TWO WEEKS APART, which saw Friday’s Bairnsdale sale sell at firm to dearer prices for most cattle, temperatures were half of the previous sale, and the supply was lot smaller in number.
Part of the big talk around this sale, was the solid rain that fell over many, but unfortunately not all parts of East Gippsland.
Producers were talking of falls between 12 and 30 millimeters, and up on the Monaro, it was said 100mm fell up there.
Whether it is premature or not, some producers were talking of an early autumn break.
Agents offered a yarding of 1787 head, which was 1000 fewer than the previous sale.
While this offering was more mixed in quality, once again there were numerous cattle from the high country, that are selling early, mainly due to the lack of stock water.
A very good crowd was in attendance, and they watched the opening pens of yearling steers sell to reduced competition.
The prices for these steers were cheaper, but potential buyers were concerned about dentition, which kept some form bidding.
A range of these yearling steers, potentially having two or more permanent teeth, sold mostly between $1000 and $1160, equaling 232 to 245 cents per kilogram liveweight.
As the sale progressed, and all agents had sold their heavy steers, some good prices emerged. The best of these was JT Appleby, selling 11 Hereford steers for $1470 or 290c/kg lwt.
T&J Gray sold 21 Hereford and Angus steers, 489 to 515kgs, for $1200 and $1310, which, at 254c/kg, was where many of the yearling steers sat.
Buyers again targeted the pens of younger steers, normally sold in March’s annual calf sales.
J&G Crisp, Omeo, sold 45 Hereford, and Shorthorn-Hereford steers from $870 to $1050, which was equally as strong as their last consignment, sold two weeks ago.
Normally sold in the Bairnsdale calf sales in March, was 70 Angus-Hereford steers of J Hayward and Partners, Ensay.
John Hayward said “water has become a big issue, and selling now was the best option for us”.
One pen of very young steers sold for $580, with the balance making from $760 to $990, or equaling 314 to 325c/kg lwt.
These very good sales, aided strong competition on other steers, for those who missed out before.
Competition was more wide spread at this sale with feedlot competition, bullock fatteners from South and West Gippsland, and one buyer from Cann River, where rain has been recorded three times over the past two to three weeks.
There was local competition as well, for many of the younger steers, which saw many sell between $640 and $890 per head.
A similar story evolved during the large offering of yearling and younger heifers.
Yearling heifers only made fair prices with a good percentage purchased for grain feeding.
A&B AhSam, Omeo, sold 29 good quality yearling heifers, 350 to 445kgs, from $795 to $960. Most sold in this range with five Angus heifers making $990.
The good selection of younger heifers, including Angus, Hereford, Charolais, and Limousin-Angus breeds, sold mostly between $525 and $800.
J Hayward and Partners sold 65 Angus-Hereford heifers from $565 to $720, and a pen of 24 Charolais heifers, offered by R Mee, Buchan South, made $800, or 245c/kg lwt.
Several pens of cows and calves concluded the days sale. Demand was quite strong here, and sales were generally stronger than two weeks ago.
Kerri-Lee Whelan sold 23 Angus cows, from third to fifth calvers, from $1280 to $1450. Other cows and calves, some of which were quite plain, sold mostly between $900 and $1260.