Colac quoted at $50-100 a head dearer, as weaners come through

Charles Stewart livestock agent Matt Nelson said the quality of the 1300 head yarding was "very good", considering the wet, and cold conditions.

"I thought it was fairly strong, you could have said it was $50-100 dearer than last month, it was very positive," Mr Nelson said.

"I think it's a sign of how things are going if we get a bit of warmer weather."

Local competition was very strong.

"People are starting to see a bit of grass down our area now, so local restockers are fairly active."

Charles Stewart Dove livestock agent Shelby Howard said "proper lines" of weaner cattle were starting to come through at Colac.

"We had some very good Charolais/Angus-cross calves there, 417 kilograms, which came back at $2450 [587c/kg]," he said.

"The job was good, we are seeing a bit more heat in the country now and the grass is starting to bounce out of the ground with a bit of sunshine.

"The cattle are improving, day by day."

He said the bulk of the yarding weighed between 280 and 400kg.

"The big cattle sold for 480-490c/kg, while the little ones were in excess of mid-600-700c/kg," he said.

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Nutrien Ag Solutions livestock agent Phil Douglas said it was probably the first true spring sale at Colac this year.

"For the wet season we have had, the cattle presented a bit better than I thought - but, in comparison to last year, they didn't have the weight," Mr Douglas said.

"That's quite normal."

Vendors who usually yarded stock at this time of year put forward cattle, he said.

"As you got to the lighter end, the prices got dearer, which is probably what is happening in recent sales and quality probably had a fair bit to do with it."

Local restockers were strong on steers, while Ballarat and Warrnambool buyers, along with several feedlots, underpinned the sale.

"I thought the grass finishers were as good as anybody," Mr Douglas said.

"They were strong on those weaner cattle from 265-330kg."

Agents were buying for feedlots at Warrnambool, Wangaratta and Westside Meats, Bacchus Marsh.

There was a "winter" line of cows and calves presented at the sale, he said.

Nutrien's best weaners, 16, Te Mania-blood steers, averaging 330kg, were sold by Seaview Holdings, for $2330 or 706c/kg.

Mr Douglas said Nutrien's best heifers were presented by Tynimille, for a pen of 11, weighing 296kg, which sold for $2020 or 682c/kg.

P and S Lenahan sold five Hereford steers, 470kg, for $2420 or 514c/kg.

Tynimille also sold six Angus steers, 390kg, for $2400 or 615c/kg.

A Black, sold 14 Weeran-blood steers, 9-10 months, 308kg, for $2280 or 740c/kg.

Blackstones sold 19 Weeran-blood steers, 9-10 months, 268kg, for $1960 or 731c/kg.

D and S Kent sold 11 unweighed Mt William and Banquet-blood steers for $2000.

Mr Douglas estimated they weighed about 270kg, for a return of 740c/kg.

P and S Lenahan sold six Mt William-blood Charolais steers, 9-11 months, for $2150 or 621c/kg.

Mill Park sold 10 steers, 417kg, for $2450 or 587c/kg; a pen of 14 Mt William-blood steers, 367kg, sold for $2200 or 599c/kg and a pen of five steers, 357kg, sold for $2020 or 565c/kg.

Gerard and Deborah Phillips, Hillbrae South sold nine Murdeduke-blood steers, 324kg, for $2140 or 660c/kg.

A pen of 20 steers, 272kg, sold for $1950 or 716c/kg, while an unweighed pen of eight, sold for $1750.

TF and JC Moore sold six Otway Angus-blood steers, 331kg, for $2120 or 640c/kg.

A second pen of 18 steers, 262kg, sold for $1890 or 721c/kg.

Lavendar and Drake sold seven Murdeduke and Te Mania-blood steers, 459kg, for $2640 or 575c/kg.

Cessnock Pastoral sold four Merridale-blood steers, 11-12 months, 432kg, for $2420 or 560c/kg.

They sold a pen of 15, unweighed, for $2390.

S and J Chisholm sold 15 steers, 254kg, for $1300 or 511c/kg.

Chisholm sold seven Angus heifers, unweighed, 10-11 months, for $1200.

Boxall Daughters Trust sold 14 Tugulawa and Tillabudgery-blood Simmental/Angus cross heifers, 9-10 months, 303kg, for $1800 or 594c/kg; they sold five unweighed heifers for $1720.

Nuringalup sold four Shorthorn heifers, 466kg, for $2640 or 566c/kg.

Railsend sold four Charolais heifers, 351kg, for $1990 or 567c/kg.

P and A Clifton sold three Charolais heifers, 327kg, for $1940, or 593c/kg.

Hillbrae sold 10 heifers, 321kg, for $2100 or 654c/kg and a further pen of 16, 267kg, for $1730 or 647c/kg.