SOUTH-WEST Victorian store cattle prices edged higher during a keenly contested sale at Warrnambool on Friday.
Feedlot buyers in particular relished their opportunities in a larger than anticipated penning bidding values for feeder-ready steers to highs of 306 cents a kilogram and unjoined feeder heifers to 272c/kg.
Steers taken by feeders mostly made $1100 to a high of $1480 a head while heifers to feed made $770 to a best of $1150, although some better bred lines were captured by breeders in the $900- $1050 a head price bracket.
Lighter young cattle, both steers and heifers, also attracted similar spirited competition from Western border-district restockers who were eager to replenish finisher numbers on the back of an improved season.
Lighter steers taken to background made $800-$1000 while backgrounder heifers from $600-$750 a head.
The annual draft of Moyne Falls Angus spring-drop weaners from Hawkesdale caught the eye of all and many repeat buyers.
Totally 850 head in all Moyne Falls Anus steer draft, unweighed, made $635-$730 a head while the Moyne Falls heifer portion made $465-$585.
A line of Moyne Falls spring 13-drop Angus heifers were also penned.
Weighed from 241-279kg these made 268-274c/kg or $685-$749 and went to South Australia to enter an opportunity breeding program.
