Strong processor competition for yearling steers to grain feed set a dearer trend at Pakenham, Thursday. There was a very good selection of steers, weighing from 420 to over 600 kilograms liveweight. Most of these will be grain fed to cover a shortage of finished steers around August and September.
Well bred steers of all breeds sold well, and whether it was due to the rain, the end of the Financial year, or just optimism, most cattle sold to dearer trends.
Top of the heavy yearling steers was a pen of 12 Angus steers, 550kgs, offered by AP Savage, Coldstream. These steers were purchased by a bullock fattener for $1645.
There were 16 pens of Angus, Hereford and Charolais-Angus steers that sold from $1350-$1660. Mason Quark P/L, Buxton, sold 24 Hereford steers, 542-614kgs, from $1525-$1660, which was a reflection of the current bullock prices.
Among an array of single pens of yearling steers was a draft of 28 Angus and Charolais-Angus steers of PW Rollason, Woodleigh. These sold from $1380-$1635.
Two weeks ago, here at Pakenham, there was only three pens of Friesian steers, be were there were none offered at this sale. Many of the cattle penned were last year’s spring drop calves, although only a small percentage were heifers.
The top of these was 13 pure Charolais steers of Silverbrae Charolais Stud, which sold for $1190. Next to the top two pens of Cremona Park, whose 30 Angus steers sold for $1095.
Due to the season, there were few steers that matched these two producer bred lots, as most were plainer and of lighter weights.
Most of these lighter weight steers sold between $730 and $935, which was a big improvement on two weeks ago.
G Haggard, Woori Yallock, sold 56 Angus-Hereford and Hereford steers from $770-$960, the top price steers being over 300kgs lwt.
Also weighing over 300kgs was the 12 Speckle Park steers of Clover Cottage P/L, French Island, that sold for $980. The young Charolais steers of Sliverbrae Charolais Stud sold from $735-$890, and the 29 younger Angus steers of Cremona Park sold from $880-$905. All of these equaled over 310c/kg lwt.
Although heifers sold to dearer trends, they were still good buying. The highest price was $1070 for a pen of older Angus heifers purchased for grain feeding.
Away from these, the 14 Speckle Park heifers of Clover Cottages P/L topped the bill at $1000. Most other heifers sold between $450 and $750. S Maddern sold 7 Simmental-Angus heifers, 351kgs, for $830, and the 20 Angus heifers of Cremona Park, sold from $590-$660.
Concluding the sale was joined and calves female cattle of varying ages. Ben Judd, Ripplebrook, sold 9 Angus heifers, PTIC to calve in December, for $730, which was good buying providing we have a season.
Tandara Limousin’s, Neerim, sold 6 pure bred Limousin cows with older calves at foot. These sold from $1800-$1890 with one other for $1400. All were PTIC back in calf.
Large in frame, but lacking condition, 7 Hereford-Friesian cows of M Stefanovski had very good quality Limousin calves up to 5 months of age. The top 5 cows and calves sold for $1380.