Yea autumn-drop steers see sharp price jump at monthly store sale

Agents yarded 1550 head of steers, heifers, cows and calves.

Nutrien Delaney Livestock and Property auctioneer Anthony Delaney said the market saw the first of the autumn-drop calves.

"Our middle range of steers, that 350-400 kilogram mark, sold extremely well - probably our older steers were probably just a little bit easier but also lacked on quality and lines..

"We have probably worked our way through those cattle, up here, and it won't be long now before autumn-drop calves start to creep into the sale."

Heavy steers from 450kg and above made between 560cents a kilogram to 590c/kg.

Steers ranging in weight from 350-450kg sold for 640c/kg to 680c/kg and lighter drafts went as high as 870c/kg.

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Gippsland buyers were very active on the first lanes of steers, which fell away to 300-400kg quite quickly.

"Touch wood, we haven't had the rain in Gippsland everyone else is getting and the country is just starting to dry out a little bit, " Mr Delaney said.

"The grass is really on the move.

"We are just seeing those Gippsland bullock blokes coming back into the market, probably a little earlier than they anticipated a few weeks ago, because of the way things were looking."

Agents from Mansfield, Yea, Alexandra and Euroa competed with those from Gippsland, while commission buyers Duncan Brown, Albury, and Campbell Ross were also at Yea.

"I think we will see more of that, if things dry out a little bit," he said.

The older end of heifers made up part of a better yarding and sold to very steady rates, he said.

"They were of equal rates to what they have sold for, all along," he said.

"There was general competition from the commission and local buyers, as well as Gippsland, and I would say those cattle were purchased to join."

Jeff Calder, Koonwarra, joined a bidding battle for steers from Sims Pastoral, Lockington, which sold 24 Kelly Angus, Merridale and Phoenix Park-blood steers, 269kg, for $2340 or 869c/kg.

Sims seconds, 26, av 224kg, sold for $2000 or 892c/kg.

Mr Calder said he was buying them as replacements for his herd.

'They have got plenty of growing to do," Mr Calder said.

He said he didn't think he'd paid too much - "if you want them, you have to bid for them; it's no good being the losing bidder."

Elders Mansfield livestock agent Ryan Sargeant said there were about seven or eight pens of steers weighing more than 400kg.

"We generally don't get many feeder steers, this time of the year, so that's the answer to the reason for the lack of weight in that department," Mr Sargeant said.

"There was a fair proportion of steers between 280-370kg, a lot of those were a genuine 12 month old calf that is potentially a second draft, which may have otherwise been sold earlier in the year."

He said some of the cattle were still showing the results of wintry conditions.

"There were a lot of 250-280kg 'framey' steers without a lot of condition, that were making close to 800c/kg," he said

There was a good run of heifers, he said.

"They were $2500-2600 for 480-520kg heifers, then we got onto a run of pregnancy-tested empty heifers - I thought they sold okay for feedlot purposes. They were in the early to mid 500c/kg."

Mr Sargeant said the 12-13 month old heifers, averaging around 300kg, sold for up to $1900-2100.

"The lighter heifers made the heavier ones look a little bit cheaper," he said.

Barry's Fabrication, Seymour, sold 11 steers, 574kg, for $2960 or 515c/kg.

R and P Ryan, Pyalong, sold 11 Anvil-blood steers, 496kg, for $2750 or 554c/kg.

The Lily, Yarck, sold 11 Cluden Newry-blood steers, 476kg, for $2620 or 550c/kg.

Campbell Farms sold 17 Witherswood-blood steers, 387kg, for $2450 or 633c/kg.

Jackstar, Molesworth, sold eight Te Mania-blood steers, 391kg, for $2400 or 613c/kg.

Allara, Murrindindi, sold 11 Woodhill Blueprint-blood steers, 362kg, for $2390 or 660c/kg.

KP Ryan, Darraweit Guim, sold 24 Levenvale-blood steers, 330kg, for $2450 or 742c/kg.

Ryan Partnership sold 17 Levenval and Adameluca-blood steers, 378kg, for $2450 or 648c/kg.

Rivernook, Homewood, sold 12 Days Whiteface-blood steers, 364kg, for $2390 or 654c/kg.

Whanregarwen Pastoral, Yea, sold its first pen of 26 Kelly-blood steers, 343kg, for $2330 or 679c/kg.

Their seconds, 17, av 317kg, sold for $2200 or 694c/kg.

Brett Manson, Heathcote Junction, sold seven Riga-blood steers, 279kg, for $2050 or 734c/kg.

Sims Pastoral, Lockington, sold 24 Kelly Angus, Merridale and Phoenix Park-blood steers, 269kg, for $2340 or 869c/kg.

Sims seconds, 26, av 224kg, sold for $2000 or 892c/kg.

Jerry Dowser sold nine Kelly Angus-blood steers, 266kg, for $1980 or 744c/kg.

Yarck Pastoral sold 12 steers, 246kg, for $1840 or 747c/kg.

L and M McNamara sold 18 Kelly-blood steers, 254kg, for $1920 or 755c/kg.

M Potts, Darraweit Guim, sold 12 steers, 209kg, for $1830 or 875c/kg.

B Myer sold nine Angus and Charolais-cross steers, 230kg, for $1880 or 817c/kg.

Box Hill Pastoral, Yea, sold five heifers, 536kg, for $2300, or 429c/kg.

Spring Valley Rural sold nine Connamara and Kelly-blood heifers, 467kg, for $2370 or 507c/kg.

Sabre Pastoral, Alexandra, sold 32 Rennylea-blood heifers, 386kg, for $2310 or 598c/kg.

Godophin Australia sold nine Anvil-blood heifers, 349kg, for $2270 or 650c/kg.

KP Ryan sold 18 heifers, 330kg, for $2240 or 678c/kg.

Rivernook sold 18 Days Whiteface heifers, 347kg, for $2100 or 605c/kg.