Dry conditions in Gippsland aided a large offering of 1550 head at the regular Sale store cattle market last Friday.
Several larger lines of good quality steers, both yearlings and younger steers, sold to more limited competition which included some feedlot buying, but South Gippsland competition dominated.
Producers were selling for different reasons, some due to the lack of grass.
Others said this time of year was their programmed selling period, and most were happy with their steer prices.
Several consignments of yearling steers sold to steady competition, with South Gippsland producers the major buyers, but Hopkins River, Garrison, and Gathercole’s all purchased some steers for grain feeding.
Top of the sale was 20 Angus steers of the Estate of AA Birss, selling for $1410 per head.
D&R Birss sold 31 Angus steers from $1260-$1300.
Most of the yearling steers were Angus, and NW Page offered 73 steers, which sold between $1090-$1270.
Most steers over 420 kilograms equaled 270-290cents per kilogram liveweight.
A&P Anton & Sons, Toongabbie, sold 60 Angus steers from $1210-$1320, these equaling 277-316c/kg lwt.
One draft of yearling Hereford steers sold to less competition, selling only for $1020-$1150, which was below the average of Angus steers.
The sale of younger steers produced better results for most, which included weaned and non-weaned steers.
S Brooker sold 17 Angus steers for $1130, and Nicholas&Macnee, sold 51 Angus steers to $1200, all equaling over 310c/kg lwt.
Price trends were mixed among the lighter weight steers.
KJ&MJ Treasure sold 38 younger Hereford steers from $760-$960, and Standbury Past Co, sold 12 Hereford steers for $855.
The best of the Charolais steers made $920, but varied demand saw some as good buying.
Pingrove sold 15 Charolais steer calves for $915, but the next pen of 14 only made $710.
The base price for steer calves was cheaper than has been seen of late.
RN&MH McInnes sold 77 Angus steer calves to $910, which was a good sale. However, selling the smallest calves from $485-675 was down on previous markets.
Other sales of Hereford, Angus-Hereford, and Charolais steer calves sold between $555-$720.
There was no other way to describe the heifer sale, than cheap.
Few buyers wanted heifers of any shape and size, which left numerous opportunities for successful buyers.
It was almost unprecedented to see these prices.
The best heifers made $785 for 15 Charolais heifers of Pingrove.
However, their second pen made only $570, which was a good indication of the change in demand throughout the sale of heifers.
One pen of young calves made $425, while the base price from there was $520, which compared to their brothers was not too bad a result.
The Treasure, Hereford heifers sold to $760, and Charolais heifers of R&M Jenkinson made $750.
S Brooker sold yearling Angus heifers for $780, and 40 younger Angus heifers of S Gordon, made from $520-$710.
The 88 Angus heifer calves of R&H McInnes sold from $540-$760.
A big range of crossbred steers sold to a top of $1270, but the base price was well below this, due in part to plain quality, and light weight.
H&K Glenn sold three Angus cows with CAF 6-8 months, for $1680, but most of the cows and calves were plain, and sold from $770-$1100.
One run of 20 Angus cows, PTIC to calve from 14 April sold from $940-$1360.
Most of these were heavy, weighing to 700kg.