FLUCTUATING prices reflected the mixed quality of the 1700 cattle offered at last Thursday's Pakenham store cattle sale.
Better lines sold at prices equal to recent rates, Landmark's Peter Brewer said.
However, it was apparent some lines of secondary cattle were difficult to sell, which was surprising given seasonal conditions in the areas of Gippsland from where many buyers come, are good.
Elders' Carlo Taranto added the better lines of black steers were $20 to $30 dearer than a fortnight ago, due to the fact that they were in limited supply.
The top-priced pen of steers was achieved by RA Stephens, Allambee South, who sold three very well grown Angus steers, average weight 560kg, for $990 liveweight - or the equivalent of 177 cents a kilogram lwt. Also on the account was nine lighter steers, av 422kg, which fetched $860.
Other steers that met strong competition from the crowd of Gippsland restockers and regular commission buyers, included a draft consigned by Mt McDonald Angus, Icy Creek. Eight of its Angus, Innesdale-blood, steers, average weight 455kg, fetched $895 - or the equivalent of 197c/kg lwt.
Another 13 of their lighter brothers, av 400kg, of the same breeding sold for $850 (equivalent 213c/kg); and pens of 16 and 11 unweighed made $805 and $786 respectively.
Barragunda Estate, Cape Schanck, also consigned a draft of Angus cattle. Fourteen of its steers, Innesdale- and Banquet-blds, sold for $734. Twenty-two lighter steers of the same breeding, sold for $700, and its next pen of 14 made $610 a head.
For heifers, Est Ville Nominees of Geelong, sold a run of 52 good condition Angus heifers, 9-12 mths, of which 18 made $595, 19 made $555 and 15 made $455.
J Bowman, sold six Angus heifers, 416kg, for $702.
Mt McDonald sold a draft of 21 Angus heifers, Innesdale-bld; of which 11 had an av weight of 332kg and sold for $502, and 10 weighed 301kg that sold for $450.
Calves reached a high of $490 for nine Hereford steer calves, a/c PE Brown, Larden that made $490, another 42 of the steer and heifer paddock mates ranged down to $220
Many of the cows and calf units did not reach their split prices, but there were exceptions including AI Griffin's four Limousin cows (one third calver, the others fist calvers , which had been redepastured to a Limousin bull) with Limousin calves at-foot (CAF) made $1620.
Auxilium College Lysterfield has sold its property, so it put some well-bred and good condition Angus cows and calves in the sale, including 12 x 12 third-fifth calving cows with 6-month-old CAF redepastured to Lawson bulls that reached $1350. Another pen of seven units made $1300.
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