PRICES at Friday's Mount Gambier store market made up some of the ground lost at the March store sale.
Heavier cattle, particularly those weighing more than 340 kilograms, sold well to feedlot and grazier competition, buyers from JBS Australia, Teys Australia and Thomas Foods, keeping a floor in the prices of heavier steers, but lighter cattle were tougher going, selling mainly to local graziers.
The yarding still drew solid competition on a good run of well-bred spring-drop calves, from one of the smallest galleries of buyers in recent times.
"Feeder steer prices were comparable to other (recent) sales, with feedlotters chasing anything big enough and well-bred enough to put on feed over the winter months," Landmark Keatley's Dale Keatley, Mount Gambier, said.
"Graziers are making room for the new season's calves and with lambing around the corner, are trying to conserve fodder supplies, so they're selling anything not suitable to their operation.
"Everyone's waiting for rain."
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Heavy 450kg-plus steers sold from $2.68/kg to $2.98/kg, while Angus steers from 360-450kg made $2.41-$3.29 /kg and coloured steers, 360-450kg, returned $2.07-$2.82/kg.
Angus steers from 320-360kg sold at $2.60-$3.18/kg, while coloured steers of the same weights made $1.94-$2.78/kg. Lighter Angus steers under 280-320kg sold from $2.48-$3.16/kg, while their coloured counterparts made $1.53-$2.69/kg. Angus steers under 280kg sold from $2.64-$3.12/kg.
Heywood Flats, Heywood, Vic, sold three 540kg Angus steers at the top per head price of $1450 or $2.68/kg to JBS Australia. Their second draft, 463kg, made $1380 or $2.98/kg to Teys Australia.
A draft of Heywood Flats' 15-16-month-old Limousin-cross steers, 402kg, sold at $870 or $2.16/kg to Creek Livestock, Mount Gambier.
Sunray Pastoral, Hatherleigh, sold 22, 12-14mo European Union-accredited and Pasturefed Cattle Assurance System-eligible Angus-cross steers, 410kg, at $1350, achieving the top price/kg of the day at $3.29/kg to Teys Charlton.
Its draft of 14, 12-14mo Euro-cross steers, 451kg, sold to JBS Australia at $1240 or $2.75/kg.
Balrook, Dartmoor, Vic, sold 18 Nampara and Granite Ridge-blood, 10-12mo Angus-cross steers, 370kg, at $1120 or $3.03/kg to O'Connor & Graney, with a second draft, 381kg, selling to Green Triangle Livestock at $1220 or $3.20/kg.
J&J Glare, Mumbannar, Vic, sold 89 PCAS and EU Landfall-bld Angus steers, weighing 320-349kg at 14-16 months, for an average of $1017. Their top draft, 349kg, sold at $1080 or $3.09/kg to TFI.
Teys Charlton bought 95 heavy steers, including 20 Nampara and Banquet-bld Angus, 385kg, from Kleenview, Casterton, Vic, at $1170 or $3.04/kg; eight 14-15mo Angus, 409kg, from Allisford Enterprises, Beachport, at $1235 or $3.02/kg; six 10-12mo Angus steers, 385kg, from Wrights Swamp Drumborg, Vic, at $1150 or $2.99/kg; five Angus-crosses, 402kg, from PR&BL Sims, Tantanoola, at $1200 or $2.99/kg and 12 Weeran-bld Angus steers, 376kg at 16-18 months, from Pepa Hill, Nelson, Vic, at $1030 or $2.74/kg.
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Also showing strong competition on cattle weighing mainly between 340-450kg, TFl finished with 184 steers, paying to $1250 or $2.99/kg for 10 Angus, 418kg at 12-14 months, from T Hunt & Son, Kalangadoo; as well as 13, 12mo Stoney Point-bld Angus, 383kg, from PL Chambers, Rendelsham, at $1180 or $3.08/kg; 10 of Kyndalyn Trust Dartmoor's EU Angus steers, 355kg, at $1130 or $3.18/kg; 12 Angus, 365kg, from Shiloh Park, Mount Gambier, at $1080 or $2.96/kg and 20 September-drop Chiltern Park-bld Angus, 302kg, at $950 or $3.15/kg from JS&R Bowd, Strathdownie, Vic.
AJ&MJ Whitehead, Furner, sold eight Angus steers, 417kg, at $1240 or $2.97/kg to JBS Australia. A second draft of seven Angus steers, 371kg, made $1150 or $3.10/kg to TFI, which also bought the Whiteheads' draft of five Charolais steers, 411kg, at $1160 or $2.82/kg.
Greenhills, Casterton, Vic, sold eight Boonaroo-bld, 7-8mo Angus steers, 346kg, at $910 or $2.63kg to Landmark Casterton, and a second draft, 292kg, to Southern Australian Livestock at $860 or $2.95/kg. Greenhills also sold eight 12-14mo Taronga-bld Shorthorn-cross steers, 348kg, at $890 or $2.56/kg to Miller Whan & John.
Laslett Nominees, Allendale, sold 10 Angus/Hereford steers, 366kg at 10-12 months, at $1030 or $2.81/kg and 12 Hereford steers, 295kg at 10-12 months, at $780 or $2.64/kg to Green Triangle Livestock, as well as 10 Hereford steers, 356kg,at $950 or $2.67/kg to Elders Dartmoor.
Woodside, Sale, Vic, sold 98 PCAS, Landfall-bld, 8-10mo Angus steers, weighing 173-266kg, for an average of $705. Its top draft of 19 Angus steers, 266kg, sold at $830 or $3.12/kg to Pinkerton Palm Hamlyn & Steen, Penola. The remaining 79 steers sold to Miller Whan & John, which paid to $700 or $2.80/kg.
Kolora Partnership, Tarpeena, sold 22 Hereford steers, 386kg at 12-14 months, at $1060 or $2.75/kg to Scott Creek Livestock and a second 403kg draft to JBS Australia at $950 or $2.36/kg.
Swan Lake, Heywood, sold 21, 10-12mo Hereford steers, 340-401kg, averaging $907. Its top draft, 401kg, sold at $1060 or $2.64/kg to Thomas Foods.
Kent Props, Millicent, sold 13 Euro-cross steers, 372kg, at $1050 or $2.82/kg to TFI; 11 Euro-cross steers, 344kg, at $940 or $2.73/kg to Creek Livestock and five Speckle Park-cross steers, 333kg, at $900 or $2.70/kg to Green Triangle Livestock.
Cows with calves sell to $1500
A limited number of cows and calves were offered. DJ Phillips, Yahl, sold three Hereford/Friesian cows with Limousin-cross calves at-foot, not rejoined, to $1500 to Elders Dartmoor, which also bought two Angus cows with Angus CAF from Kangaroo Flat, Kangaroo Flat, Vic, at $1440, and five Angus cows with Angus CAF from J Rissman & SB Lees, Broadwater, Vic, sold at $1400.
Millanda Estate tops heifer offering
In the heifers, those weighing 360-450kg made $2.05-$2.66/kg; 320-360kg heifers sold from $1.99-$2.47/kg; 280-320kg from $1.84-$2.51/kg; and those under 280kg from $1.75-$2.35/kg.
Millanda Estate, Mount Gambier, sold 15, 12mo Weeran-bld Angus heifers, 423kg, at the top heifer price of $1100 or $2.60/kg to Scott Creek Livestock.
Rockanya, Gerringarup, Vic, sold 21 Angus-cross heifers, 361kg at 16-18 months, at $920 or $2.55/kg and a second draft, 352kg, at $740 or $2.10/kg to JBS Australia, also buying 15, 8-10mo Angus heifers, 373kg, at $880 or $2.36/kg from Yarramie, Strathdownie.
Highbury Trading sold 19 Weeran-bld Angus heifers,330kg, at $780 or $2.36/kg to Lindsay; Willow Bank, Millicent, sold 15 Angus heifers, 350kg, at $855 or $2.44/kg to TFI; Wonganoo, Mount Gambier, sold eight Saler heifers, 419kg, at $860 or $2.05/kg to Creek Livestock and Weaver Livestock, Edenhope, Vic, sold eight EU Red Angus-Simmental-Gelbvieh heifers, 427kg, at $1000 or $2.34/kg to TFI.
Kleenview, Casterton, sold 56 Nampara and Banquet-bld Angus and Angus-cross heifers, weighing 305-333kg at 11-12 months, for an average of $741, with the top draft making $765 or $2.30/kg to Miller Whan & John account Lindsay.
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Karowa, Eight Mile Creek, sold 27, 10-12mo Limousin-Angus heifers, 340kg, at $840 or $2.47/kg to TFI, a second draft av 301kg sold to Green Triangle Livestock at $660 or $2.19/kg.
J&J Glare, Mumbannar, Vic, sold 53 Landfall-bld Angus heifers, weighing 279-308kg at 14-16 months, for an average of $672. The top draft sold at $775 or $2.51/kg to Thomas DeGaris & Clarkson.
Roseneath, Millicent, sold 18, 10mo Angus-cross heifers, 338kg, at $780 or $2.30/kg to Creek Livestock and a 345kg draft of Simmental-cross heifers at $740 or $2.09/kg to TFI.
Raheen, Condah, Vic, sold 50 PCAS and EU Banquet and Pathfinder-bld Angus heifers, 11-12 months and weighing 245-313kg, averaging $613, with the top draft selling to Thomas DeGaris & Clarkson at $750 or $2.39/kg.
Woodside, Sale, sold 34, 8-10mo Landfall-bld Angus heifers, 252kg, at $580 or $2.30/kg to Landmark Casterton, with a second draft, 208kg, selling to Southern Australian Livestock Naracoorte at $450 or $2.16/kg.