Bairnsdale calves hit 600c/kg amid dip in buyers as masks return

Agents yarded about 1300 cattle at Bairnsdale for the fortnightly store market where northern orders, south and west Gippsland competition and feedlots helped keep prices at firm rates.

Close to two-dozen pens of vendor-bred calves under 300kg sold above 580c/kg, while feedlot-weight cattle rose slightly due to the ongoing tight supply across eastern Australia.

A backgrounding order by Paull & Scollard Nutrien, Myrtleford, also bolstered prices with agent Wade Ivone selecting close to 100 cattle from the sale to take home for multiple clients.

Bill Wyndham & Co livestock manager Colin Jones said it was a much smaller crowd compared to recent sales, however, there was broad interest among the public gallery.

"Nearly everyone here tried to buy some cattle and I'd dare say a majority of the people present took at least a few cattle home," Mr Jones said.

"The odd crossbred and secondary cattle were slightly easier but overall it was a very firm market."

Recent rain across East Gippsland has aided graziers' confidence heading into winter, with the region desperate for some warmer weather to help the grass grow.

Colin Trewin, Orbost, topped the sale with a pen of heavy Hereford bullocks, 670 kilograms, fetching a promising $2570 or 383c/kg.

The pen was bought by meat processor Gathercole's.

Mr Trewin's second pen of 10 steers, 599kg, made $2320 or 387c/kg.

JH & AM Cameron sold two pens of 28 steers including a first pen of 14, 462kg, which made $2300 or 497c/kg and a second pen, 420kg, for $2100 or 500c/kg.

The sale started with four pens of heavy steers consigned by Malcolm Hollonds, Swifts Creek, including a top pen of three steers, 608kg, which made $2460 or 407c/kg, and five steers, 535kg, for $2260 or 423c/kg.

R Baldwin sold 10 steers, 595kg, for $2390 or 401c/kg and JR & JF Coates sold 14 steers, 507kg, for $2260.

I Manson sold five Hereford steers, 542kg, for $2110 or 389c/kg.

Darren Downey sold nine steers, 478kg, for $2150 or 449c/kg.

Sharp Fullgrabe director Graeme Fullgrabe described the yarding as fairly mixed, but was pleased with the support of regular buyers.

"We saw the smaller cattle make far more in cents a kilogram than the top cattle and there was a much closer gap in price per head between their light and medium-weight cattle," Mr Fullgrabe said.

"Cattle will start to lose their coats in the coming weeks and we still have a lot of cattle to come off the Monaro and we anticipate those to come in the next fortnight or so because it's getting cold up there.

"A lot of people have sold older cows for big money, say $2000 a head, and it's quite easy for restockers to turn around and add another $1000 onto that and buy a cow and calf unit and that's what we're seeing."

In the lighter section, K & P Whelan sold 13 steers, 309kg, for $1700 or 550c/kg and 10 steers, 281kg, for $1610 or 572c/kg.

PR Henderson Farms Pty Ltd sold 21 Hereford steers, 317kg, for $1690 or 533c/kg and 22 steers, 271kg, for $1630 or 601c/kg.

Future Plains sold 15 steers, 284kg, for $1660 or 584c/kg and nine steers, 220kg, for $1390 or 631c/kg.

Sandville sold six steers, 286kg, for $1670 or 583c/kg.

Robert Coates sold 13 steers, 289kg, for $1610 or 557c/kg.

G & J Connley, Tonghi Creek, sold 18 steers, 284kg, for $1610 or 566c/kg and seven steers, 267kg, for $1520 or 569c/kg.

PD Collins & KE Payton sold 14 steers, 278kg, for $1650 or 593c/kg and 14 steers, 255kg, for $1500 or 588c/kg.

Bemm River Properties sold 11 steers, 282kg, for $1670 or 592c/kg.

Hospital Creek sold 12 Charolais steers, 300kg, for $1650 or 550c/kg and another 12, 252kg, for $1500 or 592c/kg.

R & D DeGuess sold 20 steers, 366kg, for $1880 or 513c/kg.

A Hine Pty Ltd sold nine steers, 417kg, for $1970 or 472c/kg.

One undisclosed buyer from Murrindal sold a draft of 87 Charolais and Angus mixed-sex calves, eight-10 months, including a top steer pen of 21 Charolais steers, 403kg, for $1950 or 488c/kg.

The same vendor's top pen of Charolais heifers, 309kg, made $1650 or 533c/kg.

Nutrien Bairnsdale livestock manager Brad Obst said the final 2021 autumn sale attracted strong interest from a field of buyers.

"I thought it wasn't a bad sale," Mr Obst said.

"The little well-bred cattle sold well but the heavier feedlot-ready cattle sold to much stronger demand."

In the heifer section, Glenshiel Pastoral sold 13 heifers, 508kg, for $1980 or 389c/kg and 17 heifers, 470kg, for $1980 or 421c/kg.

Robert Coates sold 11 heifers, 283kg, for $1380 or 487c/kg.

Future Plains sold 16 heifers, 252kg, for $1370 or 543c/kg and 13 heifers, 216kg, for $1190 or 550c/kg.

Broadlands Limousin sold four heifers, 435kg, for $2010 or 462c/kg.

P Cunningham, Cann River, sold six heifers, 423kg, for $1880 or 444c/kg.

Melrose Herefords, Cann River, sold 15 heifers, 355kg, for $1550 or 436c/kg.