It was very cold, wet and miserable at the Leongatha store cattle sale, on Thursday.
Yearling steers, and most of the younger steers sold to solid competition, and prices were firm to dearer than two weeks ago.
Feedlot buyers purchased the lion's share of the good quality yearling steers, paying to $1485 per head, or mostly 280-293 cents per kilogram liveweight.
With 2810 cattle penned, consignments came from Bombala and districts, Benambra and Omeo, and much of Central, West, and South Gippsland.
The earlier part of the sale comprised of many well-bred steers in all weight ranges, and demand was very strong for these.
Top of the sale was a pen of yearling Hereford steers weighing 576 kilograms, which made $1520.
These went to a bullock fattener, with most of the balance going to processor feedlots for grain feeding.
Prices ranged mostly from $1200-$1460 for steers over 400kg lwt.
L Osborne, Glengarry, sold Angus steers from $1430-$1485, equaling 279-289c/kg lwt.
Mount Angus stud, Trafalgar, sold Angus steers, 377-464kg, from $1100-$1360, or 293c/kg lwt.
Many of the well-bred Angus, Hereford and Charolais steers all sold in liveweight range of 290-330c/kg, which was a good, solid result.
B&L Barrett, Tyers, sold 41 Angus steers calves, 287-332kg, from $890-$1090.
Robinson & Hasthorpe, Tanjil South, sold Charolais steers to $1140, and M&N Bracecamp, Berry’s Creek, sold Angus steers, 362kg, for $1200, which was the top for steers under 400kg lwt.
From the Monaro, T&L Moreing, Bibbenluke, sold good quality Hereford steers from $260-$1070, all equaling 300-326c/kg lwt. Such was the appreciation for their quality.
A good number of the lighter-weight steer calves sold quite well, although some of the youngest were sold at cheaper rates.
J&S Moreing, Cathcart, sold 51 Hereford steers from $610-$950, and Mt Springs Partnership, Bombala, sold 36 Angus, Hereford and their crosses, from $770-$1100.
More locally, Comeragh, Leongatha South, sold 71 Angus steers from $675-$995.
Only a few small lots of yearling heifers sold over $1000.
Robinson & Hasthorpe sold two Charolais cross heifers, 465kg, for the top price of $1130, and the Moscript family, Leongatha South, sold four Charolais heifers for $1000.
To best judge how poorly the heifers sold, liveweight price equivalents tell the story.
Most heifers were well-bred and of quite good quality, but only equaled 200-240c/kg lwt.
Numerous pens were purchased for slaughter, and many of the young heifers were purchased for a South Australian producer to background for later grain feeding.
Normally held back for breeding heifers, C&D Anderson, Benambra, sent 60 heifers.
Weighing from 304-332kg, these Angus and Hereford heifers were in good condition, but made only $670-$780.
Many heifers sold in a price range of $400-$755, which gave buyers some good quality heifers at low rates.