Offering only 1500 cattle at the regular Pakenham store cattle market was a good thing, as the very hot weather affected both competition, and demand.
Quality was very mixed, from very plain, young steers and heifers, to bullocks weighing over 600 kilograms liveweight, and gave plenty of opportunity. However, prices were anywhere between $50 and $150 cheaper.
Any highlights came mostly from competition for breeding heifers, which on a quiet day, sold very well.
While many of the regular buyers were present and active, demand was weaker, and very few, if any, steers, sold for an equivalent liveweight price over 300c/kg.
Not all cattle had a weight displayed, but most purchasers agreed that most were 20-40c/kg lwt down, compared to the feature sale held two weeks previously.
P Schult, sold 5 Angus bullocks, 632kg, for $1560, or 247c/kg lwt.
Demand improved for yearling steers weighing over 500kg, which saw RJ Sandy, Cloverlea, sell 14 Angus steers for $1380, and S Stott, Pakenham, sell six Angus steers, for $1425. Both sales equaled 270c/kg lwt.
Some sales of steers, below 500kg, were solid, but there few overall.
D Guest, Woodleigh, sold 25 Angus steers, 466kg, for $1390, or 298c/kg lwt. Of any steers displaying their weights, this was the highest liveweight comparison.
Lines of steers to note were, “Forest Hill”, Korrine, who sold 33 Hereford and Angus-Hereford steers from $950-$1300, and Glenburn Station, offering 35 Angus steers, making $1030-$1210.
P&M McKenzies Family Trust, Neerim, sold 65 Angus steers from $945-$1130. AJ&EJ Board, Catani, sold 46 Angus steers between $970-$1125.
S Bastwrous, Bass, sold 18 Charolais steers for $1070. Steer quotes could go on and on, but the story of cheaper rates does not differ.
However, some heifers sold very well. Competition for breeding heifers was strong, which saw 55 Charolais heifers of Whispering Pines Estate, Clyde, sell from $950-$1200. The first three pens were purchased for breeding, and equaled 309-328c/kg lwt.
The 48 Angus heifers of Glenburn Station sold from $1080-$1225, all very good sales. In fact, many heifers sold well compared to their brothers. Many were only young, and of lighter weights, and sold between $720-$1020.
One line of 29 Simmental-Friesian cows with Simmental CAF, 3-6 months, of F&J Teruch, Qumma, NSW, made up most of the sale, prices were fair to good for mostly plain condition cows, making from $1100-$1890.
Douglas Farms, Woodstock, topped this section of the sale, selling seven Angus heifers with CAF 4-8 weeks, for $1965.
