Cattle were generally dearer at today’s Pakenham store sale.
Elders Pakenham auctioneer Jamie Quinlan said light-weight and weaners down to 200kg could have been $30-$40 a head dearer on the back of recent rain in the area and limited number of those types of cattle in the area.
Les Ingram, Alex Scott and Staff, said the sale was stronger than the past few of the fortnightly sales, particularly for smaller, lighter cattle.
He said steers tended to be a bit dearer and heifers were much the same
Mr Ingram said there was a bigger crowd than a fortnight ago.
“There’s a fair bit of moisture in the ground now, so blokes are thinking there’ll be a spring,” he said.
Fred Addison, SEJ, agreed that it was a bit dearer than a fortnight ago thanks to spring coming on.
“We’ll see when the sun comes out, I expect it to get dearer still.”
He said very light black calves made to $800 which was nearly 400 cents a kilogram liveweight and medium weight steers sold in the $1000 range, or 370-380c/kg. There were very few heavy cattle.
Commission buyer Denis Henderson and Thomas Foods International’s Campbell Ross bought a lot of cattle and mainly local restockers were “doing battle with them”, in Mr Addison’s words.
The biggest draft in the sale was 170 well-bred steers and heifers from Kildrummie Pastoral Co. that came from Rockley, south of Bathurst NSW. These EU accredited cattle were of Millah Murrah, Gilmandyke and Westmoreland bloodlines.
Mr Quinlan said the heavier steers sold for prices equivalent to 385c/kg and the lighter cattle made well above 400c/kg.
Mr Quinlan said these cattle made the 13-hour truck ride from the Central Tablelands because the season had cut out there.
“They took a punt on the freight and I’d say they certainly haven’t lost money on it.”
Other indicative prices include Nar Nar Goon’s R&J Chatfield pen of eight Angus bullocks, 500kg, that sold for $1480 to Mr Henderson.
Mr Henderson also purchased Patterson & Hitchinson’s 10 Angus steers for $1305. From Clyde, these weaners weighed 373kg and were by Eagle Rock Angus bulls. He also bought the pen of KD&PD Sullivan, Pearcedale, 13 Angus steers, 343kg, for $1210.
Gary Dennet, Pearcedale, sold nine large, square Shorthorn heifers, 399kg, for $1200 to Nathan Gibbon Livestock’s account McDonald. Mr Dennet’s pen of eight black heifers, 369kg, sold for $1145.
Jalna Feedlot secured small number of select cattle, including five of KD&PD Sullivan’s Angus heifers for $1000 and five of Patterson & Hitchinson’s, 357kg, for $1050.
D Brain and B Thorson, Poowong East, sold 10 Charolais-cross steers, 308kg, for $1005 to Mr Henderson, and five heifers, 278kg, for $920 to Mr Ross.
Ashlin Farms’ 21 black baldy heifers, weaned, sold for $700 to Mr Ross. A pen of their 13 black baldy steers made $910 and nine of their smaller brothers made $860.
There was only a small offering of cows and calves and joined females. Highlights included TJ&J Watson, Glen Forbes, selling nine Shorthorn-Friesians heifers with calves at-foot by a Limousin bull. They sold for $2180 to Dan Cameron, SEJ Pakenham, who bought them for a client looking for good, youn heifers and “future velaer rearers”.
