A Mornington Peninsula Charolais herd dispersal was the highlight of last week’s Pakenham store sale, which saw prices for fat cattle continue to ease.
TB and R Waterfall, Balnarring, achieved prices of up to $3800 for mature bulls, in dispersing its 56 strong herd.
Les Seeley, Everitt, Seeley and Bennetts, said the Charolais cows and calves topped at $2500, with the best three and a half year old Rosedale bull making $3800.
Five of the January calving cows made more than $2000.
Mr Seeley said there was strong competition from locals and Swan Hill for the animals.
With 2600 head offered, Elders Peter Rollason said there was a good run of grown steers, but overall it was probably “a good $60-80 a head cheaper than the previous sale. It was around what we were expecting.”
Steers of around 440-500kilograms achieved between 270 and 280cents/kg.
“There were few good quality young cattle in the sale, most of them were yearlings or a bit older,” he said.
“The trend has been cheaper, especially in the fat market, and that reflected in the values for the bigger cattle.
“There was still quite a bit of inquiry for smaller cattle, there were some good runs of young cattle in the calf pens, which sold very well.”
He said local buyers, including south Gippsland bullock fatteners, were most active in the market.
”The season is drying out rapidly and the fat market has got quite a bit cheaper in the last month or six weeks,” Mr Rollason said.
“There is quite a bit of feed about. Early spring was looking very promising, and I guess there are still people with grass. But I guess what’s happened in the fat market has made them stop and think a bit.”
Alex Scott and staff David Setches said heavier steers were about 15 cents a kilogram cheaper, compared with the previous fortnight.
He said 270-350kg steers ranged in price from 330c to 360c/kg.
“Cows and calves sold very well,” he said.
Among the top sellers was a run of 14 month old Te Mania and Lawson blood 400-500kg steers, a/c Yarawalla Vineyard, Gruyere, which averaged 300c/kg.
R&V Biasi, Bunyip, offered a pen of Angus steers, Banquet blood, for $1070, or 344c/kg.
Four Angus steers, a/c R& D Yousseff sold for $1550.
Alex Scott also sold 18, 18-20 month old Angus 18-20 month old Te Mania blood heifers, Bergamin Pastoral Company, Willow Grove, for $1390.
Cows and calf sales included 10 Angus, a/c Mayneline Angus, for $2760, one Limousin heifer, with and eight week bull calf at foot, for $2420, a/c NL and DD Renshaw and two Charolais-Red Angus cross cows and calves, a/c Barry Tainton, Tynong North, for $2400.
Nathan Gibbon Livestock’s Nathan Gibbon agreed smaller cattle sold very well.
The the heavier cattle, which suited bullock fatteners or grain feeders eased by 10-15 cents a kg.
