Pakenham
Yarding: 2300
Steers to $1510
Heifers to $1180
CATTLE flowed in from West Gippsland to the Pakenham store sale last Thursday, as the dry conditions bite.
Pakenham agents offered 2300 cattle, which was above expectations. While there is green grass around West Gippsland, there is little growth and less prospects for much more heading into winter. Cattle were consigned from outer Melbourne to the north, and the Yea district, but most came from West Gippsland and Phillip Island areas.
While the breeding and quality of the cattle offered was very mixed, many showed good condition. A feature of this sale was the sheer number of younger and lighter weights steers and heifers penned with many producers opting out while prices are good, and prior to winter. Many producers are facing a cold winter with little supplementary feed, and are quitting stock early.
The smaller number of yearling steers penned sold mostly from $1000-$1340 with eight Angus steers, 2-4 teeth, selling for $1510, for W Hamilton. Della Torre, Moe, sold 17 Angus steers, Glenfalloch blood, for $1340.
“Bindaree”, Willow Grove, sold a consignment of 58 Angus steers, 402-452 kilograms liveweight, which were drafted into for pens, but sold to one buyer, all for $1310. This equalled 305c/kg lwt, and was one of the better sales of yearling steers on the day.
The middle run of steers sold mostly between $900 & $1210, and were up to $100 cheaper, when compared to the fantastic sale of two weeks previous.
AG Jorgensen Holdings, Tonimbuk, sold 27 Angus steers from $1000-$1210, and Orton Bros, Tanjil South, 33 Hereford steers, $900-$1005.
D Land, Arawata, sold 102 Hereford steers from $445-$715, and Hasthorpe-Robinson, Tanjil South, 28 Charolais calves from $765-$920.
Heifers sold quite well, but the range of these was diverse. South Coast Farm, Glen Forbes, sold 55 yearling Angus heifers from $100-$1180, or 266-329c/kg lwt.
Most of the heifers were younger and smaller, selling between $365-$750. Feedlot competition was not as strong for heifers this sale, but demand from restockers kept prices at reasonable levels, compared to their brothers.
A reasonable, but very mixed selection of cows and calves failed to meet expectations with most selling from $945-$1630. L Weekes, Yan Yean, topped the sale at $1630 for five Charolais-Angus cows in fat condition with quality Charolais calves to eight weeks.