JUST when it seemed store cattle prices could not get any hotter, they did at Muchea on September 24 when Nutrien Livestock yarded a record 3016 cattle in its fourth special sale at the venue since early July.
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On the back of a predominantly good season where local cattle are just starting to hit their straps and quality lines of pastoral cattle have been heading south for several months, the final number yarded was 200 more than advertised.
It was not just the number on hand that impressed, but the depth of quality throughout and buyers showed their appreciation with relentless bidding, resulting in a $3.888 million day.
Averages too sparked some wow factor at 454.13c/kg liveweight and $1293.31 a head across the entire penning with exporters, graziers, feedlotters and restockers all playing a hand.
The day's top prices were achieved for heifers offered by CGM Pty Ltd which had been running with Little Meadows Angus bulls for nine weeks, firstly for 14 Murray Grey at $2878 and 640c/kg, followed by 16 Angus sold for 650c/kg and $2825.
In summary, by sale end 956 steers had averaged 497.76c/kg or $1540.27 a head, 1392 mostly pastoral heifers averaged 422.71c/kg and $1172.32 and 668 bulls, again mostly young pastorals, averaged 449.40c/kg and $1190.73 a head.
AuctionsPlus also featured with 1494 catalogue views, 99 logins (51 users, 21 viewers and 27 guests) who lodged 100 online bids with three buyers, all WA-based, successful on 11 lots.
Local steers which headed the offering topped at $2397 (504c/kg) for a line of eight 476kg Charolais-Droughtmaster cross, offered by Wendy and Russell Clarke, Bernburra Farms, Donnybrook and bought by Jonno Green, Harvey Beef, who also secured a second line of 11 at 518c/kg and $2307.
Others in the Clarke's draft of 26 head went the way of Graham Brown, buying for South Australian feedlot Princess Royal at 480c/kg and $2294.
The top liveweight price in the category was 590c/kg ($1776) bid by Yanchep Sun City for 15 Angus weighing 301kg from RHG & BS Alp.
Active buyers in the category were B & M Waddell, Springfield Farms, Newdegate, which accumulated 35 head paying to 570c/kg for six weighing 333kg and $2277 for four 431kg Simmental cross from Mosterts Dairy, Keysbrook, part of its offering of 21 mostly Simmental-Angus cross steers, while RA Rogers sought out Humich Nominees' Angus, finishing with 45 head at up to $2136 (540c/kg) for a pen of 10.
Buyers from the Clark Investments Pty Ltd draft of 44 head included Kalgrains which paid to a top price of $2049 (520c/kg) for two Murray Grey and B & M Waddell, to $2169 (560c/kg) for 15 Angus.
The major vendor in the pastoral steer offering was Alastair and Kathryn Gordon, Cooralya station, Carnarvon, who offered 359 Droughtmaster steers that were a picture of health and sold accordingly.
Jamie Davies, Kalgrains, who paid to $1786 at 500c/kg for a top line of nine weighing 357kg, was the volume buyer finishing with 132 in total on his way to an overall sale tally of 201 head for ILE and 240 head, for Kalgrains.
The top liveweight price for the Cooralya cattle was 586c/kg ($1533) for 91 weighing 262kg, bid by Wongulla Park Pty Ltd, while GF & JWC Morgan secured 66 at $1658 (532c/kg) and Hyden-based ET Mouritz outlaid $1212 (524c/kg) for 42.
Outdoor Investment, Warroora station, Coral Bay, penned 178 Droughtmaster steers and saw them sell to a top price of $1886 (460c/kg) for five bought by Harvey Beef, while GF & JWC Morgan bought lines of 37 at $1639 (526c/kg) and 20 at $1687 (482c/kg).
Other volume vendors were Balfour Downs station, East Pilbara, which trucked 180 Droughtmaster-Brahman cross steers and these topped at $1504 (400c/kg) for five to CR & DJ Hebiton, $1499 (424c/kg) for 11 to GF & JWC Morgan and $1485 (400c/kg) for 14 to Central Stockcare.
Jimba Jimba station's offering of 79 Shorthorn steers were keenly sought by GF & JWC Morgan, including19 head at $1691 (476c/kg), Flemming Family Trust with eight at $1680 (420c/kg) and Harvey Beef $1514 (522c/kg) for 19 head.
Following on from the pastoral steers, the local heifer category was where the day's overall top price occurred with the $2878 (640c/kg) bid by Tara Grazing, for a line of 14 Murray Grey from CGM Pty Ltd which had been running with Little Meadows Angus bulls for nine weeks and a close second were 16 of its Angus sold for 650c/kg and $2825 to Liberty Charolais stud, Toodyay.
Humich Nominees' offering of 80 Angus appealed to Leasha Farms which bid to $1901 (504c/kg) for nine to finish with 47 in total, Central Stockcare outlaid $1718 (450c/kg) for five Simmental cross from Mosterts Dairy and $1727 (404c/kg) for four Angus from EA Dewar, Gingin, which also sold seven to Princess Royal for $1757 (440c/kg) and Highway Graziers bid $1725 (546c/kg) for Angus from RHG & BS Alp.
Pastoral heifers comprised the biggest section of the sale and saw values top at $1845 for Charbrays from Mount Florance station, Tom Price and 562c/kg for Santa Gertrudis from Killara station, Meekatharra.
Mount Florance station, Tom Price, forwarded 98 head with 56 in the 250 to 310kg weight range bought by Buckenara Pty Ltd, Bremer Bay, at up to $1649 and 548c/kg.
Killara station offered 191 head with the nine 562c/kg ($927) section toppers going to Lorne Chorley, while Windemere Farm bought 75 at $1297 (480c/kg) and ET Mouritz, Hyden, 23 at $1287 (420c/kg).
Lyndon Cattle Trust outlaid up to $1258 for 59 Droughtmaster heifers from Davis River Pastoral's Noreena station draft of 280 head and also went to $1259 in securing 84 Droughtmaster heifers from Warroora station.
The top price for Hamersley station, Tom Price, was $1459 for eight Droughtmaster heifers bought by Deep Well Trading and Murchison Downs sold 60 Hereford heifers to a top liveweight price of 466c/kg for 25 weighing 152kg bought by AJ & AF Milne.
Lines of young pastoral bulls completed the outstanding day's proceedings and these topped at $1812 (404c/kg) for seven weighing 449kg from Mount Florance's team of 22 Charbrays bought by Bassem Dabbah Livestock Exports (BDLE) and 594c/kg ($1040) for 18 Killara station Santa Gertrudis weighing 175kg, again bought by Lorne Chorley, from Killara's draft of 32.
Graham Brown, buying on behalf of BDLE to fill a late October shipment, accounted for 400 bulls in total including all of the Mount Florance and Warroora station lines which sold to a $1603 (406c/kg) top price.
He also made the biggest dent in the offering from volume vendor Balfour Downs station which yarded 403 Droughtmaster-Brahman cross bulls and sold to a top price of $1531 (408c/kg) for a line of 15, along with others from
C Harvey & Co and Landor station, which offered 69 and 51 head respectively.
