HAMILTON is well-known for its impressive annual Western District Weaner Sales which generally brings farmers from all over the country to buy and sell some of the best cattle, and this year was no different.

The Hamilton sales kicked off on Monday as 3860 Angus steers were sold through the Hamilton Regional Livestock Exchange (HRLX) on the opening day, recording plenty of solid prices.

It was an overcast start to the week as people flocked to the saleyards in the hope of recording a sale profit or buying some premium steers.

Monday’s average weight was slightly heavier than last year’s and sold for an average of 345c/kg across the entire yarding.

Livestock Agents Association president, Craig Pertzel, said Monday was a solid start to the weaner sales and he expected similar prices throughout the remainder of the week.

“I thought we were probably a little bit better than we expected, I think (the rest of the sales) will follow along a similar pattern to that,” he said.

“The change in the weather pattern in the last six weeks has been a driving factor in the price rise.”

Kerr & Co, Southern Grampians Livestock, LMB Livestock, JM Ellis & Co and Lanyons made up the independent agents on the day.

Southern Grampians Livestock kicked off the week of sales selling 36 Angus weaner steers from Kelvin Park at an average weight of 400kg for 332c/kg – a big price of $1328p/hd.

Kerr & Co fetched the best price of the day selling a pen of nine light Angus steers with an average weight of 250kg for 360c/kg or $900p/hd, from E & T Jensen.

Lighter steers were snatched up in a competitive buyers’ market consisting of both feedlotters and farmers looking to put them back on grass.

While the lighter steers recorded the top price, there was a strong demand for heavier steers which surprised some stock agents and farmers alike.

There weren’t a lot of cattle under 300kg and there was no premium on the lighter steers.

Day two of the annual Western District Weaner Sales saw sales on Tuesday at Casterton and Hamilton as HRLX came alive once again with 3200 all-breed steers sold.

Following a strong morning sale at Casterton which saw 2700 head of Angus steers sold, buyers and sellers made their way to Hamilton for day two of proceedings with 3200 head all-breed steers selling for strong prices.

There was barely a pen of cattle sold for less than 300c/kg on Tuesday which provided promising indicators for sales later in the week.

Brian O’Halloran & Co, J & J Kelly, Elders and Nutrien were busy taking bids as the agents made their way through 168 lots.

The top price of the day was 348c/kg with two pens reaching the impressive price - both pens were lighter-end steers.

J & J Kelly’s top vendor, Roland and Susan Cameron, sold a pen of 37 Angus steers at an average weight of 287.8kg for an impressive 348c/kg or $1001p/hd.

The Cameron family had a massive day out as they sold 331 steers averaging 341c/kg with a top price $1267p/hd.

They also had the best presented and largest pen of the day with 99 Angus steers selling for $1121p/hd, amounting to a gross value of $111,012 for that pen alone.

Mr Cameron said all calves had been weaned for about a month and said it was a job well done from stock agent Tony Graham and the J & J Kelly team.

“It’s great to see our Hamilton selling centre consistently do great things in helping professionally market our animals … I’m rapt with the work put in to present our calves,” he said.

Later in the day, Elders auctioned 39 Angus steers from Koomalla, sold by GE and AM Hiscock, which equalled the top price of the day selling for 348c/kg or $1077p/hd.

The Champion Hereford Pen was awarded to JA and EA Craig of Inverell Herefords who sold 16 steers averaging 405kg for 328c/kg or $1328p/hd.

The great sales continued into Wednesday as 2400 head of Hereford steers and mixed sex weaners were auctioned by independent agents at HRLX, following a successful morning sale in Casterton with 1300 head sold.

The top price of the day in Hamilton was Paddy and Anne Neeson with 27 Limousin heifers averaging 304.1kg which were sold at 424c/kg or $1289p/hd.

LMB Livestock agent, Bernie Grant, said the prices were “good to see” and predicted higher than expected prices for the heifer sales for the last couple of days.

“(Wednesday’s) sale was very good, most of the Herefords made 300-325c/kg with the odd few sales out to 330c/kg or a little more,” he said.

“Euro calves sold extremely well; Simmental cross calves made up to 338c/kg while the Charolais made up to 350c/kg on the steer side of things, Limousin also sold very well.”

Mr Grant said this year’s sale hadn’t been without a few surprises and expected the final two days of the Western District Weaner Sales to continue in a positive fashion.

“I guess the Euro cross cattle this year (have been a surprise), some of them are still going out onto grass so they (sellers) have been doing very well,” he said.

“I think the heifers will be 10-20 cents more expensive than we initially thought.”

Southern Grampians Livestock agent, Heath Templeton, commended the presentation of the entire yarding and said the buyer market was competitive.

The top price for Southern Grampians Livestock was 350c/kg on two pens; 26 light Hereford steers sold by Steven G Beaton and 18 Charolais steers sold by RA Willis.

“The sale was extremely strong, it was made up of lots of buyers from Northern NSW, Southern NSW … there was also a strong amount of local buyers,” he said.

“The Herefords sold extremely well and were well presented across the whole yarding, the Euros probably picked up a bit and sold for a few more cents per kilo than what we were expecting.”

A review of Thursday’s and Friday’s sales will be in next Wednesday’s Spectator.