Bairnsdale cattle sale underpinned by graziers, feedlots struggle

Agents yarded about 2500 cattle at the East Gippsland Livestock Exchange on Friday where most of the females sold were destined to return to a paddock, as opposed to a feedlot.

Elders Bairnsdale livestock manager Morgan Davies said quality was mixed, but there were highlights throughout the sale.

"We had a lot of crossbred and Friesian cattle which sold to slightly cheaper rates," he said.

"Young cattle were in strong demand, but there weren't a lot for buyers to choose from."

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Nutrien East Gippsland Livestock manager Brad Obst said the sale was strong from start to finish.

"The main driver was the South Gippsland competition with a little bit of feedlot competition on the mixed and Euro-type cattle," he said.

"The opening pens of our Angus heifers met with extreme demand with buyers bidding fiercely on those.

"A huge number of heifers we sold will return to the paddock as breeders, while a northern NSW buyer underpinned the lighter end of the females."

Mr Obst said two feedlotters operating struggled to maintain pace with the grass fatteners.

Bill Wyndham & Co livestock manager Colin Jones said the female cattle were the standout of the sale.

"We thought heifers were $80-$100 dearer and a lot more of them were going back to the paddock as breeders as opposed to the feedlots," he said.

"The steer job was about the same, but the sale lacked a lot of older steers but the feature was the cows and calves."

B & J Herbert, Lindenow South, sold the dearest pen of the sale with 24 Angus cows with calves at foot sold for $4400.

The fourth-calving cows had four to six-week-old Angus calves at foot and were bought by a grazier at Cora Lynn.

The same vendor also sold 14 Angus cows with 15 Charolais calves at foot for $3900.

Penderscourt, Benambra, sold 10 Hereford/Shorthorn-cross heifers with calves at foot for $3800, five heifers with calves at foot for $3640, and four Hereford cows with calves at foot for $3700.

H & S Regan, Walpa, sold seven Angus steers, 2.5 years, 629kg, for $3200 a head or 508 cents a kilogram.

J & G Clancy, Calulu, sold 16 Angus steers, 14 months, 476kg, for $2700 or 567c/kg, and 12 steers, 425kg, for $2640 or 621c/kg.

C & J Cooper, Wulgulmerang, sold 17 Hereford steers, 16 months, 419kg, for $2600 or 620c/kg, and 15 steers, 388kg, for $2460 or 634c/kg.

DW & RJ Stringer, Forge Creek, sold 29 Angus steers including eight steers, 531kg, for $2980 or 561c/kg, and 21 steers, 432kg, for $2650 or 613c/kg.

DL & JM Ingram, Bonang, sold 52 Black Badly and Hereford steers, including three Hereford steers, 583kg at $3100 or 531c/kg, 14 Hereford steers, 471kg, for $2710 or 575c/kg, 14 Hereford steers, 473kg, for $2640 or 558c/kg.

B Ingram, Bonang, sold three Hereford steers, 580kg, for $3100 or 534c/kg, and 26 Hereford steers, 423kg, for $2490 or 588c/kg.

G Ingram, Bonang, sold 14 Angus steers, 455kg, for $2700 or 593c/kg.

Tablelands Pastoral, Maffra, sold 25 steers, 390kg, $2450, or 628c/kg.

K & P Whelan, Swan Reach, sold 16 Angus steers, 12 months, 307kg, for $2180 or 710c/kg.

S & T Quirke, Forge Creek, sold 14 Friesian steers, 487kg, for $2000 or 410c/kg, and 19 steers, 426kg, for $1680 or 394c/kg.

B & N Donald, Orbost, sold eight Angus/Friesian-cross steers, 570kg, for $2440 or 428c/kg.

J & T Sandy, Canni, sold 15 Angus steers, 12-14 months, 374kg, for $2140 or 572c/kg, 12 steers, 354kg, for $2100 or 593c/kg.

J & P Owen, Meerlieu, sold 16 Angus heifers, 12-14 months, 389kg, for $2180 or 560c/kg.

Robyn Kuch, Perry Bridge, sold 18 Angus heifers, 452kg, for $2800 or 619c/kg.

GH & AJ Burston & Partners, Benambra, sold 20 Angus heifers, 369kg, for $2290 or 620c/kg.

S Baud and Associates, Mount Taylor, sold 22 Angus heifers, 348kg, for $2360 or 678c/kg.

Snow Rural, Bengworden, sold 20 Black Baldy heifers, 424kg, for $2300 or 542c/kg.