NARACOORTE
Yarding: 1538
PTIC heifers to $2300
PTIC cows to $2320
Cows with calves to $2600
THREE magnificent dispersal lines, representing decades of breeding, pushed prices at the Naracoorte Angus Feature Female Sale to $2600 high, on Thursday last week.
The sale, conducted by independent agents, Spence Dix & Co and Pinkerton Palm Hamlyn & Steen, grossed $2.91 million.
Overall 1538 pregnancy-tested in calf females and cows with calves averaged $1894.
This was just down on the $1928 average of 2016 when 1470 females hit $2420.
In the breakdown this year, 1212 PTIC heifers topped at $2300 and averaged $1891, 255 PTIC cows topped at $2600 and averaged $1753 and 71 cows with calves topped at $2600 and averaged $2443.
The majority of the yarding, which featured some of the Angus breed’s top bloodlines, remained locally as South East graziers capitalised on the good season.
Thomas Foods International beef manager Petar Bond led the charge with 101 heifers for TFI Rural’s SE properties and another 167 for clients, the Cornish family, Colebatch.
Connor Pastoral, Tintinara, was another major buyer with 140 head.
Other buyers came from the Mid North, northern Vic and even King Island, Tas.
Banksia Ridge Holdings, Flaxley, claimed the sale’s $2600 top price honours with 16 September-October 2015 drop cows with two to three month old calves.
The consignment, which had been bought as heifers from noted SE herds, Wittalocka and Naweena, had Yalkuri blood Angus calves.
These cow-calf units were knocked down to PPH&S Millicent who also snapped up a second pen of 15 Banksia Ridge cows with calves for $2550.
It was the end of an era for Kim Herriot, Keith who dispersed his Bull Oak Well blood PTIC females, including the $2300 top priced heifers.
Mr Herriot sold his Illa-Long property in June with his cows with calves averaging $2400 average but found agistment for 101 March-April 2016 heifers for five months before the sale.
He said prices were “about the money” but factor in the cost of AI program.
“A good selling point was (AI sire) Rennylea Edmund E11 who is a proven low birthweight bull with high IMF but the costs were more
“You’d expect 60 per cent would be AI with the back up bulls in for eight weeks.”
He said it was a “peak time” to sell with strong livestock prices.
“I would have liked to kept farming for another five years but the difference between the right and wrong time could be half a million or more,” Mr Herriot said.
The exceptional draft of 152 May-June 2016 drop heifers from Doug and Di Ashby, South Taunta, Tintinara also turned plenty of heads.
South Taunta has been a closed herd for 15 years buying in only top end bulls from Pathfinder and Stoney Point’s bull sale catalogues.
This quality was evident in the first stage of their herd dispersal.
The Ashby’s best presented pen of 16 heifers were knocked down at $2280 to Artimore, Tintinara, through Spence Dix & Co.
“We are very happy the cattle have gone to good homes and dedicated breeders,” Mrs Ashby said.
“ It is pleasing to be going out with a fantastic season – the country is looking absolutely wonderful,” Mr Ashby said.
The Ashby’s mature herd of 370 PTIC cows plus 200 weaner heifers will be offered on AuctionsPlus on February 9.
Other volume sellers included M&S Alexander who sold 186 heifers to $2000 for a $1872 average and Delta Produce, Murray Bridge, whose 95 heifers topped at $2140, averaged $1892.
For the second year in a row, PW&KM Bryson, Keppoch, won the blue ribbon for the best presented PTIC cows.
The 19 2014 drop, EU accredited, Stoney Point blood females, due to calve from early February, were also the $2320 top priced PTIC cows.
Bryson’s 2013 drop females were also keenly sought making $1900 and $2000.
PPH&S director Richard Harvie described it as a “good day for both buyers and sellers.”
“The top end was on a par with where we thought it would be but the middle end of the heifers were $50 to $100 above expectations,” he said.
“It was not extreme but it was not cheap either for the quality.”
Mr Harvie said the overall yarding was “exceptional.”
“You don’t get the opportunity often to buy complete drops and the complete dispersals made it a real feature.”