Bairnsdale calves to 657c/kg despite smaller market

Agents described the yarding as a typical winter consignment with several well-bred pens of grown cattle and a handful of younger cattle and cows and calves.

Nutrien Bairnsdale livestock manager Brad Obst said South Gippsland restockers and bullock fatteners underpinned the fortnightly store market.

"The steers showed a dearer trend, heifers were fully-firm and there were not a lot cows and calves to quote on," Mr Obst said.

A feature of the market was a consignment of 58 Hereford calves offered by Kent Park, Mount Taylor.

The first pen of 20 steers, 348kg, made $2050 a head or 589 cents a kilogram, the second pen of 24 steers, 300kg, made $1880 or 626c/kg and the third pen of 14 steers, 260kg, made $1710 or 657c/kg.

The reduced yarding preceded a feature sale by Bill Wyndham & Co on August 10 at the East Gippsland Livestock Exchange where an estimated 2000 calves will be yarded.

Sharp Fullgrabe director Graeme Fullgrabe said prices remained firm despite the smaller yarding.

M & M Sears, Briagolong, sold 26 steers including a pen five Angus and Black Baldy steers, 520kg, for $2500 or 480c/kg and eight steers, 496kg, for $2390 or 481c/kg.

Darren Brown, Maffra, sold nine Black Baldy steers, 535kg, for $2520 or 471c/kg.

Gary Cornall, Clifton Creek, sold eight Hereford and Black Baldy steers, 563kg and 557kg, for $2540.

Melrose Herefords, Cann River, sold 11 Hereford steers including a pen of seven, 481kg, for $2200 or 457c/kg and four steers, 405kg, for $1860 or 459c/kg.

Southern Farm and Forestry, Bombala, NSW, sold 12 steers including a top pen of three Angus-cross steers, 521kg, for $2330 and 29 Angus heifers including 16 head, 369kg, and 13 head, 339kg, for $1790.

The same vendor also sold six Angus and Black Baldy cows with five and six-month-old calves at foot for $3540.

"We had eight pens of really good two-year-old cattle,' Mr Fullgrabe said.

"I had northern orders but there weren't enough cattle there to get started on."

"The buyer of those cows and calves sold his chopper cows a day before and only had to pay an extra $700-$800 to have some really decent breeding females."

Elders Bairnsdale livestock agent Aaron McCole said a large portion of the draft went to South Gippsland.

C Treasure, Dargo, sold 10 older cows with calves at foot for $3025.