Narelle and Peter Clout, Coolac, with Reiland co-principal Mark Lucas after the sale of Reiland’s PTIC spring calving heifers and their calves for a new AuctionsPlus record of $4800. Photo Kim Woods
A new AuctionsPlus record for commercial Angus heifers and calves of $4800 was set at the Reiland Premier Angus Breeder Sale at Gundagai on Friday.
Selling agents Nutrien Livestock and Elders yarded 664 head in the fixture which was interfaced with AuctionsPlus.
In the sale break down, weaned heifers averaged $1679 and topped at $1910, PTIC autumn calving heifers averaged $3053 and topped at $3300, cows and calves averaged $3447 and topped at $3600, PTIC heifers and calves averaged $3948 and topped at $4800, and PTIC spring calving heifers averaged $2623 and topped at $3600.
The entire yarding averaged $2715 and grossed $1.8 million.
Buyers jockeyed to bid on the “front paddock cattle”, with females going into new herds at Tumut, Gundagai, Goulburn, Jingellic, Tarcutta, Cooma, Crookwell and Cootamundra.
The red-hot restocker competition pushed prices skywards to achieve a new AuctionsPlus record of $4800 for commercial Angus heifers and calves for the Reiland stud.
The stud’s offering of a pen of 10 heifers, 505kg and PTIC for a spring joining, with spring drop calves averaging 215kg, caught the attention of top price buyers Peter and Narelle Clout, Coolac.
Mr and Mrs Clout have run Angus cattle for about 20 years but reduced numbers during the drought and are now restocking.
“We paid $3200 at Yass in August but these heifers are much younger and I know the Lucas family,” Mr Clout said.
He had expected the price ceiling to be around $3800.
“Those calves are worth $1500-$1600 and the heifers are due to calve in spring so we will get a return fairly quickly.
“We sold 180kg calves in Wagga about three weeks ago for 775c/kg.”
Reiland Angus also topped the PTIC spring calving heifers with Grant Simpson, Braidwood, outlaying $3600 on behalf of his wife Roslyn for 13 heifers, 29-30 months and weighing 566kg.
Grant Simpson, Dowlings Hill, Braidwood, was buying for his wife Roslyn and outlaid $3600 for 13 Reiland PTIC spring calving heifers, 29-30 months and weighing 566kg.Reiland Angus topped the PTIC autumn calving heifers, 20-23 months and 566kg, to AuctionsPlus.
Houston Pastoral, Burrowye, Vic, topped the run of weaned heifers with a pen of 20, aged 11 to 12 months and 394kg, making $1910 or 484c/kg.
Paragon Pastoral, Gundagai, topped the heifers on a cents per kilogram basis at 604c/kg for a pen of 27, aged 9-10 months and weighing 271kg.
Reiland co-principal Mark Lucas said normally many of the heifers offered would have been sold into an export market.
“It is important to retain our best cattle genetics within Australia – the season has allowed us to do that this year, rather than looking at exports to China, Russia and other destinations,” Mr Lucas said.
“We have been able to maximise the value out of their genetic potential for other cattle producers.
“The strong older cow prices of $1750-$2200 are underpinning the prices today for the PTIC heifers with people putting in another $600-$700 to buy a quality young cow.
“I’m thrilled for the Reiland clients to have received some of the prices in what we are seeing in the industry, and congratulate them in presenting the cattle in such a manner today.”
Rob Stubbs, Elders Tumut, said restockers from the local districts and the Monaro were strong on the autumn and spring calving heifers.
“It was right up on the money where we thought it would be with a magnificent yarding of cattle,” he said.
“A lot of people like to see the security of that calf alongside the cows, and that’s where they paid the premium.
“People are still rebuilding and willing to pay the right money for the right genetics.”
Jen Dumbrell, Tumut, outlaid $1680 for weaned Reiland Angus heifers, 11-12 months and 356kg, on behalf of her mother Evonne Salmon.
“We are introducing some Reiland blood into the herd and we were happy with what we paid today,” she said.
“Overall, it was a very good quality sale – these heifers will be joined in June/July.”
Elders Tumut auctioneer Nick Gilvarry described the run of 397 PTIC spring calving heifers as the best seen this season.
“There was a tremendous line up of autumn drop weaners and there was a lot of value in them today as future breeders,” Mr Gilvarry said.
“They topped at $1910 and were from the Houston family as one of the first offerings of females out of Burrowye Station for many years.”
Zoe McFarlane, AuctionsPlus, confirmed the new record on the platform and said there were 3000 catalogue views for the entire sale.
“We had 163 people connect and secure seven lots online, and they made 42 bids online for the whole sale,” she said.
Going into the sale, vendor Anthony Nicholls, “Dundee” Gundagai, had expected his PTIC heifers to make $2000 plus.
The autumn calving heifers sold to $3150 while the spring calving pens sold to $2600.
“We joined all the heifers last year to give us the flexibility to take PTIC heifers to market,” Mr Nicholls said.
“I didn’t know what to do with them, whether to sell them on AuctionsPlus but the Reiland sale gave us the opportunity to sell good quality genetics.”
Vendor Jo-Ann Strong, Tiana Park, Jugiong, sold PTIC spring calving heifers to a top of $2300.
“I AI all my heifers and this sale was a great opportunity as we have been very much part of the Reiland breeding program for 30 years,” she said.
Matthew and Janice Reynolds, Mount Hugel, Adelong, sold 24 PTIC spring calving heifers to Peaty Pastoral, Breadalbane, for $3000.
“The market is just so good at the moment and I was hoping to get $2500 so anything extra was a bonus,” Mr Reynolds said.
-Kim Woods
ends
Quotes:
Coolong Pastoral Co, Hay: 16 NSM cows, 783kg, and calves, 145kg, $3600; 20 NSM heifers, 601kg, and 21 calves, 134kg, $3900
Reiland Angus, Tumut: 10 heifers, PTIC spring calving, 505kg, with calves, 215kg, $4800; 13, PTIC autumn calving heifers, 20-23 months, 566kg, $3300; 13 PTIC spring calving heifers, 29-30 months, 566kg, $3600; 16 PTIC spring calving heifers, 16-17 months, 456kg, $2650; 15 weaned heifers, 11-12 months, 356kg, $1680 (471c/kg)
PM Reynolds, Adelong: 5 station mated cows, first and second calvers, 520kg, with calves, 148kg, $2850
A & F Nicholls, Gundagai: 24 PTIC autumn calving heifers, 20-21 months, 558kg, $3150; 24 PTIC spring calving heifers, 18-19 months, 506kg, $2600
Proudford Agricultural Co, Rugby: 13 PTIC spring calving heifers, 30-31 months, 604kg, $2650; 14 PTIC spring calving heifers, 18-19 months, $2550
Mount Hugel Pastoral, Adelong: 24 PTIC spring calving heifers, 19-20 months, 516kg, $3000
T & S de Lange, Eugowra: 12 AI PTIC spring calving heifers, 17-18 months, 484kg, $2500
Tiana Park Pastoral Co, Jugiong: 13 PTIC spring calving heifers, 18-19 months, 468kg, $2300
Wee Jasper Grazing, Wee Jasper: 20 PTIC spring calving heifers, 17-18 months, 476kg, $2850
Wokolena Pastoral, Uranquinty: 32 PTIC spring calving heifers, 17-18 months, $2500
Jenni Stephenson, Wagga Wagga: 20 PTIC spring calving heifers, 17-18 months, $2550
Coorumbene Pastoral, Adelong: 15 PTIC spring calving heifers, 18-19 months, $2200
J & D Swaisland, Tumut: 10 PTIC spring calving heifers, 17-18 months, $2500
Houston Pastoral Co, Burrowye: 20 weaned heifers, 11-12 months, 394kg, $1910 (484c/kg)
Parragon Pastoral, Gundagai: 12 weaned heifers, 7-8 months, 250kg, $1510 (604c/kg)