A lowering of buyer confidence that had been sales across Victoria in recent weeks continued at VLE Pakenham on Thursday for their first store sale of May.
Agents yarded about 2000 cattle in a sale of mixed quality cattle, with a more significant portion of crossbred cattle than typically seen.
Alex Scott and Staff livestock manager David Setches said the sale had relatively limited feedlot support compared to a fortnight ago.
"It certainly was a cheaper market... and there were probably a lot of cattle that was out of spec and secondary drafts of cattle in that feedlot range," Mr Setches said.
"I would say some of the feeder cattle there were anywhere from 15 to 20 cents a kilo cheaper than a fortnight ago, and once again missing a couple of feedlotters at the rail today."
Blackwood, Toongabbie had a pen of 23 Angus steers, 286kg, sold for 402 cents a kilogram or $1150 a head, performing well from the lighter offering while H Matthies, Mirboo North, sold 25 Angus steers, 442kg, for 414c/kg or $1830.
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Some good drafts of cattle sold only to equal rates from the previous sale a fortnight ago, with locals bringing a slight bit of competition in the galleries.
Mr Setches said there was a lack of agent support from other sales centres, and a few local feedlotters attended.
"I think people are more focused at the moment on selling cattle than potentially buying and, certainly a fortnight ago there was I felt there was a lot more agent and farmer support at the rail," he said.
"We really missed that today, but with a mixed quality yarding people were being very selective with the cheaper market they were trying to really just buy the best they could and take advantage of the of the price fall."
"In all with the crossbred cattle here, you could say this was a bit of a clean-up type of sale that people want to get rid of before winter."
A few commission buyers, including Campbell Ross and Anthony Hullick, were present while feedlot Australian Meat Group bought some cattle to go on the feed.
Another Limousin vendor, Mark Anderson, Labertouche, sold two Limousin steers, 310kg, for $1310 or 422c/kg and one Limousin heifer, 385kg, for $1680 or 436c/kg.
He said he was "pretty happy with the Limousin and European cattle interest" at Pakenham with his pen sold to regular local feedlot buyers.
Catherine Gilmore, trading as M & C Gilmore, Rosedale, sold 18 Angus steers, 521kg, for $1990 or 381c/kg and seven Angus heifers, 479kg, for $1420 or 296c/kg.
She said there had been a lot of feed in her area, which made growing her home-bred calves on her small irrigated property a relaxed effort this year.
"We sell at a similar time each year, and yes it's a little bit lighter in price than last year, but I'm pretty happy with the result here today," she said.
"It's been a little bit wet and we have only irrigated once this year, so that has made things pretty easy for us."
Prices rallied later in the sale with pens from Straight Eight, Baynton East, who sold 13 Angus steers, 475kg, for 410c/kg or $1950 and Cavendish Investments, who sold 10 Angus steers, 496kg, for $2020 or 407c/kg doing well.
The heaviest animal yarded was one massive Angus steer from G Motschall, Penton Hill, that weighed 910 kilograms and sold for 219c/kg or $2000.
Temsi, Ferndale did well in the heavier side of the sale and sold 16 Angus steers, 724kg for 379c/kg or $2370.
A pen of 20 Angus/Black Baldy-cross steers from Warragul vendor M Raynor weighing 434kg sold for 384c/kg or $1670.
M& I Hendrikson, Skye, sold a pen of 17 Limousin steers, 434kg, for $1300 or 299c/kg as part of a significant run of Limousin cattle at the sale.
