Quality, larger lines of cattle sell well at Strathalbyn feature sale

Broadbent Ag, Macclesfield, was a star performer in the 950-head yarding with both their steers and heifers, which were light, restocker-types.

Their highest price of $7.46 a kilogram went to a lighter pen of vendor-bred Glenfern-blood Angus steers - 18 March/April-drops weighing 256kg, which attracted $1910 a head.

Their heavier steers reached $2010/hd - 14 March/April-drops weighing 325kg which made $6.19/kg, while another 20 steers of the same weighing 278kg made $1950 or $7.01/kg.

The dollars/kg sale-topping heifers from Broadbent Ag were 19 March/April-drops weighing 236kg, which made $1650 or $6.99/kg, while their heavier pen of 16 at 267kg made $1820 or $6.82/kg.

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The highest dollars/kg steers of the sale went to a very young line of mixed sex Angus weaners from Ferntree Props, Parawa. The 13 July/August-drops weighing 133kg made $1050 or $7.89/kg, while their 13 sisters at 127kg made $810 or $6.38/kg.

Also making good steers money were Lorndan Nominees, Gumeracha, whose 10 lighter March/April-drop Barossa Black Angus weighing 253kg made $1870 or $7.39/kg, while their 19 brothers at 334kg made $2080 or $6.23/kg.

Topping the steer section on a per/hd basis was BD&CA Hughes, Highbury, at $2410 for 13 August/September-drop Angus weighing 432kg, equating to $5.58/kg, while another 13 at 432kg made $2310 or $5.35/kg.

R Palma & Sons, Hahndorf, also sold well with 12 February/March-drop Angus, 403kg, reaching $2400 or $5.96/kg, while a second pen of 12 at 344kg made $2070 or $5.87/kg.

RD&LP&D Howard, Penneshaw, KI, sold vendor-bred steers to $7.60/kg for 21 June/July-drop Murray Greys weighing 225kg, which sold for $1710, another 21 Murray Grey/Angus weighing 240kg made $1770 or $7.38/kg, while 19 Angus and Murray Greys weighing 269kg sold at $1830 or $6.80/kg.

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In the middle-weight section, Back Valley Beef sold 10 vendor-bred, yard weaned 281kg March/April-drop Lancaster-bld Angus steers at $1890 or $6.73/kg, while a second pen of 12 at 330kg made $2030 or $6.15/kg and another seven at 346kg made $2040 or $5.90/kg.

Topping the heifer section on a per/hd basis was Geoff Bowles, Mount Compass, who said $2140 was the best price he had ever received for heifers.

The eight vendor-bred March/April-drop Lancaster-bld Angus/Simmentals, weighing 353kg, equated to $6.06/kg, while another six Angus/Shorthorns at 295kg made $1810 of $6.14/kg.

Only one pen of six PTIC six-year-old Angus was offered, making $2960 for a pleased JW&AF Cabot, Yallunda Flat, EP. The cows were in-calf to Illa-Langi Angus bulls.

Nutrien Strathalbyn's Bradley Walker said overall, he thought feedlot cattle were slightly back, possibly 5-10c on the previous market.

He said a lot of heavy weight cattle were on offer, "perfect for feedlotters", but also a lot of light weight cattle, "perfect for the restockers".

"We didn't have a heap in between," he said.

"The same buyers returned from the pre-Christmas sale - 3-4 regular feedlotters, plus some local interest to pick up those lighter cattle.

"Today highlighted that where a nice, even line of black cattle was offered, there was a spike in the market, whereas the coloured or smaller, odds and ends pens didn't really attract the same demand."

Elders auctioneer Brett Peters thought heavier steers were back 20-30c, but "were still steady".

"Feeder steer calves were also softer than the previous sale, being back 30c/kg, with quality lines of well-bred calves faring better to be only 10-20c/kg back," he said.

Mr Peters said quality well-bred lines of heifers commanded strong bidding to be fully firm on previous sales.

"Mixed lines and secondary types were back 20-30c/kg but still returned strong results for vendors," he said.

The next Strathalbyn store sale is on January 21.