CATTLE presented in good condition at the Elders Black Friday Sale at Euroa on Friday, with yearling steers topping at $970 a head.
Euroa and the surrounding region has experienced a good season from early autumn right through to now - despite October being dry.
There is plenty of dry grass and areas closer to the mountains still have some green pasture.
It was fairly quiet when entering the Euroa saleyard giving the impression that most of the calves were weaned.
Producers who weaned their calves early have benefitted most as their calves have not missed a beat and are of very good quality, suiting processors equally as feedlots and restockers.
Later weaning, combined with some dry and very hot weather has shown up in a small number of drafts of steers and heifers.
First in line at the sale were several pens of yearling steers, with their weights displayed from 427-506 kilograms liveweight.
Gippsland bullock fatteners vied with feedlot companies for these yearling steers, which sold in a range from $820-$970.
Rex Park, Caniambo, sold 37 Angus steers, Pert Angus-blood, 16-18 months, to the sale's top price of $970, average $907.
Lock-A-Bar, Bunbartha, offered 33 Angus steers, 12 months, Welcome Swallow- and Te Mania-blood, which sold from $850-$920.
Most of these yearling steers made the equivalent liveweight prices of 191-200 cents/kg.
Feedlot, live shipping, processor, and restocker competition helped produce a good outcome for producers.
In the early stages Charlton Feedlot and Livestock Shipping Services went head to head and paid from $735-$820 for the majority of the first lanes of 2014-drop steers.
Campsie Glen Angus, Glenburn, sold 50 Angus steers to $820, av $743.
Two producers, who have been supporters of this Elders Black Friday Sale both sold steers to $810. IL Dickson, Longwood, sold 33 steers to $810, av $768, or 210-216c/kg kwt. Peppertrees Pastoral Co, Euroa, offered a draft of 59 Angus steers, Hazeldean- and Ardrossan-blood, making $710-$810, av $762, or 210-249c/kg lwt.
It took a while for the price to drop below $700, and the balance of the steers sold from $600 to that figure.
Fredlim, Caniambo, sold 71 Angus steers, Witherswood- and Welcome Swallow-blood, to $725, av $666, which for the two pens weighed, it equalled 218-230c/kg, and the lightest pen were assessed much higher.
Sharleena Nominees sold 65 Angus steers, Pert Angus- and Witherswood-blood, which were young calves.
These sold from $600-$675.
Skye Farm, Merrijig, are dispersing their herd, and sold 62 Angus cows (third calf), PTIC to Te Mania, High Spa and Lawson's bulls. These cows were in excellent condition and sold to $1300 to av $1091.
Connamara Angus, Ruffy, sold 30 Angus heifers, 20 months, PTIC to LBW bulls from $1125-$1250. Good Hope Past Co, Bonnie Doon, sold 49 Angus heifers, 20-24 months, PTIC to Ballangeich and Connamara bulls, from $960-$1100.
A good quality penning of yearling and 2104 drop heifers all sold quite well. Feedlots and restockers supplied most of the competition with the yearlings selling from $690-$810.
Bungle Boori, Seymour, sold 63 Angus heifers, which sold from $700-$770.
Producers retained many of their heifers leaving only a small selection for processors, feedlots and restockers to buy.
IL Dickson, Longwood, sold 29 Angus heifers to $610, and one draft of 23 Angus heifers from Peppertrees Past Co, Euroa sold for $580.
A lot of the heifers sold at liveweight prices equivalent to that of prime markets being 170-188c/kg lwt.