A broad yarding of cattle offered something for everyone at Leongatha on Friday in what some agents described as a typical South Gippsland store market.
Agents yarded 2100 cattle varying in weight and condition with a large selection of Friesian and cross-bred cattle on offer during the fortnightly sale.
Prices maintained similar rates on recent sales, however, some cattle were showing signs of a wet winter, agents said.
Feedlot competition was again down compared to a fortnight ago, while the absence of one large commission buyer allowed restockers to secure better bred pens.
A good selection of vendor-bred steers under 300 kilograms sold to strong demand, making more than 550 cents a kilogram, while heifers with condition weighing less than 300kg sold above 450c/kg.
Elders Leongatha and Korumburra auctioneer Rohan McRae said the sale lacked the buoyancy it had a fortnight ago.
"There wasn't the quality of the last sale but the bigger lines, the good cattle, made their money and light steers and heifers were a fraction dearer," Mr McRae said.
"The crowd wasn't as big but we had more of a percentage of cattle staying locally with little ones being bought to grow out and the heavier ones popular with bullock fatteners."
The sale started with a pen of Charolais steers by K Beale, 518 kilograms, which were bought by livestock carrier Robert Findlay, Leongatha, for $2010 or 398c/kg.
They followed a pen of Hereford steers by D Wigg, 463kg, which made $1910 or 412c/kg.
Among the dearest pens on a cents per kilogram basis were two pens of steers offered by Walkerville Farms.
The first pen of 19 which were bought by a West Gippsland bullock fattener weighed an average of 283kg and made $1560 or 551c/kg, while the second pen of 25, 276kg, made $1640 or 528c/kg.
Walkerville Farms also sold 25 heifers, 276kg, for $1260 or 456c/kg, and 20 heifers, 237kg, for $1100 or 464c/kg.
Malabar Farm, Tarwin Lower, offered two pens of light steers including 17, 250kg, for $1350 or 540c/kg, and 12, 260kg, for $1390 or 534c/kg.
Colac-based agents Shelby Howard and Richard McDonald, Charles Stewart Dove, travelled to the sale to secure cows and calves, leaving with about 30 pairs, including 11 Charolais Angus-cross cows with calves at foot for $2550.
"There's limited cows and calves around Colac at the moment and we have a number of clients chasing them so we thought we'd back the trip down," Mr Howard said.
Nutrien Leongatha auctioneer Stuart Jenkins estimated heavy cross-bred steers eased by 20c/kg, but said most other classes were comparable with a fortnight ago.
"We had more farmer competition and agents going harder than recent sales so restocking activity was strong whereas feedlots were limited but so were the suitable cattle for those types of buyers," Mr Jenkins said.
"Some cattle are showing signs of coming out of the winter, those that have done it tough, and there was a big variation of cattle from a range of areas too."
SEJ auctioneer James Kyle said lighter cattle were dearer and the yarding offered something for everyone.
"Vendor-bred cattle with all boxes ticked sold well and you needed 400c/kg to buy a heifer," Mr Kyle said.
"In our run of heifers, we tried to buy a few back for our grass fattening blokes but feedlotters were a close second.
"A lot of the heavier heifers went to feedlots whereas the lighter ones were bought to put back in the paddock."
Steers
D Osment sold 10 steers, 498kg, for $2050 or 411c/kg.
G & S Wiggins, Berrys Creek, sold eight steers, 479kg, for $1860 or 388c/kg, and eight, 434kg, for $1830 or 421c/kg.
DC & MV McRae, Wonthaggi, sold 11 steers, 618kg, for $1910 or 309c/kg, and seven, 663kg, for $2030 or 306c/kg.
MA, JR & CN Staley, Yarram, sold three pens of Friesian steers, 586-624kg, which made from $1750-$2000 ot 298-333c/kg.
N Henderson sold 11 Angus and Black Baldy steers, 355kg, for $1600 or 450c/kg, and six Hereford steers, 352kg, for $1460 or 414c/kg.
J Tuffin, Toora, sold 15 steers, 517kg, for $1990 or 384c/kg.
Megfield, Bairnsdale, sold two steers, 550kg, for $2140 or 389c/kg, and seven, 416kg, for $1690 or 406c/kg.
R Randall & M Weston, Welshpool, sold 10 steers, 455kg, for $1920 or 421c/kg.
DR Hall, Fish Creek, sold five steers, 375kg, for $1680 or 448c/kg, and 27 steers, 305kg, for $1590 or 521c/kg.
J Gieschen, Valencia Creek, sold 18 steers, 372kg, for $1730 or 465c/kg.
M & J Elliott, Licola, sold eight steers, 365kg, for $1690 or 463c/kg.
E Mitterer sold five steers, 300kg, for $1390 or 463c/kg.
B & C Bonds, Outtrim, sold 10 steers, 255kg, for $1290 or 505c/kg.
B & J Young, Foster, sold four steers, 658kg, for $2200 or 334c/kg.
Loch Hills, Ryanston, sold one steer, 572kg, for $2200 or 384c/kg.
Heifers
G Dempsey sold 20 heifers, 240kg, for $1710 or 487c/kg.
Doonagatha, Sandy Point, sold 12 heifers, 385kg, for $1640 or 425c/kg.
M & J Elliott, Licola, sold 16 heifers, 380kg, for $1605 or 422c/kg.
K Boddy & Sons, Woodside, sold 24 heifers, 268kg, for $1270 or 473c/kg.
T & P Hancock, Wonthaggi, sold 20 heifers, 344kg, for $1510 or 438c/kg, and 20, 323kg, for $1460 or 452c/kg.
Hoddle Pastoral, Fish Creek, sold 12 Charolais cows with calves at foot for $2760.
Hoddle Pastoral also sold five in-calf cows to calve from September onwards for $2540.
Mark Schellekens, Bass, sold 11 Shorthorn cows with calves at foot for $2550.
S Conway, Traralgon, sold 12 Hereford-cross cows with Limousin calves at foot for 2100.
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