Ballarat steer and grown weaners meet with stiff, four state competition

TB White & Sons, Ballarat, offered the bulk of the 5516-head yarding.

"There was an exceptional run of cattle with weight, with the best pen of the cattle making $2190 a head, but there were plenty of steers weighing between 450-550 kilograms making between $1800-$1950," TB White & Sons auctioneer Tom Madden said.

Mr Madden said most of the yarding weighed more than 300kg, with "proper-bred" calves selling for more than 400 cents a kilogram.

Weaner steers sold to a top of $1860, with cattle between 280-330kg making a top of 443c/kg.

Steers between 280-330kg sold for a top of 440c/kg, while those between 330-400kg topped at 416c/kg.

Grown steers topped at $2190, with the heaviest, weighing more than 600kg, going for a top of 317c/kg.

Adam Greenbank, Carnham, sold his first steers at Ballarat after holding onto them for about six months.

Mr Greenbank leases 400 hectares from his parents, running 700 crossbred ewes and lambs and about 50 head of cows with calves at foot.

He first had his steers assessed last year.

"It was the bottom of the market and I was told I would get $900 if I was lucky," he said.

"I looked at them and thought spring was coming on with a bit more feed, so I thought I would try and grow them out a little bit.

"With a big yarding, there could have been a lot of interest, or with too-much supply on the day, the market comes back a fraction."

Commission buyers Campbell Ross, Melbourne, Andrew Lowe, Wagga Wagga, NSW, Damian Whyte, Tumut, NSW, and Duncan Brown, Albury, NSW were, active on all classes of cattle at the sale.

Buyers from Teys Australia Charlton Feedlot, Thomas Foods International, Tintinara, SA, Mort & Co, which has Queensland feedlots, and Midfield Meats were joined by Gippsland agents Don Bowman, Elders, and Eddie Hams, Nutrien.

Mr Madden said Ballarat agents bought for restockers, while cattle also sold into Wangaratta.

"Cattle were going everywhere, to Forbes, NSW, and further north and to South Australia," he said.

Spring Creek Organics sold 22 Millah Murrah, Banquet and Bannaby-blood steers, 728kg, for $2190 or 300c/kg.

P Rumler and Sons sold 21 steers, 642kg, for $2040 or 317c/kg.

T and BM Dodds sold 18 Banquet-blood steers, 626kg, for $1950 or 311c/kg.

Morvan sold 27 High Spa-blood steers, 572kg, for $1750 or 305c/kg.

Nebpak Enterprises sold 30 Franc-blood steers, 512kg, for $1700 or 332c/kg.

Springdallah sold 12 Franc-blood steers, 621kg, for $1960 or 315c/kg.

Carrahill sold 24 Franc and Tiarna-blood steers, 590kg, for $1970 or 333c/kg, and 72, 491kg, for $1760 or 358c/kg.

V Briody sold 27 Pathfinder-blood steers, 522kg, for $1750 or 335c/kg.

B and J Cahill sold 10 Langi Kal Kal-blood steers, 591kg, for $1870 or 316c/kg.

FA and KJ Eldridge sold 49 Te Mania and Rennylea-blood steers, 453kg, for $1580 or 348c/kg.

DB Muir sold 15 Tiarna-blood steers, 464kg, for $1600 or 344c/kg.

Bluegate Pastoral sold 19 Weatherly-blood steers, 454kg, for $1640 or 361c/kg.

Lake Goldsmith sold 47 Merridale and Texas-blood steers, 442kg, for $1570 or 355c/kg.

PR, C, M and KM Berlyn sold 25 Banquet-blood steers, 464kg, for $1520 or 344c/kg.

Long Gully Pastoral sold 29 steers, 404kg, for $1380 or 341c/kg.

Bentham Beef sold 20 Murdeduke-blood steers, 394kg, for $1390 or 352c/kg.

DJ and AL Briody sold 18 Banquet-blood steers, 380kg, for $1350 or 355/kg.

The Pines sold 27 Murdeduke-blood steers, 382kg, for $1390 or 364c/kg.

High Spa sold 57 High Spa-blood steers, 384kg, for $1430 or 372c/kg.

Stump Hill sold 30 steers, 347kg, for $1340 or 344c/kg.