Colac agents offered just shy of 800 cattle last Friday, and this included a mix of cattle, comprising of yearling steers and heifers, younger steers and heifers, and cows with calves.
The continuing dry and hot conditions were showing in the condition of some of the cattle offered, which was no different to many other recent sales.
However, the breeding was quite good, and competition from the Ballarat area, and one northern buyer, was complemented by numerous local producers.
European breeds, and their crosses, made up all of the yearling steers offered, and opportunity feeders from the Ballarat districts purchased all of these.
Generally, demand for heavier feeder steers has waned, and this sale was no different with liveweight price equivalents being between 230-260 cents a kilogram liveweight.
Charolais and Charolais-cross steers, which weighed between 400-520kg, sold from $860-$1200 a head.
The top price was paid for Charolais-cross steers of Warravale Charolais.
There is a pattern occurring at all recent store sales, where repeat buyers are targeting known breeders' steers, that are proven performers.
Geoff Coverdale, Purrumbete South Pastoral Co, sold weaned Angus steers, weighing 366kg, for $1180, or 322c/kg lwt.
This was the top of the steers, as most others sold in a range of 260-290c/kg lwt.
Evanglen sold Charolais-cross steers for $1010, X Prime Angus sold Angus steers for $980, and N&C Mawson sold Angus steers for $900.
Feedlot orders dominated the few pens of yearling heifers, and they paid between $870-$1010 for pens of Angus and Murray Grey heifers.
These equaled between 240-255c/kg lwt, which was a fair result on current trends.
R&J Goodall sold yearling Angus heifers, 420kg, for $1010, and M&M Johns sold Murray Grey heifers, 408kg, for $950.
Charles Stewart Dove livestock manager Phil Douglas said strong demand for future breeding heifers saw good prices paid for Angus heifers.
Purrumbete Pastoral Co's Angus heifers all sold to producers for future breeds from $805-$905, which equaled up to 275c/kg lwt.
Some of the other weaned heifers sold better than expected.
P&C Wilson Shorthorn-cross heifers sold for $810, or 245c/kg lwt.
Surprisingly, the secondary and plainer heifers met solid demand, with the Angus heifers being sought for an export order.
GT Agriculture sold Angus heifers for $635, which along with other lighter weight, and younger heifers, was a good sale.
There weren't many cows and calves penned.
One line of Angus cows and calves, offered by J Broome, sold for $2020, which was a very good result given current market conditions.
Joined cows met solid demand and were purchased by opportunists, topping at $1150.
