Cattle For Sale | Find Upcoming Cattle Sales Near You

For Australian farmers and business owners, cattle can play a significant role in determining the livelihood of their farms and the growth of their businesses.

Cattle sales offer buyers the opportunity to access a wide range of stock from different sellers in one location. Whether its steers or breeding stock, cattle sales enable buyers to purchase livestock according to the best breed, age, price and characteristics for their farm.

Not only this, but cattle sales can provide competitive prices for buyers as the auctions are driven by real-time market demand. On top of this, buyers are afforded the chance to seek guidance from auctioneers and other farmers who are able to shed light on market trends and farming best practices.

What is a Cattle Sale?

A cattle sale is the process of selling cattle (usually yearling steers and heifers) through various means - including auctions, private sales or direct transactions. The 4 main types of cattle sales you will encounter in Australia include:

1. Online Auctions

Online auctions use websites or platforms to list and enable online bidding on livestock.

This is ideal for buyers who might not have the capacity to travel to an in-person cattle sale, or who are simply looking for an easy way to purchase their livestock digitally.

For vendors there are added benefits from an online market place including:

• Wider Reach: Sellers can access a larger pool of buyers across regions, increasing competition and potentially achieving higher prices.
• Convenience: Buyers and sellers can participate from anywhere, saving time and travel expenses.
• Cost-Effectiveness: Reduced costs for transport, yarding, and other expenses associated with physical auctions.
• Real-Time Transparency: Bidding is visible and transparent, allowing for fair competition and immediate updates.
• Flexible Timing: Auctions are often available outside traditional hours, providing more opportunities to trade.
• Reduced Stress for Livestock: Eliminates the need for animals to travel to auction sites, reducing stress and improving animal welfare

2. Saleyard Auctions

They involve transporting cattle to a central sale yard to be sold to the highest bidder. Ultimately, the cattle price will be determined on the day based on supply and demand.

Sale yard auctions are ideal for buyers wanting to inspect cattle in person before bidding.

3. Paddock Sales

Paddock sales involve cattle being sold directly from the vendor’s property.

Here, prices are negotiated on a per-head or per-kilogram basis. For this reason, paddock sales are perfect for buyers who have a set budget or a firm idea of the market price for cattle.

4. Over the Hook Sales

Over the Hook cattle sales involve cattle being delivered straight to abattoirs - with ownership changing hands at the abattoir scales.

This type of cattle sale can be beneficial for meat farmers as it helps to minimise carcass damage and produces better meat quality than a sale yard auction. Additionally, it reduces expenses for producers to transaction levy and freight.

Types of Cattle Available

Typically, the types of cattle for sale in Australia will vary in breed, age and other characteristics. But generally, you will find:

• Beef cattle breeds (e.g. British (Hereford or Angus) Euro (Charloais) and Bos Indicus (Brahman or Droughtmaster) and the crosses
• Dairy cattle breeds (e.g. Illawarra and Holstein Friesian)

What To Look For At a Cattle Sale

Whether you are a new buyer or an experienced one, there are a few helpful things to look out for when attending a cattle sale. Having these tips under your belt will ensure you are not only getting the most out of the cattle sale but also transacting in a safe and secure environment.

1. Documentation

The first thing to look out for is documentation that verifies that you are purchasing from a legitimate seller. Some of these documents might include:

• 1. National Vendor Declaration (NVD): For each lot of cattle, ensure that the seller provides a correctly completed NVD. This document is crucial for traceability and food safety.
• 2. Property Identification Code (PIC): Check that the seller also has a valid PIC, as this is required for all livestock movements.
• 3. National Livestock Identification System (NLIS) Tags: Verify that all cattle have the correct NLIS devices in place to cover your bases.
• 4. Accreditations: Grassfed, organic, antibiotic free are examples of accreditations that some buyer look for

Ensuring that the seller has the above will help give you peace of mind that you are buying cattle from a verified seller.

2. Overall Health of Livestock

Once there, it’s important to observe the overall health of the livestock:

• Assess its physical condition: Consider its muscling and fat distribution as this can drive up its value.
• Weight and age: Ask questions about the cattle’s weight for its age as this can give you an indication of growth potential.
• Signs of illness: Look for any signs of illness or injury that could affect the cattle’s longevity.

3. Uniformity

If you are a buyer looking for a group sale, you will want to ensure that there is consistency within the lot. Group assessments of the cattle can be undertaken in the paddock, around the fenceline or water point. They have been carried out on horseback or from the back of a vehicle. Online auctions come with a full assessment of the individual animals that are then grouped for sale ensuring that the buyer has the most thorough data available.

4. Treatment History

Check for information on the cattle's origin, its ownership history, and any chemical treatments it may have had as this could affect its current performance

Find Trustworthy Upcoming Cattle Sales Near You with AuctionsPlus

As a verified and trustworthy online marketplace for trading livestock, AuctionsPlus enables buyers to bid on and buy cattle from the comfort of their homes.

Because all commercial livestock is evaluated by an accredited assessor before being listed, and sold by a licensed agent, you can rest assured that you are buying high-quality cattle from legitimate sellers.

Operating for over 30 years, AuctionsPlus has established a currency of trust with both buyers and sellers.

Explore upcoming AuctionsPlus cattle sales run by verified sellers near you, and start bidding online today!