Middle run of Naracoorte feature female sale exceeds expectations

An outstanding quality pen of pregnancy-tested-in-calf Angus-Hereford-Simmental heifers, due to calve from mid February, topped the sale at $2070.

The top end of the heifers made $1600 to $1800 but, there were plenty of females knocked down at $1100 to $1300, close to meat value.

The buying strength for the1558-head, which was only about half of the 2018 yarding, was the Mid and Lower South East with a few pens heading to Colac and Rainbow, Vic.

Pinkerton Palm Hamlyn & Steen’s Penola’s Ashley Braun says vendors still “got out of it pretty well”.

The middle run of heifers were $100 to $150 better than expected, with buyers recognising prices were likely to lift considerably when widespread rain occurred in the eastern states.

‘We were thinking a lot of the middle run would be down $1300 to $1400 but today they made $1400 to $1560,” he said.

“It has got to the point where you can step out of older cows for $1400 and step back into a heifer for $1500 so it is only a $100 changeover. 

“We could get to the point by winter when a dry heifer is making $1300 to $1400 to chop their heads off and today’s prices may seem very cheap,” he said.

Top price honours went to the Hann family, Nampara Pastoral Company, Penola, with a vendor bred pen of Angus-Simmental-Hereford heifers.

The nine head which made $2070 were bought by repeat buyers PJ&JM Coote through Thomas DeGaris & Clarkson Penola.

About half of the 244 heifers offered by Nampara were their own bloodlines, either bred by themselves or sourced from their bull clients.

The heifers which had a nine-week joining were in-calf to 19 bulls they will offer in the stud’s upcoming sale on February 12.

Mr Hann said he was happy with the draft averaging $1604, especially the tops making $90 more than 2018.

“We are mindful there is limited grass Australia wide and it is even starting to get limited locally so it was what we thought it would be,” he said.

“People seem to be getting as much for their calves this year as last year but there is more weight in them too.”

At the Mortlake yards on the same day Nampara sold another 63 PTIC females between $1710 and $1900.

Other notable sales included Engler Enterprises, Penola, which sold 45 rising two year old EU Angus heifers to $1780, av $1584.

Beniagh Pastoral, Penola, sold 46 Angus heifers for a $1547 average.

Springwood Station Pastoral, Wentworth, NSW, received $1660 for 17 PTIC Angus-Shorthorn heifers from its Padthaway property.

Another major heifer vendor, Williup, Hynam, received up to $1780 for its 169 Angus and Angus crosses joined to Stoney Point bulls.

Vendor Michael Mattei said he had also retained 100 Angus and Angus-Shorthorns to calve down.

“It was always going to be tough but we had good support from repeat buyers,” he said.

The stand-out line of PTIC Angus cows was the final stage dispersal from Weeroona Pastoral Company, Keith.

The highest priced pen – 2014 drop Roseleigh blood cows –  topped at $2000 to PPH&S Naracoorte, while the 74 cows averaged $1790.

Another nine cows and 10 calves from Weeroona made $1840.

Bellbouri Estate, Coonawarra, also dispersed its EU Poll Hereford herd with 59 PTIC cows topping at $1670 and averaged $1430.

The sale kicked off with a pen of 14 first calving Angus cows and their young calves from Beatons, Penola.

They made $1930 to PPH&S Millicent.

Elders auctioneer Ronnie Dix said there was a premium for EU females and vendor bred cattle.

The tops of the drafts sold equally as well as 2018 but he questioned how long some vendors would continue to earmark breeding females for the sale.

“They (Some vendors) go into the weaner sales and pay top money for their heifers and hold them for 12 months and join them up and nine times out of 10 their drys make more than their pregnant ones,” Mr Dix said.

“They can only do this for so long.”