STRATHALBYN
Yarding: 1000
Steers to $1025
Heifers to $820
Cows with CAF $1100
CATTLE prices at Strathalbyn remained on-par with rates across the state on Friday, with dry conditions impacting the weight of cattle, along with vendor returns.
About 1000 head were yarded, with cattle coming from from the Adelaide Hills, Kangaroo Island and the northern pastoral region.
A single Angus-cross steer from LH Hoffrichter, Macclesfield, made the top price per head for the sale, selling for $1150.
R Johnson, Ashbourne, sold a pen of four Angus steers for $1020, while CCP No 3, Woodside, offered a pen of five Hereford steers, which sold for $1060.
Elders Strathalbyn branch manager Danny Reynolds said the sale was “very much a buyer’s market”, as the continuing dry conditions along with the lack of water and hay had taken a heavy toll on cattle prices.
“Having said that, prices for steers were generally a tad dearer than expectation, with the general run of steers averaging around $2.75 a kilogram,” he said.
Mr Reynolds said the sale was based around the large supply of cattle from the Michael Family, Partacoona, via Hawker, with a mixture of Poll Herefords and black baldys.
“The lighter runs of the Partacoona steers sold for $3.05/kg to $3.20/kg, with the West Creek, Langhorne Creek, steers topping at $3.30/kg, for a very fresh line of quality blacks.”
Also in the steer section, PB&BD Price, Inman Valley, sold 14 April/May 2017-drop Simmental-Charolais steers for $870, while their second pen of seven sold for $800.
West Creek, yarded 20 April/May 2017-drop Stoney Point-blood Angus steers that sold for $860, with a second pen of 15 selling for $750 a head.
Clover Ridge Props, Ashbourne, received $875/hd for a pen of seven Angus steers, while M McCullum, Milang, sold 10 Angus-croses for $860/hd.
Landmark Strathalbyn auctioneer Bradley Walker said the cattle yarded were lighter in weight being later drop calves, and had felt the impact of the drier conditions.
“Because they were lighter weight calves, we didn’t have much in the feedlot weight. We were relying on a lot of the cattle to go back out to paddocks because of their weight,” he said.
“Other markets have also been yarding a lot of cattle which implies people are looking to cut numbers to reduce costs and pressure on their properties.”
In the heifer section, M McCullum yarded 20 July/August-drop Angus-crosses which sold for $820, while R Johnson offered five Angus heifers that also sold for $820.
PK Mattner & Co, Ki Ki, sold 12, 12 to 14-month-old Shorthorns for $750, while West Creek sold 19 August/September Stoney Point-bld Angus heifers, for $690.
Clover Ridge Props yarded 5 Angus that sold for $670 along with Duxton Farms, Carrickalinga, who sold three July/August-drop Angus also for $670.
Clayton Pastoral, Milang, sold seven heifers with calves at-foot foot $1100.