Yea combined agents, Elders, Rodwells & Landmark, offered their final yarding of store cattle for 2016 with their annual weaner sales commencing Wednesday, January 11.
A yarding of around 1000 included some good lines of yearling steers, which were March-May 2015 drop.
Competition was subdued for steers of this age and weight with feedlot companies shying away from them.
Demand came mostly from local and South Gippsland bullock fatteners.
Top of the day was Manooka Estate, Whiteheads Creek, selling 51 Angus steers to $1700, to average $1670 for the sales.
H Parth Nominees, Taggerty sold 27 Hereford-Shorthorn steers to $1640, av $1580.
Liveweight price ranges were estimated to be from 300-340c/kg for these yearling steers.
Once getting onto younger yearling steers, competition improved with feedlot competition increasing here.
Murramong Charolais sold 30 spring drop Charolais-Angus steers for $1510.
Most of the younger steers sold from $950-$1350 with solid competition creating a faster sale.
One feedlot buyer purchased a good number of these steers, plus a few of the older cattle.
Commission buyers were active, and some made several purchases, some were quiet.
Processing competition was limited to a few of the lighter weight heifer calves.
Heifers, particularly yearlings, sold to better competition with some processors.
More feedlot competition aided a sale that was reduced in price, but very good none the less.
Waterhouse Agriculture offered a feature line of 31 Angus heifers and calves, the calves being Aug-Sept drop.
These were quality outfits, and sold very well making $3025.
This showed some of the strength for restocking.
Hawkeline, Warragul, sold four pens of Angus cows, 5-6 years, PTIC to Paringa Stabilizer, for Autumn calving.
These sold to $2000, av $1990.
A few other cows and calves were penned, which made mostly from $1900-$2500.