THE top-end of steers sold well at the Mount Gambier saleyards on Friday, but heifers returns were back on the previous month.
Quality was mixed at the sale, with cattle showing the signs of a very cold and wet season in the Green Triangle.
There were 1022 cattle yarded with steers making to $1340.
The top steer price was made by P&K Serle, Tantanoola, with 16 black baldy steers weighing 442 kilograms that made $3.03/kg, selling to Thomas Foods International.
The same vendor also sold a further 15 steers at 397kg to TFI for $1200 or $3.02/kg.
TFI also bought five Angus-crosses, 442kg, for $1300 or $2.94/kg from NA McIntyre, Worrolong.
Other lines TFI bought included 10 European Union-accredited Angus steers, 336kg, from Wattle View Holdings, Portland, Vic, for $1085 or $3.22/kg, six Angus steers, 344kg, from CJ Griggs Nominees, Meningie, for $980 or $2.84/kg and and three Hereford-Shorthorn steers, 398kg, at $1260 or $3.16/kg from GT Trading, Furner.
Selling Angus steers were Pepa Hill, Nelson, Vic, with 12 at 393kg, selling for $1140 to Creek Livestock; McIntyre Heritage, Millicent, with seven at 439kg, sold for $1220 or $2.77/kg, also to Creek Livestock; and Kintalpa Partners, Kingston, 17 Granite Ridge and Glatz Black Angus-blds at 313kg, for $940 or $3/kg.
Dukalskis Farming, Mount Gambier, sold 21 Angus steers at 335kg for $1060 or $3.16/kg, along with a further 26 at 326kg for $1030 or $3.15/kg.
Making some of the highest steer prices on a kilogram basis were Yakkamunga, Bahgallah, Vic, with three Charolais-crosses at 287kg, selling for $970 or $3.37/kg; Springhill Canunda, Millicent, 24 EU Angus steers, 303kg, that made $1010 or $3.33/kg, La Lee, Mount Gambier, 24 Te Mania-bld Angus steers, 277kg, at $920 or $3.32/kg; and Bassendean, Strathdownie, Vic, 20 Boonaroo-blood Angus, 302kg, at $980 or $3.24/kg.
The highest price Hereford steers came from The Flats, Benara, with 20 Glenfern-blds at 458kg that sold for $1300 or $2.83/kg to Teys Charlton.
There were only three pens of cows and calves offered, all from Blackwood, Mount Gambier.
The first pen, five Simmental-cross fourth-calver cows, which had been running back to a Simmental bull, with five Woonalee-sired calves at-foot made $1160. A further three Murray Grey cows with three CAF made $910 and a pen of seven Hereford cows with seven CAF made $790.
Making the highest heifer price was Lynlee, Macarthur, Vic, with 15 pregnancy-tested empty, Coolana-bld Angus, 384kg, at $1060 or $2.76/kg, that sold to Creek Livestock.
The same vendor also sold a further 16 heifers at 351kg for $900 or $2.56/kg to TFI.
Other heifer sellers were NA McIntyre, four Angus-crosses at $1050 or $2.58/kg sold to TFI and Kintapa Partners, 11 at 326kg, that sold for $760 or $2.33/kg.
The highest price Hereford heifers were from Shiloh Park, Compton, with 14, 12 month old to 14mos at 359kg, sold for $980 or $2.72/kg to Creek Livestock.
GT Trading sold eight heifers, 353kg, for $890 or $2.52/kg to TFI.