After a week of summer temperatures, last Thursday at Pakenham, leading up to a massive storm front, a high of 37 degrees, and excessive humidity, saw a smaller crowd attend.
Agents yarded a good to very good quality offering in all classes of cattle, which included bullocks, yearling steers and heifers, cows with calves, and a good selection of younger and lighter weight calves.
Included in the total offering were 1703 steers and bullocks, which peaked at $1620 for bullocks, and $1480 for yearling steers.
Despite, a very big prediction of very heavy rain, and flooding to follow, Friday and the weekend, many places are drying out, especially some of the red soil districts.
Supply came from West, South and Central Gippsland, plus north of Melbourne, and the Western District too.
Potential buyers were confronted by some noise when entering the saleyard, but most of the cattle were weaned, or weaned naturally, by the dry conditions.
From the outset, demand was quite good, and it did improve as the sale progressed, especially for some well bred lines of cattle.
In the first lane, Hemley Pastoral Co, Glenorchy, offered Limousin & Limousin cross steers and heifers, which were in fat condition.
These 80 yearling and younger steers and heifers sold from $1020-$1340 with some of the younger cattle purchased for grain feeding. The older cattle sold at unchanged rates, while some of the younger steers were dearer.
Top honours went to Visser Farms, Koo Wee Rup, who sold 50 bullocks, 0-4 teeth, from $1520-$1620.
Competition varied for the older, and heavier steers and bullocks. Some of the bullocks were purchased to finish on grain in NSW, and competition from other feedlots saw many of the steers 350-470kgs, go for grain feeding.
Demand from buyers for Angus steers for grass assured programs was better with one extra buyer present.
Even though there was this better competition, purchases were only made because of price, with a lot of steers selling at unchanged to cheaper rates.
W,L&R Boyd, Pyramid Hill, sold 45 Charolais-Shorthorn, and Shorthorn steers from $1470-$1500, which was a very tight range for a 80kg weight variation.
The feature line of “Camoola” Angus steers and heifers sold very well on the day.
Their 113 steers sold between $1050&$1220 to average $1139, or 341c/kg, and their 100 heifers,$860-$1020, av $939, or 306c/kg lwt.
F Sofra, Whispering Pines, Clyde sold 73 Angus&Charolais steers from $1000-$1090 in a well contested sale. Their 52 heifers sold from $850$940.
Numerous breeds were penned. A&T Rural, Dixons Creek, sold 50 Blonde-Hereford cross steers & heifers, the steers selling from $1000-$1125, and their heifers $875-$1025.
Armstrong Park, Labertouche, sold 62 Red Angus calves, the steers to $970, and heifers to $765.
K&R Dyke, Westbury, sold 18 Simmental steers & heifers from $880-$1080.
Last, but not least, was the 159 Angus steers calves of Covino Farms, Longford. These sold between $860&$1095, in a strongly contested sale.
A very mixed penning of cows and calves generally sold quite well. DJ Britt, Warragul sold stud Limousin cows with young calves from $1900 to $2650 for very good quality heifers.
Mabu P/L, Mirboo, sold European cross cows with bigger calves from $1850-$2200. Ellerslie Park, Fish Creek sold Hereford cows and calves for $1690.
Plenty of dairy and dairy cross steers and bullocks were penned. Prices varied greatly from $350 to just over $1000 for bullocks.
