Leongatha
Yarding: 2492
Steers to $1925
Heifers to $1400
Cows & calves to $2400
THE market was red hot at Leongatha last Thursday.
With very few feeder cattle in forward condition, it was paradise for local re-stockers and feedlot operators; the few butchers’ buyers had to work hard to buy livestock.
While the price for weaner steers dipped under $1000/head a few times, overall the sale remained firm on previous sales.
Grown steers sold to $1925, for two year-old black baldy steers, 645kg, vendor C Scholton, Yinnar.
JJ&CL Green, Bemboka, sold 20 month-old Angus, 521kg, for $1640; the second pen, 483kg, made $1610; and the third pen, 423kg, returned $1390.
Some producers sent in spring 2015-drop cattle.
Blackwood Grazing, Trafalgar, sent in a draft of Charolais cattle – the top pen of steers, 514kg, sold at $1760. Its line of Angus steers (average weights 403-459kg) sold to $1550 twice.
R McKenzie, Yea, sent in Hereford and Charolais steers, 504kg and 510kg respectively, that sold to $1680 and $1690.
Thorpdale’s Gippsland Grazing sent in Angus, black baldy, Hereford and Charolais cattle, which sold to $1620 twice – for a pen of Angus that weighed 453kg, and a pen of Herefords, 441kg.
Weaner cattle sold very well, steers returning 450c/kg for a pen of 12mo Angus steers, Leawood bloodline, 354kg, $1470, vendor Andrew and Kate O’Mara, Glengarry. The couple were very happy with the average across their two pens; Mr O’Mara said it was the best price they had ever received for weaner steers.
McGauran Pastoral Co, Nambrok, sent in their annual draft of 11-12mo Hereford steers and heifers, Newcomen bloodline, yard weaned in November.
One of the feature lines on the day, 182 McGauran steers sold to $1540, or a return of 420c/kg as they weighed 360kg. Most of the steers went to one buyer; as did the 107 heifers, sold to $1110 and bought by Andrew Carmichael, Buffalo. Mr Carmichael recently sold last year’s McGauran female draft at 450kg liveweight into a pasture assured program.
R&M Hunt, Newry, sold a draft of 10mo weaned Hereford steers, Mawarra bloodline, top pen 390kg, $1500 and Angus steers, Latrobe Park bloodline, 401kg, sold at $1480.
W&K Redmond, Drumble, Koonwarra, sent in 18mo Angus heifers, 438kg, that returned $1400.
J&M Bravington, Newry, sold registered Limousin heifers, 12-13mo, at $1360.
R&M Hunt, Newry, sent in weaned Hereford heifers that sold to $1300, for a pen average weight 355kg.
The Firs, White Creek, sold a draft of 12-14mo Angus and black baldy heifers, 373kg, to $1260. Charolais heifers, 10-11mo, 358kg, returned $1260 for M&E&K Triantafyllou, Woodside.
A few cows and calves sold to $2400 for a Brahman-cross pair, vendor P Stevenson, Heyfield.