There was universal praise for the yarding of 2609 cattle at the annual Elders Kerr & Co annual feature spring sale Thursday.
The numbers tell the tale with the whole yarding weighing an average 400 kilograms, 373kg in 2019, selling for an average of 447 cents a kilogram (305c/kg in 2019) and $1809 a head ($1138).
Grown steers sold to 465c/kg and heifers to 432, and weaner steers sold to 564c/kg and heifers t 509c/kg.
Buyers from all segments of the industry attended while AuctionsPlus also had a major presence.
Feedlotters, backgrounders, restockers for female cattle, grass finishers and bullock fatteners were present.
Kerr & Co auctioneer Craig Pertzel said they had been holding the annual sale for 20 years and this year's cattle were "just outstanding".
The season has been good but the breeding over the past five to ten years has improved out of sight," he said.
"That was reflected in the cattle today - they were exceptional quality.
"The people that are dead set in the job to do it properly don't mind spending $10,000 for bulls."
He said bullock fatteners jumped in on the 16-18 month old steers.
"When we went onto the spring-drop cattle, 12-14 months and tuching 500kg a head were outstanding. Bullock fatteners bought them, feedlottes bought them, backgrounders bought them - that was the highlght of the sale for me," he said.
Mr Pertzel said it was "encouraging" to see the number of heifers going back to the paddock for breeding and they made above expectations at 460-470c/kg.
Of the heavy steers, a draft account Lothlorien, sold to 423c/kg for a pen of 18 at 509kg. The tops per head was a pen of six at 537kg that made $2246 a head or 418c/kg.
Murroa East sold a pen of 15 steers, 541kg, that made 411c/kg, or $2226. The same vendor had 125 steer weaners that ranged in weights from 330kg to 421kg and sold from 460c/kg to 503c/kg or $1660 to $1939.
Of the Murroa heifers a pen of 18 grown heifers, 419kg, made 418c/kg or $1750.
Bernleigh forwarded grown steers and heifers with the best steers a pen of nine at 478kg making 436c/kg or $2087 and the best heifers a pen of nine, 464kg, that made 410c/kg, or $1901.
Bruce Bell, Bell Pastoral, Woolshorpe, sold a pen of black baldies that weighed 500kg and sold for 431c/kg or $2156.
Weerangourt forwarded a large consignment of Angus mixed sex. The grown steers topped at 433c/kg or $2126 a head for a pen of 17 at 491kg. Weaner steers sold to 504c/kg or $1614 for a pen of 39 weighing 320kg. The grown heifers in the consignment sold to 421c/kg or $1815, for a pen of 13 at 431kg. Twenty weaner heifers weighing 284kg sold for 492c/kg or $1400 and 23 at 305kg made 475c/kg or $1452.
A magnificent line of 161 Murray Grey steers were forwarded by the Boyd family, Greenhills, and were mostly picked up by feedlotters.
The best on a liveweight basis was a pen of 22, at 421kg, that made 440c/kg or $1853. The consignment ranged in average weights from 385kg to 505kg and sold in a range of 418c/kg to 440c/kg or $1675 to $2114.
The Hutton Partnership, Hamilton, forwarded a large consignment of 156 Hereford grown steers. The steers average weights were from 420kg to 513kg and liveweight prices were from 418c/kg to 440c/kg, or $1789 to $2146.
Vinebanks offered a draft of 51 Hereford steers that sold in three pens with 40 across two pens selling for 465c/kg or between $1586 and $1627 on weights of 341kg and 350kg. A heavier pen of 11 at 405kg sold for 451c/kg or $1828.
For the first time Toora West offered a line of steers in this sale with two pens, 13 months old, that weighed an average of 502kg, and sold for 436c/kg or $2196.
Coolana forwarded a draft of 74 weaner steers that sold to the same buyer for 470c/kg on a weight range of 453kg to 463kg and price per head of $2158 to $2176.
Mixed sex Angus from Blythwood Pastoral included a pen of 12 grown steers that weighed 510kg and sold for 430c/kg, or $2193. Weaner steers comprised a pen of 15 that weighed 394kg and sold for 444c/kg or $1750. The heifer weaners from the draft included a pen of 12 at 352kg that made 456c/kg or $1609 and on a liveweight basis eight at 406kg, for $1737.
Pardoo offered a consignment of Angus with a pen of 27 at 302kg making 516c/kg or $1562. A line of 86 sold in one hit for 494c/kg, in a range of $1609 to $1714 on weights of 325kg to 339kg. The heavy pen was a line of 29 that weighed 420kg and sold for $1920 or 447c/kg.
Top price per kilo was 564c/kg paid for a pen of 41 weaners steers forwarded account Tathra. The pen weighed 244kg and made $1376.
A draft from Jamecca Plains included a pen of 23 at 317kg that made 500c/kg or $1588 while the top on per head basis was a pen of 22 at 370kg that made $1724.
Kilkenny Pastoral sold mixed sex weaners with the steer portion selling to 460c/kg for 14 at 408kg or $1876. Per head 35 sold for $1967 on weights of 439kg. Of the heifers 35 weighed 347kg and sold for 479c/kg or $1663.
Milroy Pastoral received 514c/kg or $1610 for a pen of 17 weaner steers, 313kg.
A consignment from Garrangreena included a pen of 21 weaner heifers, 278kg that made 509c/kg or $1416. It sold 17 grown heifers 395kg for 427c/kg or $1686. The light end of its steers was a pen of 16 at 284kg that made 556c/kg or $1581.
A draft of 112 pregnancy-tested-in-calf heifers sold account Stony Point sold in a range of $1720 to a top of $2300.
