ANGUS steers sold to a $1210 high at the Naracoorte combined agents' monthly store cattle sale on Thursday last week as $3 a kilogram and above become the new level for store cattle.
The 14-month-old Stoney Point-blood sale toppers from the Longbottom family, Farmers Leap, Padthaway weighed 400kg.
They were knocked down to Teys Australia for its Charlton feedlot in Vic. Teys dominated the heavy end buying, taking 128.
Also among Teys' purchases were 22 April/June 2014-drop Angus steers from Hamanoon at $1070.
The yarding of 532 highlighted the looming shortage of cattle but there were some well-bred lines of yearlings.
Heavier end steers made $2.75-$3.05/kg and lighter steers made to $3.60/kg.
IE Leask, Penola, offered two pens of European Union-accredited steers and was justifiably rewarded. The 44 July/August 2014-drop EU Angus made the top rate of the weighed cattle - $3.23/kg and $3.30/kg.
Both pens - 24 steers at 306kg and 20 at 281kg - sold to Thomas Degaris & Clarkson Penola account Merrett.
The Leasks' TDC agent Jamie Gray was rapt with the prices which were $100-$150 more than he expected.
"The cows are calving down and we were running out of feed so we moved a few," he said. "We normally grow them out to EU bullocks. Prices are terrific but hopefully they continue into the spring so everyone is making money out of it."
Also above $3/kg were 27 June/July 2014-drop from LT&JM Wilson, Penola, topping at $885 on a pen of 291kg Angus, av $844.
Lightweight steers from Hanson Park sold well with 13 September/October 2014-drop Angus making $750, and another 20 at $650.
AG Cane & Co, Lucindale, topped the heifer offering with two pens of 13-14-month-old Angus heifers. The first pen of 16, 382kg, made $1050 and another with the same number, 367kg, made $1000. They sold to Teys Charlton.
Anderson Family Trust, Tintinara, sold 12 heifers, only 9-11 months, 315kg, at $870.
LT&JM Wilson received $655 for 12 Angus heifers, 241kg.
Pinkerton Palm Hamlyn & Steen auctioneer Josh Manser described the sale as " very spirited bidding" and was a "shade dearer " than he expected.
The 10-15c/kg rally in Tuesday's prime cattle sale had assisted buyer confidence .
"Buyers know that numbers are short and if they want cattle they have got to pay the rate or miss out," Mr Manser said.
TDC auctioneer Darren Maney said it was an exceptional sale, comparable to other recent store sales.
"If a steer had some quality he was making $3/kg and a heifer with a bit of quality was $2.70/kg-plus, so it was a very solid sale," he said.
He did not believe store sale buyers were being carried away, with prime sale prices justifying the money being paid.
"It is perfectly sustainable that the top prices pens are making $900 to $1000 when people have sold (finished) cattle for $1800 to $1900," he said. "An $800 gap is as good as we have ever seen and it is still being driven by the feedlots and processors.
"The only way not to make money out of cattle in the next 12 months is not to have any."
