Bairnsdale Herefords, Angus sell to return buyers Gippsland sale

Agents yarded 2698 cattle at the fortnightly store sale where annual drafts of feeder-weight and weaner steers sold to buoyant demand, bolstered by return buyers.

Among the feature drafts was 90 Hereford and Hereford/Shorthorn-cross steers, nine months, consigned by Phill and Kerry Geehman, Ensay.

The draft included 20 steers, 354 kilograms, which made $2310 or 590 cents a kilogram, 22 steers, 354kg, for $1940 or 548c/kg, 25 steers, 350kg, for $1900 or 542c/kg and 23 steers, 324kg, for $1800 or 555c/kg.

The top-priced $2310 pen was bought by Nutrien Delaney Livestock & Property director Anthony Delaney, Pakenham, on behalf of a bullock fattener in the western district.

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Mr Delaney said the return client from Casterton had bought the same cattle from the Geehmans for the last several years.

The losing bidder on the top pen, Bairnsdale stock agent Colin Jones, Bill Wyndham & Co, bought the following three pens of the Geehman cattle for the Brownlow family, The Camp, Forge Creek, who were also return buyers of the Ensay cattle.

Bill Wyndham & Co auctioneer Jake Fullgrabe said the January sale had developed into a feature sale over the space of seven or eight years.

"We've seen the western district and north-east Victorian sales and as we expected, the market dropped anywhere on average from $500-$700 compared to the same sale in 2022," he said.

"We're going off a peak that we had never seen until last year."

Another feature draft was sold by Shaun and Maria Beasley, Emu Park, Lindenow South, who sold 248 Angus steers, nine months.

Twenty-four steers, 390kg, made $1870 or 478c/kg, 24 steers, 367kg, made $1740 or 474c/kg, 24 steers, 360kg, sold for $1740 or 483c/kg and 25 steers, 353kg, made $1620 or 458c/kg.

Joe Jordan and Sharon Cooper, Linden Park, Ensay, sold 137 mixed-sex Angus, nine to 10 months, including 25 steers, 370kg, for $1930 or 522c/kg, 27 steers, 350kg, for $1860 or 531c/kg and 24 steers, 324kg, for $1810 or 558c/kg.

Mr Fullgrabe, who sold the Jordan/Cooper cattle, told his vendors to expect prices similar to the rates paid in 2021.

"Joe told me that if we could average $1600 over the 100 steer calves, he would be over the moon, but today they averaged nearly $1720 so I reckon the market was strong," he said.

Linden Park also sold 22 heifers, 316kg, for $1500 or 474c/kg or 20 heifers, 285kg, for $1350 or 473c/kg.

Chris and Helen Nixon, Macclesfield, Orbost, sold 81 Angus steers, nine to 10 months, including 22 steers, 358kg, for $1790 or 500c/kg, 22 steers, 332kg, for $1620 or 487c/kg and 18 steers, 319kg, for $1570 or 492c/kg.

The Marshall family, Orbost, sold 70 Hereford steers, 10 to 11 months, including 21 steers, 345kg, for $1760 or 510c/kg, 25 steers, 310kg, for $1700 or 548c/kg, and 24 steers, 291kg, for $1700 or 584c/kg.

Finchley Pastoral, Craigie, NSW, sold 165 Angus, Black Baldy and Hereford/Gelbvieh-cross steers and heifers, 12 to 14 months, including 17 steers, 408kg, for $1780 or 436c/kg, 15 steers, 391kg, for $1690 or 432c/kg and 12 black steers, 425kg, for $1870 or 440c/kg.

Elders Bairnsdale livestock manager Morgan Davies said there was a "significant trend" for young cattle that were weaned before the sale.

"It is advisable that people wean their calves this year," he said.

"It probably has been an issue when they were making what they made last year and when people were desperate to buy, but I think it is a trend that will keep shining through.

"The premium for weaned cattle at this sale was 20-30c/kg or about $100 a head more."

Mr Davies said most of the cattle were bought by bullock fatteners in South Gippsland, as well as local support with limited support from northern buyers.

A handful of commission buyers were also active, including Anthony Hullick, Keswick, from South Gippsland, as well as a Wagga Wagga, NSW, buyer.

"It would be safe to say that 40 per cent of Victoria's weaners will be sold in January so for all these cattle to be absorbed has been a big effort," Mr Davies said.

The sale started with two pens of JH & AM Cameron cattle, including 14 steers, 524kg, which made $2280 or 435c/kg and 14 steers, 498kg, for $2180 or 437c/kg.

ED & DA Trevaskis sold nine steers, 525kg, for $2140 or 407c/kg.

G & R Maher sold 28 steers, 387kg, for $1890 or 488c/kg and 28 steers, 346kg, for $1800 or 520c/kg.

Meeken sold 13 steers, 346kg, for $1640 or 473c/kg and 17 steers, 293kg, for $1620 or 552c/kg.

Coonmoor sold 25 steers, 332kg, for $1590 or 478c/kg.

Barnhill Angus sold 18 steers, 340kg, for $1660 or 477c/kg and 22 steers, 312kg, for $1530 or 490c/kg.

K Quirke sold 11 steers, 503kg, for $2100 or 417c/kg.

D Brown sold eight steers, 643kg, for $2630 or 409c/kg.

PJ & MJ Tulloch sold 16 steers, 527kg, for $2290 or 434c/kg and 14 steers, 505kg, for $2090 or 413c/kg.

R & K Lamb Family Trust sold 20 steers, 348kg, for $1790 or 514c/kg.

PQ & PS Sutton sold 20 steers, 493kg, for $2200 or 446c/kg and 20 steers, 457kg, for $2090 or 457c/kg.

Glenshiel sold 20 steers, 464kg, for $1870 or 403c/kg and 20 steers, 449kg, for $1890 or 420c/kg.

Tim Woodgate, Buchan, sold 14 steers, 502kg, for $2130 or 424c/kg and 19 steers, 425kg, for $1850 or 435c/kg.

G & F Andrews sold 20 heifers, 341kg, for $1500 or 439c/kg.

Buchan Back Creek Pty Ltd sold 11 heifers, 352kg, for $1500 or 426c/kg.