Everything was favourable for the Landmark EGL Bairnsdale special spring store sale at Bairnsdale today, for what livestock manager Brad Obst described as a magnificent line of cattle.
The Bairnsdale fat cattle market yesterday returned prices above $2/kg for some producers, so there was anticipation for good prices today.
And the smiles on farmers’ faces reflected the lift in prices of $100 more than the autumn and spring 2013 sales.
A largely weaner sale, there were some older and younger stock on offer.
Top price of $920 was paid for a pen of Hereford weaner steers, 15-months-old, 484kg, from David and Penny Luckock, of Metung.
They just pipped the Livingstone Partnership of Buchan South for the honours.
Bill and Sandra Livingstone sent in a line of Angus steers and heifers, Banquet bloodline. The pen of steers, 420kg, sold to a top of $910.
Prices paid remained high throughout the sale.
R Gifford of Orbost sold a pen of Angus grown steers, 438kg, to $895.
GL Trewin of Orbost sold a pen of Angus grown steers, 474kg, sold to $890, average $875.
The Woodgate brothers of Buchan realised a top of $885 for Hereford steers.
While Craig and Ken Hutton of Bairnsdale were happy with a top pen of $880 for a pen of 415kg 13-month-old Mawarra-bloodline Hereford steers.
Both vendors had a line of stock in the sale.
There were a number of lines of stock sent in from around Bairnsdale, the high country and far east Gippsland.
There were many vendors with cattle bred from the Mawarra bloodline.
John and Mary Birdsey of River Perry Poll Herefords sent in a couple of pens of Hereford steers, as a teaser for their dispersal sale on October 21.
Three pens of EU-accredited steers, 484kg, 372kg and 329kg, sold to a top of $815, average $794.
As the age of weaner steers dropped, prices remained high.
Prices dropped slightly for weaner heifers – Mrs CA McKenna realised $642 for a pen of Angus heifers, Innesdale blood.
JCJ&LM White received $640 for a pen of five 11-month-old Angus cattle.
Craig and Ken Hutton sold two pens of Mawarra-bloodline Hereford weaner heifers to a top of $570, average $553.
There were some dairy and dairy-cross cattle to round out the sale.
Belkun sold two pens of Friesian steers to a top of $540, average $505.
- Full story in the Stock & Land September 4 edition