Victorian Weaner Circuit

Southern Weaner sales across Victoria feature from January to March. Victorian Charolais breeders present a Charolais champion pen at the major sales in their state rewarding vendors for presenting top calves for auction. Champion pen vendors receive a drench pack made available by Region sponsors, Boehringer Ingelheim who have supported this initiative for many years.

Across the Victorian circuit of weaner sales, a staggering number of calves change hands in a tight timeframe. Stock and Land reported in January alone, 67,110 young cattle went under the hammer across the state. The gross value of the 67,110 head was $107,505,899 on a softer market than the previous year. Charolais calves offered in these sales presented with top weight for age and muscling and vendors saw strong demand for their product.

At Mortlake the Champion pen of Charolais calves was sold by Delamere Pastoral, Willaura with 21 calves averaging 377kgs making $1,794. Delamere’s heifers weighed in at 344kg and returned $1,554. S & Y Drake offered a pen of steers with a tremendous 413kg weight to achieve $1,734 per head. At the Birragurra sale in western Victoria saw a pen offered by Graeme and Lachlan Inglis, Colac take the champion award. Their 15 Charolais sired crossbred steers weighed 399kg and returned $1,930.

At Wangaratta the same day Rangan Charolais stud offered a pen of 413kg steers to post a $2,050 return. Champion pen at this sale was Deepdale Pty Ltd from Tallarook with their 10 steers making $1,660. PH & RF Creamer, Dederang sold 18 Charolais sired heifers to return an impressive $1,850.

At Barnawatha in the north of the state on the 10th January, Boehringer Ingelheim Champion Pen was awarded to JM & KI Neilson, Sandy Creek Vic. This pen of 17 Charolais x steers weighed 394kgs, sold for $4.44kg to generate $1,750 per head. A heavyweight pen from BA, JP & TP Petzke, Mitta Mitta, Vic, sold well with their 11 Charolais 404kg x heavyweight steers returning $1,910 each.

Pakenham has always been a great sale for Charolais infused genetics. Alex Scott and Staff agent Dane Perczyk working from Leongatha and Pakenham loves the versatility of the breed. In the Stock and Land he said “I like the fact that Charolais can be sold over different categories. They can be sold as vealers, in the store pens, as bullocks and can be grainfed in feedlots. They cover a lot of markets.” Dane backs this up, breeding Charolais himself adding “I kill my own cattle for meat, and they produce tasty meat that is very tender”. The Champion pen at Pakenham in January was entered by Graeme and Marg Derix from Tinamba. Their 389kg heifers impressed the judges and were keenly sought after for $1,710. The same vendors sold 421kg steer weaners for $2,150.

Charolais sired weaners cracked the $2,000 mark at Yea on the 14th January. Long time users of Charolais sires, Peter, Val and Daniel Hauser sold 408kgs calves for $5.14kg returning a hefty $2,100 per head. This pen was awarded the Champion pen by the judge, long time Charolais identity, Duncan Newcomen. G & H Hauser sold a pen of 17 Charolais weaners for $1930.

At the Hamilton Hereford and Euro mixed sex weaner sale in January, agents’ yarded 2473 weaner cattle. The average weight across the yarding was 329kg, 11kg less than the prior year. Agents attributed this to the wet weather during the year. Liz, Jordan and Ricky Willis, Carney Dale, Byaduk sold a pen of 29 Charolais sired calves weighing 380kg for 510c/kg returning $1,939. This pen was also awarded the Champion Charolais pen sponsored by the Victorian Charolais breeders.

Associate members Graeme and Roslyn Kurtze, Hamilton Victoria, also sold well with a pen of 8 Charolais steers weighing 408kg selling for 470c/kg or $1,921.

Wrapping up the sales in March, Craig McNabb trading as C.N. Pastoral Co from Moama sold an impressive pen of Charolais Santa Gertrudis cross steers taking the award for Champion pen. Weighing in at 448kgs the calves returned $1,760 a head. Mr. McNab interviewed at the sale, said it had been a very wet season with their breeder block at Ivanhoe in NSW still underwater. He added their Moama block had between 6,000 to 7000 hectares flooded still.

The Victorian sales traditionally conclude with the Mountain Calf Sales in the High country. A pen bred by Bernard Carroll from Hinnomungie took champion honours at the Benambra sale in March. These sales are sold per head and the champion pen sold for $1,750. Charolais have a presence in this area which is traditionally Hereford through and through.

The Victorian Region extend their appreciation to Boehringer Ingleheim for their valued support over many years. The vendors of the Champion pen all received an Ivomec drench pack, always handy. When you combine great genetics, excellent herd health and feed availability the ability of these Charolais calves is unsurpassed.