THE annual Leongatha agents F1 female sale yesterday saw prices reach $1800.
All of the female cattle penned were F1 cows and calves, joined heifers and unjoined heifers.
Most of the yarding was of very good quality with only a few being presented in forward store condition.
A large crowd attended to bid, or watch the sale and included several processors.
Heading the top of the cow and calf price list was Wilkur Nominees, Leongatha North, and B Cantwell, Stony Creek.
Both vendors sold Angus-Friesian heifers with young Limousin calves at foot for $1800.
J O'Loughlin, Berry's Creek, sold similar outfits for $1660, and the McConnell Family, Strzelecki, sold 15 Angus-Friesian heifers, 2.5 years, to $1730.
The majority of the yarding were Angus-Friesian heifers, 2.5 years, PTIC to Limousin bulls with some Hereford-Friesian heifers too.
The sale was mostly solid with some fluctuations in price, which was largely generated by later calving dates, or quality.
There were a few stand-out feature lines that sold to repeat buyers.
JD&EA Keogh, Foster North, received the best price for joined heifers, selling 62 outstanding quality Angus-Friesian heifers to $1625, av $1370. These were secured by a repeat buyer from Yinnar.
J O'Loughlin, Berry's Creek, sold 80 Angus-Friesian heifers, 2.5 years, PTIC, to Limousin bulls, to $1500, and RW Bruce, Leongatha North, offered 84 Angus-Friesian heifers, 2.5yo, PTIC to Tarraleah Limousin bulls.
These heifers were well grown and in fat condition, and displaying some good weights.
Selling to $1600, they av $1427, which was about $400 higher than their 2014 average.
Some of these and a few other pens were purchased by processors who paid up to $1400.
With fat cow prices rising further in this current week, these prices were comparable to those figures.
Some producers were disappointed that these quality animals would go for slaughter, but the vendors were happy with their prices.
While most of the competition came from local and district vealer breeders, and the processors, there were western district and Benalla producers represented too.
Only one line of Angus-Friesian heifers were joined to a Charolais bull.
CD&SE Robinson, Inverloch, sold 37 heifers PTIC to Silverbrae Charolais bulls to $1360, av $1266. While there was a range of prices paid upward of $860, most sold from $1100-$1660.
Buln Park, Buln Buln, sold a line of 97 younger Angus-Friesian heifers, PTIC to Limousin bulls, to commence calving March 15, and these sold to $1120, av $950.
The yarding of unjoined heifers was very mixed in age, weight and growth.
Strong competition emanated from buyers who had sold last year's progeny, either with calves or PTIC, at this and other sales.
Elizabeth Creek, Childers, sold 13 Angus-Friesian heifers 16-18 months, which were well grown and in fat condition, at $1000.
Davard Nominees, Fish Creek, sold 20 Angus-Friesian heifers, 14-16mth, to $880, av $836.
Redmond Dairies, Inverloch offered 19 Angus-Friesian heifers, which made $815.
B Hales, Drouin, sold 18 Hereford-Friesian heifers to $880, and 24 younger Angus-Friesian heifers to $550.
Most of the Angus-Friesian heifers, 14-18mth, sold from $730-$880, and the younger heifers from $440-$660.
