Yarding: 550
Weaner steers: $1,220
Yearling steers: $1,400
Weaner heifers: $930
Cows and calves: $990 to $1,490
Bringing a draft of cattle forward paid dividends for East Gippsland producer Chris Nixon, at last week’s Bairnsdale store sale.
Graeme Fullgrabe, Sharp Fullgrabe, said prices were about $50 below the last sale, prior to Christmas.
He said Mr Nixon sold a line of 146 steers and heifers, a/c Tonghi Creek, by Hazeldean and Kunuma bld.
“His steers averaged $1108, or 312c/kg, while the heifers sold for $723, or 285c/kg,” Mr Fullgrabe said.
Mr Nixon achieved a top price of $1100 for a pen of 18 Angus steers, fetching between $920 to $950 for a further 25 animals.
The stock went to Gippsland, Garrison at Swan Hill and locally.
“It was $50 cheaper than prior to Christmas, the fat market - the other end of it - is not real effective,” Mr Fullgrabe said.
The Meat & Livestock reporting service said the 550 cattle penned for the first store sale of 2018, representing a decrease of 1,200 head from the final sale of 2017.
Quality was limited to only a small number of pens with lots of well-bred calves and older cattle, secondary crosses and plainer cattle throughout.
There was a smaller field of buyers operating on the limited offering and competition was subdued with only one feedlot order in place.
Results were a little mixed with the odd outlier, however most cattle sold between $50 and $100 ahead cheaper.
Cows with calves at foot achieved higher prices, as quality had a greater effect.
The MLA said the top of the weaner steers made $1,220 a head for 20 Angus steers weighing 393kg, which equated to 310c/kg.
The weaner steers averaged $914 a head or 323c/kg.
A pen 15 Angus steers weighing 519kg or 270c/kg, a/c G and G Caldwell, Ensay, made $1400 a head.
One Black Baldy steer, a/c Peter Ryan, Bairnsdale, made $1350 and was sold to Landmark, Leongatha.
PJ and NP Neven, Tubbut sold a pen of five Angus and Black Baldy steers for $1100, with a second draft of three for $870.
Grassvale farms, Wuk Wuk, sold 12 Murray Grey steers, for $1290, while K and J Heyne, Orbost, sold a pen of three Angus steers for $1080.
G&D Williamson, Rosedale, made $1070 for a pen of three Angus steers, while J&W Gilmore, Calulu, sold a pen of two Angus steers for $1060.
Among the other top sellers was one Murray Grey steer, 10-12 months old, a/c R&V Northrope, which went for $1040, while another nine went for $800.
Among the top prices for the heifers were $1030, for one Angus heifer, a/c G and K Kramme, Sarsfield.
The Krammes also sold another pen of four Angus heifers for $850.
The weaner heifers averaged $757 a head or 280c/kg.
Michael O’Callaghan sold an Angus cow and calf unit for $1490, while six Angus and Charolais cows and calves, a/c LH and SE Pendergast, Benambra, sold for $1100.
Cows with calves at foot sold from $990 to $1,490 to average $1,233 a unit.
Agents said they were expecting a bigger draft, of between 2500-3000 cattle on Friday.
