Numbers at the January Kyneton store sale ballooned as vendors sought to offload cattle following a burst of hot weather.
Agents ended up yarding 1032 cattle, after initially anticipating only 500-600 head.
There were four major buyers, JBS, commission buyer Peter Tuohey, operating on behalf of four different purchasers, Garrison Feedlots and Campbell Ross, who was active on behalf of Gippsland interests.
McGrath Rodwell’s Kieran McGrath said there was also solid local support.
“It’s on a par with some of the Gippsland sales,” Mr McGrath said.
“Any cattle over 350 kilogram sold at solid rates, whether steers or heifers, but any lighter cattle sold at cheaper rates.”
Tamana Farm sold 10 of its Angus weaner steers, averaging 380kg, for $1050 a head, or 276 cents a kilogram.
Sutton Grange made $1200, or 266c/kg for 16, High Spa blood, Angus steers, averaging 450kg, while Tony Mazzarella’s top pen of eight steers made $1225/hd.
Lighter weaners offered by D&L Gordon, Carlsruhe, made $855/hd, with the av 300kg steers fetching 285c/kg. Gordon’s also sold 11 heifers, averaging 280kg, for $700, or 250c/kg.
Landmark Dwyer’s John Robson was one of the agents initially expecting a smaller yarding.
“I thought it was tough enough. Before Christmas, many people had feed, but by two weeks after Christmas, people wanted to sell,” Mr Robson said.
“Almost everyday has been 35 degrees plus, and our feed has just blown away.”
An offering of eight Angus steers, from M Knight, Trentham, weighing 364kg sold for $940/hd, or 258c/kilogram. M&S Reidy received $820 for seven Angus steers, averaging 322kg, or 254c/kg. N Ott, Glenhope, sold eight 12-14 month-old Angus steers, which av 349kg, for 252c/kg.
Among the heifers, Hanging Rock farm made $1070, or 263c/kg, for 10, 15-16 month-old, 406kg Angus females.
Among the cows and calves, R McCarthy, Spring Hill, sold four,15-16 month-old Angus Charolais heifers, with eight-12 week old calves at foot, for $1000.
Elders Brendan Coxon said it was a mixed line-up of cattle.
“It was a pretty tough day. The better cattle sold equal to other markets but there were a lot of steers around the $2.60-2.80 mark,” Mr Coxon said.
He said vendors from along the Murray River, Barham and Swan Hill, also consigned cattle to Kyneton.
“We had the right buyers there, it wasn’t a disaster, but it was a fair bit cheaper than what we’ve had,” he said.
N Velardo, Kyneton, sold a pen of nine Angus for $1240/hd, av 482kg, or 257c/kg, while seven Hereford-cross steers, av 428kg, offered by W Kriewaldt, made $1100/hd, also fetching 257c/kg.
Bendigo’s Vincent Vallolonga sold four Angus steers for $1100, av 429kg, or 256c/kg.
The tops of the heifers included eight Banquet blood Angus, offered by RK Phillips, Kyneton, which averaged 424kg and went for $1140, or 268c/kg.
Andrew Miller
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
