CATTLE were supplied from far and wide, including the north east, and East Gippsland, although most came from many districts of West and South Gippsland.
This was a very mixed quality offering, which included steers weighing over 500 kilograms liveweight, through to very young calves.
Aiding a very diverse offering was the number of different breeds, including dairy bred steers and heifers. Typical of a general yarding at Pakenham, was the smaller size of sale lots.
Generally, this can limit competition at some markets, but here, in the heartland of smaller farms, it can make little difference.
What did make a difference at this sale, was the weather. Our varying weather patterns are affecting pasture growth, but equally the changing temperatures is affecting quality.
Some producers were saying this is a cheaper market, and in some places this was correct. But considering the mixed offering, it was a fair priced sale.
Some of the yearling steers were dearer. J Heffernan, Balnarring, sold 23 Angus steers to $1550, or 345c/kg lwt. The top price here, was seen several times throughout the sale, with only a couple of sales higher, despite heavier weights.
Some of the heavier steers, selling from $1320-$1590 had a small influence of other breeding involved. D&M Rumble, Lillico, sold 5 older Angus steers for $1590, and B Gospodarzyk, Clyde, 10 Limousin-Angus steers for $1570.
D&C Droppert, Sale, have been regular sellers here at Pakenham, but their sale of 55 Angus & Angus-Hereford steers was triggered by the sale of their property. The youngest steers sold for $1100, the heavier from $1270-$1420.
This sale was absent of the extremes of high liveweight price equivalents with only an odd exception. N&L Parke, Ellinbank, sold 13 Angus steer calves for $1340, equaling 416c/kg lwt. Most sales were in a range of $1100-$1250, or 365-395c/kg.
B&C Pastoral Co, Mansfield, sold 42 Simmental cross steers from $1185-$1380. B Johnson&G Woods, Neerim, sold 9 Charolais-Angus steers for $1290, and FJ Pisa, Nayook, 24 Limousin cross steers from $1200-$1260. Many steers in this bracket equaled 325-365c/kg lwt.
At the higher end of the scale were sales of very well bred Angus steers. Amphitheatre Partnership, Labertouche, sold 25 Angus steers from $1430-$1490, or 373-378c/kg lwt.
Friesian steers were well represented in this very mixed offering. Reiter&Willmott, Dalyston, sold 10 older steers for $1135 with Eewee Nominees, Harkaway, selling Friesian bullocks for $1295. Lighter weight steers sold to $870.
Yearling heifers sold to a top of $1500, which was for $10 Limousin heifers of Jedex Limousin Stud, Longwarry. Oamaroo Stud, Red Hill South, sold 17 Angus heifers for $1235, or 347c/kg lwt.
The offering of heifers was equally as mixed as the steers, which saw a range mostly between $800&$1200. Feedlot competition was more prevalent in the heifer sales.
There was a number of cows and calves penned, that varied greatly in age, condition and quality, but competition was quite good. One consignment of 29 Hereford cross cows and calves sold to strong competition. JR&JE Coates, Buchan, sold these mixed age cows with younger calves at foot, from $1780-$2000.
Julie Harris, Narracan, sold a single Limousin ow with a high quality calf for the sales top price of $3000. MD&AC Stothers, Kilmany, sold 2 Murray Grey cows and calves for $2125, while the balance of the cows and calves sold between $1600&$1900.
These were very very good outcomes for plainer quality cows and calves.
