1660 + 135 calves
931 Steers to $1505
477 Heifers to $1100
118 Females to $1440
Cows and Calves to $2200
COLAC agents offered a mixed quality yarding of 1660 cattle, that included a good number of empty and joined heifers and cows, plus numerous pens of cows and calves.
When looking around the countryside it was hard to imagine where locals were getting their inspiration from, but their competition, coupled with strong demand from feedlots, created a strong sale.
Teys Bros, buying feeder steers for their Charlton feedlot, paid the days top price of $1505 for Angus steers of RK&K Stevens. These steers were 17-18 months, Murdeduke blood, and weighed 493 kilograms liveweight.
Competition for Charlton feedlot acme from Don Bowman, Elders Korumburra, buying for bullock clients, Garrison feedlot, and other feedlot operators, plus locals. Prices for yearling steers ranged mostly from $1150-$1505, although some of the yearling steers only weighed in the low 300-360 kilogram range. Prices for these ranged from $900-$1080.
K&P Fairley sold 38 Angus steers for $1402, M Adams, 9 Angus steers for $1475, and C&M Smith, 30 Angus cross steers from $1320-$1440.
Commencing the sale of weaned steers, 7-11 months, was 43 Angus steers sold by Purrumbete South Pastoral. These predominantly Colana blood, sold from $1210-$1330, or 383-387 cents per kilogram liveweight.
These sales led the way for a strong market for the younger steers, and while no others reached these heights, many sold between $850 & $1220, or the equivalent of 325-360c/kg lwt. P&S Lenehan sold nine Charolais steers for $1220, G&G White, 31 Limousin cross steers from $940-$1030, and Felix Limousins, 11 steers from $960-$1140.
All were purchased for grain feeding. Once getting to the young and lightweight calves, there was strong restocker and backgrounding competition from a northern buyer. Calves estimated to weigh less than 200kg to 270kg lwt, sold from $600-$885, which equalled 350-370kg lwt. Some of the very lightest were over 400c/kg lwt. Strong competition for heifers, especially Angus heifers, saw prices for many range between $610 & $940. These heifers were destined for Queensland. Competition for many heifers stemmed from feedlots, paying from $800-$1100.
Because of the dry, many older females were being sold. “Mingawarra”, sold 24 Angus cows 2-5 years, PTIC empty, for $900.
“Shelburn”, Shelford, was selling all of their breeding females. They sold 23 Angus heifers for $710, and 67 PTIC to Stabilizer bulls for July calving, from $1250-$1400.
Cows and calves sold mostly between $1090 & $1660.
