The forecast last week for wet and windy weather across Victoria was of limited distraction for a determined crowd at Warrnambool’s annual F1 beef female cattle sale on Wednesday.
With heavy rainfall recorded overnight and on the morning of the sale a consistent and evenly priced market unfolded as feature lines of February-calving first-calf heifers, pregnancy-tested in calf (PTIC) made $2400 to $2800 a head and heifers, with young calves at foot, made $2500 to $3200 per outfit.
J&J Kelly principal Jack Kelly said the wet forecast allowed potential buyers the opportunity to leave their farms without the fear of a fire emergency.
“It’s been several years since this has occurred and it made for a very consistent markets,” Mr Kelly said.
“It has also highlights the general lack of beef breeder numbers.”
Heading a strong list of sales results were Harrow couple and regular consignors since 2002, Ryan and Suse McClure. They sold to $2800, average $2662 a head a draft of 31 Angus/Friesian-cross heifers, aged 2 to 2.5 years, PTIC and calving for six weeks to low birth weight Limousin bulls.
The market’s volume seller was Warrnambool stock agent, Dan Carey who sold from his Warrumyea Rise property 94 Angus-Friesian heifers, aged 2.5 to 3 years, calving for eight weeks to pure French Limousin bulls. These made to $2500 and averaged $2105 a head while 50 head of Mr Carey’s Hereford Friesian heifers, joined as above made to $2400, and averaged $2147.
An unusual but special feature of the sale was a line of calved heifers especially prepared in the north of the state at Benalla.
Offered by Mindarra Park, Mokoan, these made the market top of $3200 for a yard of five Angus-Friesian while the remaining balance of 55 Angus- and Hereford-Friesian made $2500 to $2700 and appeared good buying on the day.
Brian O’Halloran auctioneer Anthony Mahoney said that in the case of unjoined heifers, which general made $1400-$1550 a head for heifers aged 12-16 months, prices were perhaps better than most had expected.
“We know there were many potential buyers who went home empty-handed from the sale,” Mr Mahony said. “It is indicative of the cattle supply in general... there are not the cattle for sale in the system to satisfy the demand.”
By far the sale’s principal buyer was Portland-based agent Michael Golby, South West Farmers.
Buying lots for numerous nominated clients Mr Golby gathered 150 joined heifers, 25 calved heifers and 100 unjoined heifers.
“Prices were both realistic and relative to current slaughter market returns,” Mr Golby said.
“We’ve had many clients who have sold vealers for an average of $1500 a head, and culled cows for $1500- $2000.
“Although it’s a niche market the production of milk-fed vealers for many years has only been ‘subsistence farming’ but now there are good rewards which is reflective of the beef industry in general.”