Yarding 2200
Steers to $2000
Heifers to $1590
STORE cattle continued to sell strongly at Pakenham on Friday, with heavy steers making to $2000.
A pen of Charolais steers, 620kg, East Gippsland bred and Rosedale bloodline, the vendor was G&MR Stephens, Dennison.
The first store sale at Pakenham this year, it compared favourably with the best drafts in 2016, when $2000 was cracked a few times.
But in comparison to the same sale last year, same weight cattle were $500 up on Thursday; and whereas feedlot and processor buyers drove prices in 2016, it was restockers who led the bidding this year.
Greystoke, Boisdale, sent in a pen of Kunuma bloodline Angus steers, 15mo, 560kg, that returned $1920. A second pen, 513kg, sold at $1800.
M Hampson, Cape Schank, sold 15-16mo Angus steers, 451kg, $1610.
Rowallan Grazing, Nar Nar Goon, sent in Angus steers, 452kg, for $1535.
This is a sale that presents several feature lines, as breeders prepare cattle specifically for the Pakenham annual opening store sale.
The Cistercian monks at Tarrawarra Abbey, Tarrawarra, breed one of these feature lines. Their draft of 9-11mo Charolais steers, Violet Hills and Airlie bloodlines, sold to $1460, twice, for their top two pens, average weights 400kg and 384kg.
In January 2016, their draft, top weight 371kg, sold at $1250.
Peter and Lorraine Burgi, Gruyere, sold their line of 9-10mo Charolais steers, Violet Hills bloodline, top weight 395kg, $1455. Last year’s top pen of steers, 370kg, sold at $1200.
CG&ML Coleman, Homewood, sold two pens of Mawarra bloodline Hereford weaner steers, 376kg, to $1450.
John and Mary Bergamin, Bergamin Pastoral Co, Nanjomara, Willow Grove, sent in a line of 8-10mo Hereford steers, Yarram Park and Mawarra bloodlines – the top weight pen, 364kg, returned $1445.
Lighter steers also sold well. Parker Amber P/L, Krowera, sold a pen of 8-9mo Angus steers, 280kg, Dunoon bloodline, at $1260.
There was a floor of $1000 across the draft, with only a small number of very plain cattle selling under that amount.
Heifers sold to $1590, for a pen of Angus weaner females, 491kg, vendor R Cenedese, Dixon’s Creek.
A pen of Charolais weaner heifers, 420kg, sold at $1430; vendor G&J Ablethorpe, Five Ways.
BFFS Investments, Carrum Downs, sent in two pens of Charolais heifers; the top, 425kg, sold at $1400.
Tarrawarra Abbey sold Charolais heifers, 346kg, $1340; last year they sold same age, 332kg, $1050.