Bill Wyndham & Co feature Bairnsdale cattle market surges past $3400 for bullocks

About 2100 cattle were yarded for the annual Bill Wyndham & Co feature market where vendor-bred cattle from across eastern Victoria went under the hammer.

Two major cattle buyers dominated the opening lane of the sale, where 2.5-year-old bullocks sold well beyond $3000.

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South Gippsland-based feedlotter Anthony Hullick and commission buyer Campbell Ross, Melbourne, clashed at the start of the market, purchasing the first dozen pens between them.

David Brownlow, The Camp Pastoral, Bairnsdale, sold the nine top-priced Hereford bullocks, 2.5 years, 761 kilograms, for $3490 or 458 cents a kilogram, which was bought by Mr Ross.

Mr Brownlow said he was amazed by the result and noted ideal seasonal conditions in East Gippsland, and strong demand among feedlots and processors, were mainly to play.

The black cattle followed closely with a pen of Angus bullocks consigned by Allan Pappin, Bairnsdale, 685kg, knocked down for $3460 or 505c/kg.

A common comment among buyers related to the increased weights in cattle compared to other Bill Wyndham & Co sales in years gone by - it took until pen 70 for cattle to fall below 300kg.

Bill Wyndham & Co livestock manager Colin Jones said the sale exceeded expectations.

"It was a very good yarding of cattle, the cattle were well bred from the start to the finish, there was all weights and grades and there was something here for everybody," he said.

"Even though we've had a wet, cold winter, the cattle have come through it a lot better and in the past, we might have seen the first pens of cattle under 300kg at least 20 pens earlier in the sale.

Major buyers who spoke to Stock & Land generally agreed prices experienced a correction at Bairnsdale, compared to other recent store sales in the last four weeks across Victoria.

Wet conditions in parts of East Gippsland prevented some vendors from consigning cattle to the sale.

"We missed out on some cattle coming down from up in the hills where they had 60 or 70 millimetres the other nights and creeks were up which meant it was too wet to get trucks in," Mr Jones said.

Feedlotters dominated the heavy end of the sale, purchasing an estimated 85 per cent of the older cattle yarded, while backgrounders from across southern and eastern Australia were also active on the lighter end.

"Grass fatteners found it hard to buy cattle because of the demand, but we had buyers here from the local district, South Gippsland and further afield including Penola, SA, and Albury, NSW," Mr Jones said.

"You have to take your hat off to the vendors who really have got their cattle here today with the weight and condition they show."

Young cattle were also in high demand among restockers as prices for cattle aged 12-14 months soared past $2500.

Chris and Mary Wheeler, Buchan South, and manager Geoff Cameron, sold 248 cattle in that age range, including 155 Angus cattle.

The Wheelers' draft included 23 Angus steers, 451kg, for $2560 or 567c/kg, 16 steers, 409kg, for $2400 or 586c/kg, and 20 steers, 397kg, for 2400 or 604c/kg.

In their Hereford draft, 16 steers, 402kg, made $2160 or 537c/kg, and 25 steers, 367kg, made $2160 or 588c/kg.

The pair also sold 17 Hereford heifers, 315kg, for $1680 or 533c/kg and 25 heifers, 289kg, for $1610 or 557c/kg.

Kerri-Lee Whelan, Nyerimilang, sold 69 Angus steers, 10-12 months, including 21 Angus steers, 364kg, for $2260 or 620c/kg, and lighter pens including 20 steers, 324kg, for $2130 or 657c/kg, and 10 steers, 299kg, for $2090 or 698c/kg - it was the first pen under 300kg.

Buchan Station, Buchan, was another major vendor which sold 85 Angus steers, 12-14 months, and 26 heifers, 10-14 months.

The steer draft included 25 steers, 431kg, for $2370 or 549c/kg, 20 steers, 407kg, for $2440 or 599c/kg, and 22 steers, 388kg, for $2300 or 592c/kg.

Buchan Station also sold eight heifers, 488kg, for $2400 or 491c/kg and 10 heifers, 429kg, for $2400 or 559c/kg.

Meat & Livestock Australia market officer Brendan Fletcher said the rebound of cattle prices in the last week was largely due to drying conditions in some parts of the state.

"We're on the cusp of spring," he said.

He said with isolated parts of the state, such as pockets of South Gippsland starting to show new growth and drier soil, people were more optimistic about buying in cattle compared to a fortnight ago.

Gelantipy-based Karoonda Park Herefords, trading as PS, JM & LJ Sykes, sold 29 steers, 12-14 months, including 15 steers, 450kg, for $2360 or 524c/kg and 14 steers, 412kg, for $2260 or 548c/kg.

Karoonda Park Herefords principal Paul Sykes said he was forced to set up temporary yards in order to get the cattle onto the truck and down to Bairnsdale for the sale.

"We usually feed these cattle silage with the tractor in winter, but even that was impossible this year due to how wet it has been," he said.

Kelvin and Wendy Ingram, Bonang, sold 78 Angus and Black Baldy cattle including 15 heifers, 356kg, for $2120 or 595c/kg and 18 heifers, 371kg, for $1990 or 536c/kg.

In the heavier weight range, GW & LM Johnston, Walpa, sold 10 Hereford steers, 669kg, for $3180 or 475c/kg, while Wayne McInnes, Nicholson, sold 15 Angus and Black Baldy steers, 596kg, for $3000 or 503c/kg.

R & A Chila sold 14 Angus and Black Baldy steers, 642kg, for $3140 or 489c/kg.

J Stewart, Johnsonville, sold 13 steers, 14 months, 589kg, for $3000 or 509c/kg and 10 steers, 541kg, for $2840 or 524c/kg.

Glenshiel Pastoral sold 21 Angus steers, 396kg, for $2230 or 563c/kg and 21 steers, 377kg, for $2120 or 562c/kg.

J & T Sandy sold 17 steers, 395kg, for $2230 or 564c/kg, while PJ & RJ Sandy sold 20 steers, 371kg, for $2180 or 587c/kg.

Omeo Pastoral Co sold 23 Hereford steers, 344kg, for $1900 or 552c/kg and 25 steers, 306kg, for $1850 or 604c/kg.

Wayne McInnes, Nicholson, sold 17 heifers, 399kg, for $2140 or 536c/kg.