Heyfield annual spring store cattle sale dominated by South Gippsland buyers

Agents yarded about 800 cattle from across the district at the historical Heyfield yards.

Yard conditions were vastly different to the same sale 12 months ago where gumboots and oilskins were essential.

A handful of consecutive warm and windy days in Central Gippsland dried out much of the yards ahead of the feature market.

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The sale featured cattle from eight to 24 months of age, including the lead pen consigned by WN Walters, 658 kilograms, which made $3170 a head or 482 cents a kilogram.

The top pen was bought by South Gippslander Anthony Hullick, Keswick Pastoral, who also bought the second of the sale consigned by Hookey Pastoral which sold 12 Angus, 575kg, for $3040 or 528c/kg.

Hookey Pastoral's second pen of nine steers, 518kg, was knocked down for $2770 or 534c/kg and bought by Eddy Hams, Nutrien South Gippsland Livestock, for a bullock fattener at Leongatha.

Another feature of the opening lane was three pens of steers consigned by the Stuckey family of Leawood Angus, Flynn, who sold 68 steers, 12 months.

The draft included 20 steers, 448kg, which made $2610 or 582c/kg, 23 steers, 403kg, for $2520 or 625c/kg, and 25 steers, 382kg, for $2420 or 633c/kg.

The entire draft was bought by Elders Pakenham livestock agent Denis Linley for an undisclosed bullock fattener in South Gippsland.

Chris and Kathy Hole, Heyfield, were also among the volume vendors with 75 mixed-sex calves, including 13 steers, 390kg, for $2400 or 615c/kg, and 14 steers, 361kg, for $2320 or 642c/kg.

The Holes also sold 20 heifers, 354kg, for $2320 or 655c/kg, and 20 heifers, 317kg, for $1910 or 602c/kg.

South Gippsland agents from SEJ were also active, buying cattle for graziers back home.

Selling agent and Nutrien East Gippsland Livestock manager Brad Obst

"We had a good contingent of buyers from South Gippsland who operated right throughout the market both on the heavier cattle and the little cattle," he said.

"There were prospective buyers from the north-east who came over on the strength of what their sales have been like over there but couldn't compete and went home empty handed.

"There are a lot of people that come back to buy the particular cattle year-on-year, season-on-season."

The sale also featured a consignment of Angus, Black Baldy and Hereford cow and calf units on behalf of the estate of the late Des Allman, Dawson.

The Pinora, Leawood and Kolora bloodline cattle were all bought by agent Adam Mountjoy, Nutrien Bendigo, for a breeder north of Bendigo.

The draft included nine cows with calves at foot for $3110, nine cows and caves for $3150, 10 cows and calves for $3220 and 10 cows with calves for $3220.

Pinora Angus, Heyfield, sold 56 Angus cattle, 12-13 months, including 14 steers, 465kg, for $2660 or 572c/kg, and 11 steers, 412kg, for $2460 or 597c/kg.

The same vendor also sold 15 Angus heifers, 420kg, for $2600 or 619c/kg, and 16 heifers, 371kg, for $2280 or 719c/kg.

D & W Rhodes sold 10 steers, 396kg, for $2460 or 621c/kg, and 10 steers, 336kg, for $2200 or 654c/kg.

G & L King sold 14 steers, 306kg, for $2200 or 718c/kg, and 11 heifers, 345kg, for $1810 or 524c/kg.

W & D Missen sold 11 steers, 423kg, for $2260 or 534c/kg, nine steers, 350kg, for $2170 or 620c/kg and 13 steers, 303kg, for $2240 or 739c/kg.

D Phelan sold 16 Hereford steers, 455kg, for $2530 or 356c/kg.

In other heifer sales, G & A Trewin sold nine heifers, 416kg, for $2420 or 581c/kg.

A & W Battel sold eight heifers, 404kg, for $2020 or 500c/kg.