Auction steers share $2050 top
Top-price honours were shared by three individual steers at this year’s Wagin Woolorama Prime Yearling Beef Auction.
The grand champion medium weight, champion heavyweight and charity steer sold for $2050 each, in what Elders auctioneer Don Morgan said was a “good, solid, steady auction”.
All three steers sold for above the current market average for grain-fed animals, which Mr Morgan said had been between 360c and 380c/kg at Muchea Livestock Centre.
“In general, the auction was on par with market average,” he said.
A total of 24 animals from 12 exhibitors went under the hammer, grossing $39,600, with an average of $1650 a head, slightly higher than last year’s average of $1606 a head.
HT and BA Altus purchased the grand champion yearling, a medium-weight Murray Grey steer from Southend Murray Greys.
The AI-sired steer was bred from one of Southend’s previous bulls, Southend Hunter, owned by N and K Burton, and was out of the stud’s commercial herd.
Southend stud principal Kurt Wise said the animal had been selected before weaning and put on a mix of hay and grain immediately after.
“We had a great season as well, so he weaned off pretty well,” Mr Wise said.
The steer had tallied 95 points in judging carried out earlier in the day by Andrew Cunningham, of Blaweary Charolais.
“The grand champion had everything I look for in terms of shape. It was filled in behind the shoulders, had good eye muscle, hindquarter shape and good legs,” he said.
Mr Cunningham said the steers were very even overall.
“I would have liked to have seen them all just finished off a little more,” he said.
The registered buyer for the charity steer — donated by John, Flo and Matt Kitchen — was F Ganzer, with all proceeds going to Parkinson’s WA.
The commercial Carenda Angus steer was bred by the Kitchen family and finished over 70 days on a hay and grain mix.
Swansea Meats was once again a major supporter of the auction, purchasing six animals for a total of $9350, while Sebastian Butchers bought five for a total of $8300.
Other repeat purchasers included V & V Walsh and F Ganzer, who both snapped up one animal from each weight category.
One steer was passed in, however it sold for its reserve price after the auction.
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