On the cusp of spring, and with grass starting to grow in South and West Gippsland, the regular Leongatha store sale, Thursday, saw only 770 cattle penned.
Finer weather saw a smaller crowd attend to buy, or watch producers, feedlots and processors compete for the steers, heifers, and cows with calves.
Quality was very mixed, as were the results, but the differing results weren’t due just to the breeding or quality.
Good sales were seen for many of the lines of younger, and lighter weight steers, however, some individual pens met with restrained demand.
A small consignment of just four yearling Angus steers (489kgs), topped the market making $1420, or 290 cents per kilogram liveweight.
Strong demand for well-bred Angus steers of lighter weights, created some good results.
A&C O’Mara, Glengarry, sold 24 Angus steers, 10-12 months, TeMania blood, for $1210 to top the range for the younger steers, but there were some other sales close behind at $1200.
G&H Foat, Woodside, sold 37 Angus steers from $850-$1200. Shun De Farm Pty Ltd, Stratford, sold steers to $1200, but these were 29 yearling Charolais steers, weighing to 390kgs lwt.
The only other significant draft was the 47 Angus steers of G&J Sandbach, Welshpool. These steers weighed from 214-267kgs, and sold between $780&$900.
Price trends increased for several pens of Friesian steers of varying weights. P&A Boyle, Stony Creek, sold 14 Friesian steers for $910, and BBA&LN Jefferies, Korumburra South, 22 steers for $810. these sales were 10-20c/kg higher.
Competition for 28 Angus-Friesian steers of R&C Jennings, Gormandale, saw them sell from $920-$960, which was a great result.
Demand for heifers varied. “Bulleondurra”, Mirboo North, sold a range of 50 older and younger heifers, which sold from $940-$1230, all under 300c/kg lwt.
B&D Lucas sold 13 yearling Angus heifers for $1080, and most others sold from $700-$880.
R&C Jennings sold their 23 Angus-Friesian heifers from $820-$1060.
A few cows and calves were offered in small lots, and sold to reasonable competition. Quion Hill, Ventnor, sold 2 Charolais cows and calves, the cows being in very good condition, and the calves 6-8 weeks old. These topped this section making $2000.
Mrs M Jeffery, also of Ventnor, sold two good quality, heavy, Hereford cows and calves for $1880, and next was Maloney Ag Contracting, Konwarra, 4 Angus cows with calves at foot, 3 months, for $1620. Last, but not least, was WN&PA Joyce, Jumbunna, selling 8 Angus cows with calves by Yancowinna Angus bulls, from $1285-$1470.
