Mt Barker females to $2050

Landmark's annual Blue Ribbon Special Female Sale, held last week at Mt Barker, followed up nicely on last year's record-breaking average price result.

While pure pregnancy-tested-in-calf Angus heifers made up the numbers, it was mated Angus- Friesian cross cows that pushed the sale's top price to $2050 twice.

This year's $1620 sale average price - for 689 females sold on the rail - was again a record in the making, surpassing last year when 892 head sold for an average price of $1584 each.

After Landmark auctioneer Harry Carroll did his very best to clear the lot, only to pass in 105 head, it did not take long for the majority (95 head) of these to find buyers after the sale.

"It was a very strong sale with quality females from start to finish," Mr Carroll said.

With those sales added, Landmark had a total of 794 head sold making an average price of $1580, which was in line with 2015's results. The $2050 sale top-price was reached twice with two lines of Angus-Friesian first cross cows (second and third calvers) offered by account AG & SA Wolfe, of Youngs Siding, and bought by RA Adam & Co, of Ravensthorpe.

A feature of the sale, the Wolfe family's offering of older female cows, was the result of a genuine dispersal before selling their farm.

Tony Wolfe said after 33 years of farming potatoes, his 13 years of cattle production was much easier and offered a better lifestyle.

The Adam family are regular buyers of Angus-Friesian cows, but were first-time buyers of the line offered from the Wolfes' paddocks.

Ward Adam said the quality was excellent and he was happy to pay $2050 each for six head mated to an Angus-Simmental cross bull.

Good bidding competition on the Wolfes' cows had an 11-head line sell for $1950 to EW & AF Buegge, and buyer FV Hortin & Sons bought a total of 40 head for an average price of $1629 each.

Pure Angus heifers, the majority mated to Angus bulls, were again in abundance (517 offered) and sold to a sale second top-price of $2000 for a line of nine head of Coonamble blood, offered by Dundeal Holdings and sold to account Treeton Lake, through Landmark Bunbury.

The female sale started with four lines of Dundeal Angus heifers, a total of 30 head, all selling for $1900/head to repeat volume buyer Barry Panizza, of Albany.

"I was extremely satisfied with prices, which were a bit down on last year, but quality was very good, if not better," Mr Panizza said.

Warren Forbes, of Dundeal Holdings, Narrikup, who offered a total of 189 mated heifers - the majority to an Angus bull - said he expected his prices would fall back on last years because of seasonal conditions in other areas of WA.

Landmark sold a total of 179 Dundeal Holdings PTIC heifers for an average price of $1766/head which was down $139/head on last year.

"Again the sale showed the Angus dominance within the industry," Mr Forbes said.

First-time vendor GA Clark Nominees, of Albany, offered two lines of Angus heifers, mated to Koojan Hills bull H29 and Coonamble J337, which sold for $1950 and $1650 respectively.

Daniel Delaney, of Delaney Livestock Services, Busselton, bought a total of 82 females for four clients.

Landmark sold account Firelight, of Narrikup, which was a first-time volume buyer, the majority of passed-in Angus heifers (76 head) for an average price of $1500/head.

Landmark Special Female Cattle Sale *

PTIC Angus heifers - $1300 to $2000

PTIC Murray Grey heifers - $1400

PTIC Angus-Friesian 1st cross cows - $1300 to $2050

PTIC Angus-Friesian 2nd cross cows - $1650

PTIC Angus-Friesian-Charolais 2nd cross cows - $1100 to $1350

PTIC Angus cows - $1000 to $1850

PTIC Murray Grey cows - $1200 to $1600

PTIC Lincoln Red cows - $1750

PTIC Simmental cows - $1850

PTIC Angus cross cows - $1100 to $1300

PTIC Hereford cows - $1350

Unmated Angus-Friesian cross heifers - $1300 to $1450