Wet conditions saw expected cattle numbers at the Nutrien South Gippsland Livestock Feature store sale drop by about 500, with producers unable to get them off their properties.
Agents still managed to turn out 2043 steers and heifers, to a big buying gallery.
Nutrien Ag Solutions auctioneer Brian McCormack said rain in the last week meant some producers opted to hold cattle back.
"Some may come in a fortnight's time, if the rain continues and the grass grows, they might hang onto them a bit longer," Mr McCormack said.
There was a strong contingent of feedlot buyers, including Teys Charlton, J & F, Keswick and Westside, while Melbourne commission buyer Campbell Ross was active on the heaviest cattle in the first lane.
"Its the old story, when we have a stand alone sale, the cattle present well and stand up, the buyers will come," he said.
"We had a very good run of of 460-520 kilogram cattle, with anything above that weighing up to 670kg," he said.
"There would have been 500-600 cattle, which would have been 400kg plus, but there was a big run in the 300-400kg section after that."
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The sale was "just off the top" a little bit.
"As much as the feedlots were very, very strong, naturally a lot of feedlots are very, very wet, so there are issues there," he said.
"They need the cattle, but they need to put them somewhere in this next little while, until it dries out again - whenever that is going to be."
The 400-500kg steers sold from 550-590 cents a kilogram, heavier cattle sold for 500-530c/kg.
Smaller, 350-420kg cattle sold from 680c-700c/kg, while below 300kg they went for up to 750c/kg.
Nutrien South Gippsland Livestock agents swooped on the light to mid-weight cattle.
"It's the old story, it's alright selling all these bigger cattle, but you have to replace them," he said.
Cattle also went to Nutrien Warrnambool..
Ross Svenson, trading under the Ranleigh Downs and Prom View names, yarded a big draft of Angus and Friesian steers.
Mr McCormack said Nutrien "set the sale" around the draft.
"We did have a couple of runs of cattle that didn't turn up, because of those wet conditions," he said.
Ranleigh Downs first pen of 18 steers, 426kg, sold for $2440 or 572c/kg; the seconds, 23, av 366kg, sold for $2360 or 644c/kg and the thirds 20, av 359kg, for $2390 or 665c/kg.
Prom View's pen of eight steers, 413kg, sold for $2160 or 523c/kg; they also sold seven, 265kg, for $1700 or 641c/kg and a third pen of eight, 286kg, for $1880 or 657c/kg.
L Robertson, Kardella, sold 13 steers, 642kg, for $3200 or 498c/kg.
Robertson also sold 11 steers, 636kg, for $3180 or 500c/kg.
The estate of AA and FE Birss, Stradbroke, sold 14 Kunuma-blood steers, 661kg, for $3410 or 515c/kg.
AC Lyon, Leongatha South, sold 13 steers, 675kg, for $3100 or 459c/kg.
J and P Hooker, Loch, sold 15 steers, 634kg, for $3180 or 501c/kg.
C Stansby, Bena, sold 14 steers, 671kg, for $3340 or 497c/kg.
Candoluci Produce, Korumburra,sold 11 steers, 569kg, for $3100 or 544c/kg.
B Densley, Mirboo, sold 13 steers, 575kg, for $2840 or 493c/kg.
High Voltage Consultancy, Flynn, sold 12 Leawood-blood steers, 527kg, for $2960 or 561c/kg.
Hopfields P/L, Dutson, sold 14 Angus/Shorthorn-cross Sprys blood steers, 492kg, for $2830 or 575c/kg.
D Bates, Munro, sold 17 Millah Murrah Marlon Brando-blood steers, 520kg, for $2940 or 565c/kg.
Their seconds, 17, 498kg, sold for $2800 or 562c/kg, while a third pen in the draft, 20, av 480kg, sold for $2750 or 572c/kg.
F and S Beckman, Glengarry, sold 17 steers, 347kg, for $2450 or 706c/kg.
P and A Chisholm, Archies Creek, sold 20 Yancowinna-blood steers, 417kg, for $2760 or 661c/kg.
D and H Campbell, Mernda, sold 21 Innesdale-blood steers, 341kg, for $2240 or 656c/kg.
O'Loughlin Farms, Tarwin, sold 19 steers, 326kg, for $2300 or 705c/kg.
Ponderosa Herefords, Meenyan, sold 16 steers, 388kg, for $2380 or 613c/kg.
D and H Wyhoon sold seven steers, 354kg, for $2120 or 598c/kg.
Mrs C Jeffrey, Driffield, sold seven steers, 375kg, for $2340 or 624c/kg.
B Stewart, Kernot, sold six Angus heifers, 517kg, for $2500 or 483c/kg.
Gary Anthony, Buffalo, sold 13 heifers, 446kg, for $2440 or 547c/kg.
A Connisby and Co, Glengarry, sold 12 heifers, 370kg, for $2170 or 586c/kg.
M Webster, Poowong North, sold five Limousin/Simmental-cross heifers, 359kg, for $2020 or 562c/kg.
D and H Wyhoon sold seven Limousin heifers, 325kg, for $1990 or 612c/kg.
Andrew Miller
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
