in smaller numbers, was Peter McCorriston, Lagoon Homestead, Saumarez, who 'tree-changed' from Melbourne to Armidale to fulfil an ambition to farm. He bought a pen of 11 Angus steers, offered by M and R Jackson, Guyra, averaging 242kg and made 448c/kg.

He said he bought the steers as replacements for older steers that he was about to market.

Buyers included BJA Stock and Station Agents, Inverell with a total order of almost 500 head, Elders Brisbane, Queensland, with about 220 head; Killara Feedlot with almost 140 head; Nutrien Roma, Qld, 67; Nutrien Wandoan, Ald, 99; Ray White Livestock, Armidale/Guyra with 82, Ray White Rural, Tara, Qld, 128; Teys Condamine, Qld, 105; Parraway Pastoral Co, 90; Nutrien Boulton's Walcha, 94; and GDL Toowoomba, Qld, 66.