Steers to $1850 at Bairnsdale sale

As a South Gippsland livestock buyer said on Friday, he had covered a lot of kilometres looking for cattle at other sales, but went away from Bairnsdale with his quota. It was a mixed yarding of some glossy, well covered animals, store cattle in forward condition, a run of feeder steers and heifers to plainer or younger livestock that will go on grass before they enter a feedlot. Young cattle sold dear, as they have for the past couple of years at Bairnsdale.

The strongest indicator of both price and how long farmers are prepared to hang on to livestock was the sale of a pen of Friesian poddy calves, $500 each, vendor DP Daly out of Wingan River. A second pen sold at $480.

Restockers, feedlot buyers and butchers competed strongly for steers and heifers. A pen of 14mo Charolais steers, 480kg, sold at $1850, vendor Glenshiel Pastoral, Butcher’s Ridge; they were bought by a South Gippsland restocker. A second pen, same vendor, 427kg, sold at $1780. Graeme Hine, Hine Vegetables, Wuk Wuk, sent in a pen of 18mo Hereford steers, 485kg, $1720.

Speckled steers, 18mo-2yo, sold to $1650, average $1575, vendor JD Davies.

P Martin, Wangara Park, Bengworden, sold a pen of 12-14mo Charolais steers, 422kg, $1640. A pen of Angus steers, 382kg, sold at $1540, vendor D Hurley, Dargo.

Also out of Dargo, Mrs C Scott sent in 14mo Hereford steers that sold at $1510.

JA Traill, Dargo, sold 14mo Angus steers $1400. A second and third pen, 8-10mo steers, sold $1180 and $1160 respectively. Combridge & Watt, Tabberabbera, sold 12-14mo Hereford-Blonde d’Aquitaine steers, 343kg, $1310.

Jindabyne’s Brian Pendergast sent in 12-14mo Hereford steers that returned $1310. Lou & Sharon Pendergast, Benambra, sold 12-15mo Black Baldy and Angus steers, to $1310, average $1257. P&A Pota, Towamba NSW, sent in a pen of weaned 10mo Angus steers, Te Mania bloodline, 303kg, $1260.

High country calf sale toppers, Phil & Kerry Geehman, Ensay, sold two pens of 18mo Shorthorn-Hereford heifers, 423kg at $1430 and 448kg for $1400. D Hurley, Dargo, sold 14mo Angus heifers, 388kg, $1320. A second pen, 330kg, sold at $1200.

Apart from a few pens, most heifers sold about $900-$1000, because of age, giving restockers and feedlot buyers an opportunity to buy them to put on grass.

G&I Kennedy, Pambula, sold Angus cows, up to 6yo, depastured to a Lawson bull and due to calve from February, $1230. There was a sizeable yarding of cows and calves and canny purchasers are still seeing value in buying them. J&R Valentine, Maffra, sold two pens of Hereford pairs, to $1880, average $1177. A&J Knowles, Buchan, sent in Angus cows with Black Baldy calves, depastured to a Charolais bull, $1840.