Stronger all-over demand reigned across a solid penning of 3200 store cattle at Ballarat on Friday May-20.
Meeting the most improved inquiry on the day was large selection of spring-drop young weaners normally held by breeders until the end of winter.
Prices for these increased by at least $100 a head on the previous pre-rain market while the interest in joined and calved females was also escalated as most traded between $1200 and $1960 before topping at $2190 for an Angus outfit with three to four month-old calves at foot.
The recent domination of northern interstate restocker competition for yearling-off and weaner steers was also curbed by broader southern interest to emerge since the recent autumn break.
Buyers from the closer Ballarat and greater south west areas were more aggressive towards purchasing along with competing buyers from Gippsland and the lower south east of SA.
Major feed lot operators were also keen to participate buying selected feeder steer lots along with a large percentage of the grown heifer yarding at rates improved on the centre’s month earlier sale.
At the market’s beginning South Gippsland’s Don Bowman, Elders booked all of the first five pens of grown steer yarding. Mr Bowman’s hauls included a pen of 14 Angus steers, 489kg sold at $1620 a head by T Guthrie and Sons and a yard of 10 Hereford steers, 530kg that made $1600 for Michael White, Doonaree Pastoral.
Feed lot operators Teys Charlton, Thomas Foods, Midfield Meats and Hopkins Rivers all selected steer lines in the 350- 480kg range at rates based on 325-345c/kg. These included a large run of 90 Angus, Charolais and Black baldy steers consigned by Glenthompson Pastoral, Glenthompson that made to $1330 a head and averaged $1278.
The best priced heavy weaners was a yard of 18 Angus Hereford-cross, 434kg sold by E & A Stephens and Sons at $1470 a head. AG & LE Brock sold 14 Angus, 418kg at $1420 while P&S Murrihy sold 13 Angus, 334kg at $1240.
Sales of light (unweighed) steers emerged as hot-property as prices surged to between $900-$1000 a head to leave many to calculate above the 400c/kg mark.
Buyers from across the southern region were the most interested with restockers from Ballarat, Casterton, Mt Gambier and Warrnambool all keen to secure numbers.
The market for grown heifers firmed on the previous sale with processors and feeders keen to acquire unjoined females fit for purpose.
Fraser Partners Clunes sold pen of Hereford heifers 485kg, at $1320 a head while a small pen of Angus 503kg made $1410 for AG &LE Brook.
Vendor Hillcrest sold a full yard of 19 Angus heifers, 389kg, at $1230, the Hallyburton family, sold 20 Angus heifers, 386kg at $1150, while Nebpak Ballarat sold 19 Angus, 427kg at $1340.
Better sales of weaner heifers were represented by a yard of 18 Angus, 329kg, sold at $1070 by Skaleto to Westside Meats while the same buyer booked a yard of Charolais-cross, 373kg, priced at $1150.
J&S Smith, Burrumbeet sold a yard of 35 Angus heifers, unweighed, at $900 while a yard of 17 Dunach Park Angus, also sold unweighed made $835, both lots sought by southern region speculators.
A much larger than normal supply of breeding female met encouraging demand at Ballarat, with prices escalated at almost $2200.
The highest priced in an offering of 250 head of joined and calved females was Mt Talbot Pastoral selling a line of 5-6 year-old redepastured Te Mania-blood Angus cows with 4-5 month-old Angus calves at foot.
Other good sales of calved lines included a pen of 17 by 17 mixed-aged Coolana-blood Angus cows, with March//April-drop Angus calves at foot. These made $1900 while Siberia partnership sold 10 by 10 2-6 year-old Angus cows at $1800 and and a pen of 1st-calf Angus heifers at $1760.
Several herd dispersals were offered throughout the penning. V, M, & A Hope Ararat sold 25 mixed aged Angus cows, ptic to Franc Angus bulls at $1390 while D&J Jolly, Lexton sold 17 by 19 2nd and 3rd-calf Hethrington-blood Poll Hereford cows, not station mated, at $1640.
Other sale of joined females were made from $1140- $1320 while calved cows, depending on condition made $1220 to $1680.