Vendors continued to receive in excess of 500 cents a kilogram for mixed sex calves at Bairnsdale on Friday despite a smaller yarding generally showing less condition.
Agents yarded 1050 cattle including 600 steers and 400 heifers in a market which was largely underpinned by agents buying on behalf of clients in South and West Gippsland.
Fewer feature lines of vendor-bred calves were on offer, while older and yearling-off cattle experienced slight prices, agents said, during a sale which was firm on the previous fortnight.
Sharp Fullgrabe director Graeme Fullgrabe said the quality of cattle was not as good as recent sales because the market featured several second and third runs of of vendors' cattle.
"We found cattle that weren't as good were still making the same money as their brothers and sisters a fortnight ago," Mr Fullgrabe said.
The sale featured a draft of Finchley Pastoral mixed sex calves from Delegate, NSW.
The top pen of steers in the draft, 327kg, made $1610 or 420c/kg, the second pen of 13, 255kg, made $1350 or 529c/kg and the third pen of 19, 241kg, made $1360 or 564c/kg.
The top pen of 10 heifers, 275kg, made $1210 or 440c/kg, the second pen of 11, 230kg, made $1150 or 500c/kg and the third pen of 15, 219kg, made $1160 or 529c/kg.
Millewa Farms also sold a draft of 67 heifers including a top pen of 26, 324kg, for $1300 or 401c/kg, a second set of 26, 304kg, for $1220 or 401c/kg and a third pen of 15, 274kg, for $1250 or 456c/kg.
Nutrien Bairnsdale auctioneer Brad Obst said he had a better yarding of cattle compared to a fortnight ago, with many cattle showing signs of a good season.
"Competition was strong from South Gippsland buyers and they competed strongly with the West Gippsland blokes along with more local competition which was good.
"The cattle showed more weight about them in this sale ... most of the cattle were 280 to 300 kilograms so I think the yarding was a bit heavier.
"It was a firm market overall and probably the dollars are perhaps a bit better and that might have reflected in the heavier yarding."
The sale started with a pen of 10 steers offered by P Burer, 512kg, which made $2100 or 410c/kg.
Other dear pens included nine steers offered by Sue Capon, 501kg, which made $2080 or 451c/kg and was bought by Peter Lee, Garrison Cattle Feeders.
The dearest steer pen was for 14 steers by J Amey, 608kg, which made $2310 or 379c/kg and bought by Eddy Hams, Nutrien South Gippsland Livestock, for a client in South Gippsland.
Mr Hams bought about 120 steers in total for bullock fatteners in the south.
Meanwhile, Tim and Jane Gray, Lakeside Park, Wy Yung, sold 10 steers, 480kg, for $2040 or 425c/kg after recently selling their property. The pen was bought by Mr Lee.
P Barton sold a pen in the first lane comprising 13 steers, 335kg, for $1650 or 492c/kg which was bought by Ian Baker, Greenwood Nutrien, for a client at Sale.
Bill Wyndham & Co auctioneer Colin Jones said he was pleased to witness feedlots and local backgrounders competing for heifers.
"The quality was nowhere near as good as a fortnight ago and the quality cattle that were here stood out because there wasn't as many of them," Mr Jones said.
"We had a lot of store cattle here today compared to a fortnight ago as well where cattle showed a lot more condition."
"We had three pens of John Clancy's heifers from Calulu and his two pens of young cattle sold extremely well and then the Sandy family had two pens of heifers up near Buchan and they made $1560 and $1540."
In the cow and calf section, Jim Pendergast, Benambra, dispersed 20 cows with calves at foot with plans afoot to change his operation to grow out steers.
He sold seven cows with calves at foot for $2800, six cows and calves for $3200 and seven cows and calves for $3100. The 20 cows had not been rejoined.
Steers
Wangarabell Station sold sevens teers, 287kg, for $1340 or 466c/kg.
John Hayward & Partners sold 13 steers, 286kg, for $1480 or 517c/kg.
R Kramme sold five steers, 269kg, for $1440 or 535c/kg.
AJ, JP & R Simpson sold 20 steers, 325kg, for $1610 or 495c/kg.
ML & GM Lee sold four steers, 414kg, for $1740 or 420c/kg, and 11, 347kg, for $1600 or 461c/kg.
Millewa Farms sold five steers, 284kg, for $1430 or 503c/kg.
S Portues sold four steers, 238kg, for $1310 or 580c/kg.
T & R Faithfull sold 12 steers, 332kg, for $1700 or 512c/kg.
GE & VJ Geddes sold 10 steers, 412kg, for $1830 or 444c/kg.
BJ & JB Carroll sold 14 steers, 434kg, for $1890 or 435c/kg.
Heifers
Deighton Pastoral sold three heifers, 346kg, for $1400 or 404c/kg.
John Hayward & Partners sold 13 heifers, 301kg, for $1440 or 478c/kg.
Wangarabell Station sold six heifers, 265kg, for $1140 or 430c/kg.
P Kramme sold seven heifers, 262kg, for $1120 or 427c/kg.
Snowy River sold six heifers, 203kg, for $1010 or 497c/kg.
Willungview sold 21 Hereford heifers, 281kg, for $1330 or 473c/kg.
J & T Sandy sold 13 heifers, 371kg, for $1560 or 420c/kg, and another 14, 338kg, for $1520 or 449c/kg.
B Hancock sold 10 steers, 306kg, for $1410 or 460c/kg.
GW & PK Carroll sold 10 heifers, 284kg, for $1220 or 429c/kg, and another 10, 245kg, for $1150 or 469c/kg.
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