SALE SUMMARY
- Yearling steers: 186-274c/kg ($1068-$1255)
- Weaner steers: 200-296c/kg ($456-$1087)
- Yearling heifers: 206-234c/kg ($742-$1104)
- Weaner heifers: 120-254c/kg ($268-$980)
Despite there being only a small gallery of buyers in attendance at last week's Nutrien Livestock Muchea store cattle sale, there were still enough to ensure the 1165 steers and heifers that went under the hammer found new homes.
The yarding, which was made up of only local steers and heifers, was purchased by graziers and lotfeeders from not only the local region, but also the South West and Mid West, who operated in the main through agents and commission buyers.
There were also three buyers operating on AuctionsPlus, which added competition, placing 56 online bids across 17 lots.
All up, 592 steers sold for an average of 266c/kg and $726.
This was back from the 274c/kg and $841 averaged last sale.
Steers weighing more than 350 kilograms sold from 186-278 cents per kilogram to top at $1255, while steers weighing 300-350kg sold at 278-288c/kg.
Steers at 250-300kg made 234-296c/kg and those less than 250kg sold from 200-276c/kg.
The heifer offering saw 573 head sold for an average of 200c/kg and $584, which was up from the 192c/kg and $583 average last month.
Heifers weighing more than 300kg sold from 206-254c/kg to top at $1104, while heifers weighing between 250-300kg made 120-200c/kg and drafts less than 250kg sold at 120-182c/kg.
The sale kicked-off with a good run of black steers and prices hit a sale high of $1255 for the second pen sold.
Recording the top price were eight Angus yearling steers weighing 483kg from KLK Farm Pty Ltd, Moora, selling to Harvey Beef at 260c/kg.
Harvey Beef also picked up two other pens of Angus yearlings from the Moora enterprise, paying 260c/kg and $1253 for eight weighing 482kg and 274c/kg and $1176 for six averaging 429kg.
The best price for Angus weaner steers was $996 achieved by 17 weighing 358kg from BA Nangetty Enterprise, Mingenew, when Nutrien Livestock, pastoral agent Shane Flemming bought the pen for Kalgrains, Wannamal, at 278c/kg.
Another pen of 18 Angus steers weighing 324kg from BA Nangetty also went to the Kalgrains account at 280c/kg and $906.
Mt Gerizim Farms Pty Ltd, Dandaragan, was a major vendor in the Angus steer run selling 23 pens (346 head) weighing between 198-312kg.
Kalgrains picked up Mt Gerizim Farms' top-priced pen at $897 when it secured 10 steers weighing 312kg at 288c/kg.
Nutrien Livestock, pastoral agent Roger Leeds purchased four pens (60 head) of Mt Gerizim Farms steers weighing between 274-282kg, including the 296c/kg top cents per kilogram steer pen - which contained 15 steers averaging 274kg to cost $812.
Trandos Beef, purchasing through Mr Flemming secured three pens (40 head), of Dandaragan steers weighing 253kg for between 274-290c/kg, while Nutrien Livestock, Boyup Brook agent Jamie Abbs buying for a Great Southern producer bought six pens (100 head) weighing from 215-236kg at 252-276c/kg to cost between $541-$645.
Power Feedlot Trust, Geraldton, also snapped up four pens (60 head) weighing 198-216kg from Mt Gerizim Farms for 250-256c/kg and $507-$552.
Tebco Enterprise Pty Ltd, Dongara, also offered multiple pens of Angus steers and its best returns were $917 for five steers weighing 323kg and $834 for seven averaging 300kg which both sold to Kalgrains.
In the mixed breed steers, KLK Farm Pty Ltd again sold the top priced pens, with Harvey Beef also the buyer.
It sold seven Murray Grey cross weighing 489kg at 240c/kg and $1173, as well as five Murray Grey cross averaging 431kg at 248c/kg and $1068.
York-based A & J Bennett was also among the better prices, achieving $1087 for six Charolais weighing 397kg when they were knocked down to Harvey Beef at 274c/kg and $980 for eight Charolais averaging 358kg, purchased by Cowla Pastoral Co at 274c/kg.
Like in the steer pens, Angus heifers made up the majority of the heifer run and in the early pens there were some very well-bred lines suitable for future breeders and they were chased by buyers to lift prices on last month's sale.
After topping the steer offering, KLK Farm Pty Ltd took the top price double when it also sold the $1104 top-priced pen of heifers.
The pen of three Angus heifers weighing 484kg were purchased at 228c/kg by CR & DJ Hebiton, which also picked up another six Angus heifers averaging 419kg from the same vendor at 234c/kg and $980.
Kaloom Pastoral, Gidgegannup, also secured two pens of Angus heifers from the KLK Farm account - bidding to 228c/kg for six weighing 468kg and 234c/kg for eight averaging 427kg to cost $1067 and $1000 respectively.
GP Mackie & Co, New Norcia, offered 11 pens (140 head) of Angus heifers weighing between 324-422kg early in the heifer run and they sold between 232-254c/kg.
The line topped at $979 for five weighing 422kg which sold at 232c/kg to Nutrien Livestock, Midlands representative Leno Vigolo.
Mr Vigolo also purchased a second pen of 12 Mackie heifers weighing 377kg at 252c/kg and $950.
Mr Abbs purchasing for his Great Southern client was the volume buyer of the Mackie heifers, securing eight pens.
His purchases included the 254c/kg top cents per kilogram pen in the heifer run - which contained 15 heifers weighing 374kg.
After being the volume vendor in the steer run, Mt Gerizim Farms again contributed numbers to the heifer offering when it sold 13 pens (180 head) of Angus heifers in the 192-275kg weight range for between 140-166c/kg to return between $268-$457.
Mr Abbs secured Mt Gerizim Farms' top price pen at $457 bidding to 166c/kg for 11 weighing 275kg, while Allen Bentham, WA Livestock Agency, purchased six pens of the Mt Gerizim Farms heifers for between 140-156c/kg and $268-$389.
Power Feedlot Trust also picked up multiple pens of Mt Gerizim Farms' heifers securing four pens at 150- 158c/kg to cost $320-$366.
BA Nangetty Enterprises and Tebco Enterprise Pty Ltd also offered multiple pens of Angus heifers.
The Nagetty offering topped at $789 for a pen of 10 weighing 346kg that were purchased at 228c/kg by an AuctionsPlus buyer, while the Tebco run peaked at $635 for six weighing 303kg when they were knocked down to Harvey Beef at 210c/kg.
In the mixed breed heifer offering KLK Farm again topped the prices achieving $1004 for six Murray Grey cross weighing 469kg which sold at 214c/kg to Shawshack Farm.
KLK Farm also sold seven Murray Grey cross averaging 422kg at 220c/kg to Borrello to cost it $928.
Wheller Plains sold two pens of six Murray Grey heifers, Borrello picked up one pen weighing 366kg at 230c/kg and $842, while Mr Abbs secured the other which weighed 306kg at 218c/kg and $667.