Bill Wyndham & Co’s annual spring sale on Tuesday at Bairnsdale was very well attended, although most of the competition came from within Gippsland.
The high quality yarding of 2171 steers and heifers sold to feedlots, breeders, and fatteners, in one of the best sales to date.
There was a buyer from King Island, two processors buying feeder steers and heifers, and producers from all areas of Gippsland with South and West Gippsland heavily supported.
Potentially, this season will be excellent, and a very large crowd set a cracking pace for steers and heifers alike.
To emphasis this, and with no disrespect to any other vendors, one could look at the major feature lines to assess the strength of the sale.
WG&PM Connley sold 80 Hereford steers from $1210-$1540, all equalling over 400 cents per kilogram liveweight. In fact, over the whole steer portion it was not until near the end of the sale that steers sold below $1000.
Buchan Station has upped the anti on spending for bulls, and the high regard buyers have for this saw their steers sell to $1370, and more importantly their top pen of heifers were purchased for breeding at $1360, or 424c/kg lwt.
Pride of place for spring drop calves went to CD&JA Cooper, Wulgulmerang, selling 67 Hereford steers from $1470-$1670, all over 400c, and up to 442c/kg. CC&MP Wheeler, Buchan South, sold 121 Hereford & Angus steers from $1350-$1540, and would average around 438c/kg lwt.
A few yearling steers were offered to commence the sale, and other than a single sale over $1800, J&G Clancy sold 19 Angus steers for $1795. Most of these yearlings equalled 365-385c/kg.
The Hurley Family Partnership, Dargo, was by far the larger vendor, selling 189 Angus steers from $1080-$1350, and would average over 440c/kg lwt. Last, but by no means least was the 58 Hereford steers of Bayrook Past Co, that sold from $1500-$1600.
The measure of lightweight steers was seen in the 97 Hereford steers of Leo Dignan, that sold from $1020-$1270, equalling 495c/kg at their peak.
Breeders set a cracking pace for high quality heifers. Buchan Station sold their top pen for $1360, or 424c/kg, and PJ,JM&LJ Sykes, 35 Hereford heifers for $1255.
Aiding this very good sale was the number of heifers that sold from $880-$1360, which saw most equal 350-378c/kg lwt.
One processor, buying feeder steers and heifers, was seen shaking his head after the sale finished, knowing what he had paid was more than expected. However, such is the need for killable cattle for the next few months. Everyone keeps asking how long will it last.
