FEEDLOTTERS had stiff competition from local restockers at the Mount Gambier store cattle sale on Friday, with prices lifting significantly across most classes.
The was a small yarding of only 901 head offered but even though numbers were down, quality was up and this was reflected in the prices.
After recent good rains, grazier confidence is on the rise after the doldrums of last month’s sale, when prices did not even crack $3 a kilogram.
On Friday, steer prices surged back up to $3.56/kg in the medium weight range of 300kg to 350kg.
Heavy Angus steers weighing more than 400kg sold from $2.71-$3.07/kg, which was significantly up on the last sale, while heavy coloured steers of 400kg+ made from $2.77-$3/kg.
Mid weight Angus steers, 350-400kg, made from $2.65-$3.13/kg and coloured steers from $2.71-$2.90/kg.
Angus steers from 300-350kg sold from $2.26-$3.56/kg and coloured steers of the same weights fetched from $2.71-$2.81/kg.
Lighter weight Angus steers, less than 300kg sold on a par with last month, from $2.47-$3.06/kg, while coloured steers in this weight range made from $2.81-$2.90/kg.
Dukalskis Farming, Mumbannar, sold 53 Angus steers, with weights from 398-446kg, to the sale top of $1430 and an average of $1318. The Dukalskis top draft, 446kg, sold at $1430 or $3.07/kg to Elders Mt Gambier. The second Dukalskis draft, 438kg, made $1190 or $2.71/kg.
Selling 17 Angus steers, 445kg, at $1295 or $2.91/kg were Kleenview, Casterton, Vic.
K&K Lock, Kalangadoo, sold 18 Lawson-blood Agus steers, 358kg, at $1120 and a second draft, 326kg, at $1160 or $3.56/kg.
RW Holme Trust, Mt Benson, had 109 Angus steers with weights from 243-381kg av $873. The top draft, 381kg, sold at $1010 to Creek Livestock.
JA&KM Peel, Mt Benson, sold 11 Granite Ridge-bld Angus steers, 356kg, at $990 or $2.78/kg to Pinkerton Palm Hamlyn & Steen Millicent, and a second draft, 311kg, at $880 or $2.83/kg to O’Connor & Graney. The Peels also sold 57 Angus heifers with weights from 289-333kg, for an average of $744 to Miller Whan & John.
Females
There were only two pens of cows with calves at-foot yarded at Mount Gambier on Friday.
Navillus Downs, Tintinara, sold 11 Angus cows in light condition, which had been running back to a Lancaster Black Simmental bull, along with with 11 Angus CAF, for $900.
The same vendor also sold a second draft of seven Angus cows with seven Angus CAF at $1020.
Only two pens of heavier heifers weighing more than 400 kilograms were yarded.
Nine Hereford heifers, 446kg, from KB&CL Comley, Caveton, sold for $1060 or $2.37/kg to Nampara, with the same buyer purchasing 12 Shorthorn heifers, 465kg, at $1170 or $2.51/kg from Gwingana, Kingston.
Heifers in the 350-400kg range sold from $2.11-$2.21/kg, heifers from 300-350kg made $2.01-$2.59/kg and lighter heifers weighing less than 300kg sold from $2-$2.62kg.
Leaella Partnership, Wallacedale, Vic, sold 23 European Union-accredited, Banquet and Coolana-blood Angus heifers, 248kg, at $640 or $2.48/kg to Elders Heywood, Vic, and a second draft, 259kg, sold at $520 or $2/kg to Thomas DeGaris & Clarkson.
Rocorp Pty Ltd, Tintinara, had seven Bull Oak Well-bld Angus heifers, 261kg, sell for $585 or $2.24/kg, while GT Trading, Lucindale, sold 11 Hereford-cross heifers, 381kg, at $805 or $2.11/kg.
