Heavy cattle kept feedlotters happy in a firm store sale which beautifully embraced the winter sun at Warrnambool on Friday.
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It was in stark contrast from the dreary conditions at the previous sale, with many onlookers taking a chance, and various sellers from hobby farmers to big vendors with significant runs of cattle.
Agents yarded around 1800 cattle at SWLVX monthly store cattle in Warrnambool on Friday.
Stock agent with J&J Kelly Stock Agency Jack Kelly said there was good even cattle in the yards with some good results.
"We were very happy with the grown steers because the feedlot competition at the moment is very strong," Mr Kelly said.
"We did have some nice big steers under the roof, weaner cattle also sold very well. and the heifer job was very good,
"We did have a lot more younger beef steers today and I'm quite happy with that result because we're still fairly tight here for feed and that's what brought so many in."
Mr Kelly was pleased with the number of younger heifers with a lot of northern buyer interest as well as online bidders.
"I call those online bids being on the box so [those bids] make a big difference, and crossbreds looked very good, both big and small."
Friesians were struggling in prices a little bit and there was not as many of those breeds yarded as normal, but Mr Kelly believed that if there was a breed that could come back in price quick, it would be them.
Cows and calves rounded out the sale with some good pens going for over $3000.
Mr Kelly was looking forward to future store sales at Warrnambool, which he hopes could bring back some more local interest in the gallery, but recognised that the region's season needed to "kick along a little bit".
"We are green with feed, but we haven't got a lot of grass," he said.
"They're talking about some lovely rain next week around here and hopefully if we can get that, we can get a bit of grass growing.
"We've got people coming up that are selling bullocks and steers and they'll be looking to buy back in upcoming weeks, but the end result saw vendors fairly happy and if you bought some cattle today you'll be putting them into your paddock."
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Vendor Lance Lloyd, Warrong, sold one of the top pens of lighter steers of the day, selling 30 Angus steers, 282kg, for 748 cents a kilogram or $2110, while another pen of their 17 Angus steers, 235kg for 765c/kg or $1800.
He said his Weereum-blood Angus bulls showed well.
"We've been going Weeram bulls for four or five years and they seem to do what we want them to do out at the farm," Mr Lloyd said.
"They are easy calving bulls, and the cattle seem to go on well to see an even line of cattle.
"We've always supported the Warrnambool yards and we haven't been disappointed yet with with good prices and regular repeat buyers,"
It was a good result for Mr Lloyd too despite some getting more of the dryer weather this year in Victoria compared to other regions.
"Normally you don't miss out down here on rain, but we've had not a great deal of rain really since November and it's been sort of patchy," he said.
"Most areas have been getting their average seasonal rainfall, but we're probably three to four inches behind where we would normally be for this time of this year."
"This year, we got a decent rain in January and we thought we're up and away in February, but since then it's been isolated showers in some areas, and areas north of us near Mortlake have gotten the rain while we in Warrnambool and around Port Fairy miss out."
Mr Lloyd said he had been spoiled with rain in previous years and was not complaining considering he has had repeat buyers and was still producing good cattle.
Other notable pens at the sale include a pen of eight Hovards Run Angus steers, 495kg, which sold for 605c/kg or $2994 a head.
Sherbrooke Park sold nine Angus steers, 489kg, for 610c/kg or $2982.
C Jordan sold 19 Angus/Black Baldy steers, 516kg, for 610c/kg or $3147.
Fife Farm had two pens of Angus steers, with one pen, 434kg, for 630c/kg or $2734 and another pen, 398kg, for $2547.
Napier sold 15 Black Baldy steers, 332kg, for 622c/kg or $2065.
Glenwood Pastoral Trust sold 24 Angus/Black Baldy steers, for 810c/kg or $1800.
Festival Way sold 20 Angus/Friesian heifers, 277kg, for 400c/kg or $1100 as well as a pen of 11 Angus/Friesian steers, 321kg, for 448c/kg or $1438.
Naringal Park sold 10 Angus/Friesian heifers, 267kg, for 419c/kg or $1120.
RC & EM Mather sold two lots of cows and calves at foot, with one lot of 12 Angus cows with calves at foot sold for $2800 and another lot of 11 Angus cows with calves at foot sold for $2600.
M Boyer sold 4 PTIC Murray Grey heifers, running with a Murray Grey bull since November and to commence calving in August, for $1620.
