Barry Newcomen, Ensay, topped the Ensay sale with steers at $1220 and heifers at $1070.
Hereford heifers stole the limelight at the Ensay Weaner Sale as prices level pegged with the steers and topped at $1070.
Bidding stepped up a gear on the second day of the 79th annual Mountain Calf Sales to push prices up by $120 for autumn drop steers and $105 for heifers on the opening day at Benambra.
The Ensay sale featured two live export buyers going head to head with restockers on the heifers for breeding programs.
Selling agents Elders yarded 1300 Hereford and Hereford-cross weaner steers and heifers for the sale on March 13.
Buyers came from Bairnsdale, Leongatha, Romsey, Warragul, Korumburra, Foster, Myrtleford, King Island, Albury-Wodonga and Wagga,
Elders Bairnsdale livestock manager Morgan Davies said the yarding was 150 head up on last year despite many local vendors electing to sell cattle earlier.
“The heifer job was special – you don’t normally see two major buyers going competitively and this helps the average for sure,’’ Mr Davies said.
He quoted the heavier end at 300c/kg, the middle run at 260-285c/kg and the lighter end of the steers at 240c/kg.
“We were all spoilt in previous years but we are pushing together on this tough season, and we had great buying support today from King Island, South Gippsland, Romsey and a couple of major commission buyers.’’
Hereford steers sold for $400-$970, with the EU pens returning $490-$970.
Shorthorn-Hereford cross steers finished at $580-$1220 and the EU pens settling at $675-$1220.
In the heifer pens, Hereford females sold for $410-$1070 – a jump of $105 on the Benambra sale the previous day. Shorthorn-Hereford females sold for $610-$1030.
Ringing the bell with the overall top price of the sale of $1220 was Barry and Topsy Newcomen, Ensay.
Their pen of European Union accredited, Newcomen blood Shorthorn-Hereford cross steers sold to repeat clients Arthur and Jennie Angliss, Romsey.
Herefords Australia chairman Bill Kee with vendor Reece Newcomen, Ensay, farm hand Daniel Mills, and Herefords Australia general manager Andrew Donoghue with the champion pen.
The March-April drop steers had a green weight of 415kg to give an estimated liveweight price of 309c/kg.
The couple’s red roan seconds made $1070 and the thirds $970 – all up they offered 106 steers and 73 heifers.
Weaned in December, the calves had been finished on cubes, silage and Anipro.
“The cost of feeding in the last two years has been horrendous – if it doesn’t rain this autumn the whole of eastern Australia will be in real trouble,’’ Mr Newcomen said.
The couple also sold the top price heifers, a pen of 21, EU accredited Herefords for $1070 to commission buyer Andrew Lowe.
“The heifer prices today were fantastic and that will push our averages right up there,” Mr Newcomen said.
Topping the purebred pens at $970 was Chris and Jane Lloyd, Ensay, with 16 Newcomen and Injemira blood steers, April-May 2018 drop, and selling to King Island.
Coles national livestock manager (beef) Stephen Rennie judged the Herefords Australia champion pen, awarding the sash to Reece and Wendy Newcomen, Ensay.
The line of 62 April-May drop Newcomen blood steers were EU accredited and sold for $840 to Alastair Nelson, YC Feeding Company, Colac, for a 100 day grainfed program.
“These calves were fed on their mothers through the winter on hay and cubes, and we stopped feeding in September,’’ Mr Newcomen said.
He offered 118 steers and 32 heifers, with weights down 10-20kg on last year.
“The first pen of heifers made $1030 which was up over $100 on last year – normally they are a couple of hundred dollars behind the steers and this time it was a couple of hundred in front,’’ Mr Newcomen said.
“The sale went okay, we were all hoping for a bit more (for steers) but that is the market conditions we are in at the moment, and we are happy to see them go.’’
Stephen Rennie said the early maturity and grass finishing attributes of Herefords fitted well with the Coles Graze grassfed beef program.
But, he said, later maturing Herefords were not meeting the carcase weight specifications of 310kg.
“We are finding suitable lines of Hereford cattle to fit our programs and as an outcross, Herefords have a lot to offer to soften cattle in northern markets, enabling them to fatten on grass a lot better,’’ Mr Rennie said.
“We want high 400 day growth cattle to finish at our weight and age (specs).’’
Mr Rennie expects processing numbers to be severely affected by the drought going forward.
“We are here today to have a look at whose buying the cattle, where they are going and what they are making,’’ he said.
“We are also interested in the breeding of the cattle – over 30 years I’ve seen the change from horned and unweaned cattle to dehorned and properly weaned.’’
One of the biggest volume vendors on the day were Evan and Dot Newcomen, Ensay, with 241 April-May drop steers and 73 heifers.
Their top pen made $1200 to Arthur Angliss, Romsey, with the seconds making $910, and thirds $800.
Topping at $1260 last year, Evan had lowered his expectations by $200 per head due to lack of feed and water – he had averaged $1200 for cull cows recently sold over the hooks.
Returning to the sale after several years absence was Phil “Bluey” Commins, Nunniong Herefords, Ensay, with a draft of 76 August/September drop steers and 17 heifers.
The calves had been weaned for a week onto silage with the best of the heifers estimated at 260kg and the steers 270-280kg.
Mr Commins said the third dry year in a row had necessitated the early turn-off of calves.
“This is worst than the 1998 drought – the bull selling season will be tough but in saying that, a few buyers are keen,’’ he said.
Mr Commins has rounded down his expectations on bull clearance rates.
“We need rain between now and May otherwise I will be culling the commercial cows pretty hard – I’ve already started culling stud cows.’’
Top quotes
Steers
B & Newcomen: 20, Shorthorn-Hereford, EU, Newcomen blood, 415kg (green weight), $1220
E & D Newcomen: 20, Shorthorn-Hereford, EU, Newcomen blood, $1200
C & J Lloyd: 16, Herefords, EU, Newcomen and Injemira blood, $970
R & W Newcomen: 18, Herefords, Newcomen blood, EU, $870
G T Farmer: 20, Herefords, Mawarra blood, $870
K & T Woodgate: 10, Herefords, $800
W C McCole: 8, Herefords, Karoonda Park blood, $770
P R Fraser: 20, Herefords, EU, Newcomen and Dunoon blood, $770
P Commins: 10, Herefords, Nunniong blood, $640
M Marshall: 11, Herefords, Newcomen blood, $620
Heifers
B & A Newcomen: 21, Herefords, EU, $1070
R & W Newcomen: 18, Herefords, EU, $1030
E & D Newcomen: 15, Shorthorn-Herefords, EU, $1030
J & S Gray: 18, Herefords, EU, $990
P & K Geeham: 22, Herefords, EU, $890
W McCole: 17, Herefords, $810
-Kim Woods