Mt Gambier heavy steers break $3000 barrier

Sam O'Connor, Nutrien Mount Gambier, said the magnificent line-up of 2061 cattle yarded showed a lot more weight in the yarding than in previous months.

"I'd suggest the first lane and a half of cattle sold today would traditionally be spring and summer bullocks to be sold through the prime market," he said.

"Producers are starting sell cattle through the store market to take advantage of the good money now, rather than holding on for another 6-8 weeks to sell as prime bullocks."

Robust competition from the buyers' gallery reflected a mood of desperation to fill orders.

"You could almost see the smiles on the faces of the producers through their masks," Mr O'Connor said.

Angus steers weighing more than 450 kilograms sold from $5.05/kg to 5.86/kg; coloured steers 450kg-plus made $4.20-$5.38/kg; Angus steers 360-450kg sold from $5.69-$6.49/kg; while coloured steers 360-450kg made $5.56-$6.06/kg.

Angus steers from 320-360kg sold from $5.73-$6.51/kg, coloured steers in the same weight range made $5.81-$6.16/kg; lighter Angus steers 280-320kg sold from $5.73-$6.58/kg, the coloured steers in this weight range made $5.74-$6.10/kg; while Angus steers under 280kg sold from $6.95-$7.50/kg.

RELATED READING: August - Steers to $2800 at Mt Gambier

Regular feedlot buyers went head-to-head with local restockers on a tremendous run of quality heavy steers.

Hopkins River paid the top dollars a head price of $3040 or $5.18/kg for 17, 22-24 month-old Pathfinder-blood Angus steers weighing 587kg from Roxley Park, Yahl.

Hopkins River bought 84 Angus steers in the 320-450+kg weight range, including 10 Angus steers, av 590kg at 22-24mo, at $2980 or $5.05/kg from IE&SD Peacock, Glencoe, and three Angus steers av 590kg at $2980 or $5.05/kg from Riverdale Partnership, Casterton, Vic.

Creek Livestock, Mount Gambier, were in the thick of the bidding action, buying 156 Angus steers at the heavier end.

Creek Livestock also paid the top c/kg steer price of the sale for a lighter draft of 12 Pasturefed Cattle Assurance Scheme-eligible Boonaroo-bld Angus steers, av 188kg at 9-11mo, at $7.50/kg or $1410 from Pieracle Station, Casterton, Vic.

Hammer Springs, Casterton, Vic, sold 15 Angus steers av 217kg to Elders Heywood at $7.37/kg or $1600.

Thomas Foods International bought 200 Angus steers, including 24 Angus, av 513kg at 16-18mo, at $2910 or $5.67/kg and a lighter draft av 458kg at $2670 or $5.83/kg sold by Gasparini Storage & Logistics, Moorak.

G Ellison & Co, Kalangadoo, sold 31 PCAS Pathfinder-bld Angus steers, March/April 2020-drop weighing 453-550kg, for an average of $2788. Their heaviest draft av 550kg sold at $2930 or $5.33/kg to TFI.

Willowbank, Millicent, sold 18 PCAS Angus steers, av 259kg at 10-12mo, at $1890 or $7.30/kg to Pinkerton Palm Hamlyn & Steen; while a heavier draft av 307kg sold to Mingbool Station for $2020 or $6.58/kg.

Benara Pastoral, Mount Gambier, sold 156 PCAS, Coolana and Sterita Park-bld Angus steers, weighing from 379-457kg at 14-16mo, for an average of $2589. Benara's heaviest draft av 457kg sold at $2680 or $5.86/kg to Creek Livestock, while a lighter draft av 379kg sold to O'Connor & Graney at $2460 or $6.49/kg.

Kumara SE, Mount Gambier, sold 32 European Union-accredited, PCAS, Pathfinder-bld Angus steers, weighing between 260-311kg at 10-12mo, for an average of $1920. A draft av 261kg sold to PPH&S at $1900 or $7.28/kg.

GH&BR Kuhl, Kongorong, sold 12 Morganvale-bld Hereford steers, av 578kg at 22mo, at $2860 or $4.95/kg to Nampara.

Shiloh Park, Mount Gambier, sold 12 PCAS Hereford steers, av 535kg at 12mo, at $2790 or $5.21/kg to Nampara and a lighter draft av 336kg at $2060 or $6.13/kg to Elders Mildura.

D&K Vandepeer, Mount Gambier, sold five Murray Grey steers, av 574kg at 20mo, at $2620 or $4.56/kg to Creek Livestock.

GT Trading, Lucindale, sold 18 PCAS Hereford steers, av 368kg at 9-11mo, to Schubert Boers at $2170 or $5.90/kg, while a lighter draft av 320kg sold at $1970 or $6.16/kg to Green Triangle Livestock.

Heifers weighing 450kg-plus made from $4.22-$5.09/kg/kg; 360-450kg heifers made $4.41-$6.01/kg; 320-360kg heifers were $5-$5.92/kg; 280-320kg heifers $5.45-$6.09/kg; while heifers under 280kg made from $5.99-$8.06/kg.

M Lock, Moorak, made the highest dollars a head heifer price with 18 EU Angus heifers, av 475kg at 14-16mo, at $2420 or $5.09/kg selling to TFI.

TFI bought 57 heifers, including 7 PCAS Limousin heifers, av 431kg at 22mo, at $2330 or $5.41/kg from KM&BA Henke, Digby, Vic; and 14 EU/PCAS Angus heifers, av 440kg at 24mo, at $2320 or $5.27/kg from Springhill, Canunda.

The top c/kg price for heifers of $8.06/kg was achieved by Pieracle Station for its 30 PCAS, Boonaroo-bld Angus heifers, av 180kg at 9-11mo, selling at $1450 to Creek Livestock.

Dale Keatley, Nutrien Mount Gambier, bought 61 heifers, including eight Angus heifers av 216kg at $1510 or $6.99/kg from Hammer Springs; and 16 Angus-cross heifers av 253kg at $1600 or $6.32/kg from McIntyre Heritage, Bray.

Calcarb, Digby, sold 12 PCAS, Pathfinder-bld Angus and Angus-cross heifers av 297kg at $1810 or $6.09/kg to Miller Whan & John account Lindsay; while a lighter draft av 252kg sold to Dale Keatley at $1620 or $6.43/kg.

Balrook, Dartmoor, Vic, sold 20 EU/PCAS, Nampara and Granite Ridge-bld Angus-cross heifers av 397kg at $2200 or $5.54/kg to account Cleary.

Glenora, Strathdownie, Vic, sold 11 PCAS Angus heifers, May/June 2020-drops av 303kg, at $1650 or $5.45/kg to Mingbool; while a second draft av 254kg sold to Dale Keatley at $1600 or $6.30/kg.

Nineteen cows with 21 calves at-foot were sold.

The top money of $3700 paid by the Woodhalls for nine Angus second-fourth calvers with 11 6mo Charolais-cross CAF, rejoined to Charolais bulls, from Jasmar Park, Nelson.

A second draft of 10 mixed-age Angus cows with 10 6mo Charolais-cross CAF sold to MW&J at $3330.