Prices at the Naracoorte combined agents' monthly store cattle sale held up well to the large weight of numbers being offered in store sales this week across southern Australia
There was an absence of interstate commission buyers but at least five feedlots were buying any cattle 350kg and above in the 2208 head yarding, pushing some rates higher than last month.
Steer top price honours of $1880 went to Telfer Trading, Millicent, with 11 Limousin-Angus which weighed 528 kilograms.
These October-November 2022 drops were snapped up by Thomas Foods International's Jack Thomas.
They eclipsed Telfer Trading's first pen of 17 587kg steers which made $1860.
Another Millicent vendor Chris Skeer & Co received $1710 for 14 February-March 2023 drop black baldies which were 502kg. They sold to Teys Charlton buyer Jordan Matthews who stepped up the rail on many pens.
His tally also included ten Simmental/Angus from Simmons Farms were also great yearlings making $1650. They were 477kg.
A pen of EU Angus cross steers from DH Prosser, Marcollat, were also in demand making $1600. The 499kg Bull Oak Well blds which were blue roans also sold to Teys.
Reedy Creek Pastoral, Reedy Creek, received $3.20/kg for 10 EU accredited, August/September 2022 drop Shorthorn steers which were 528kg. These $1690 steers sold to TDC Livestock & Property.
Twenty Angus from Hislop Nominees, Stewart Range, which were only 11-12 months of age, made $1580. They were 432kg and JB blds.
Glenelg Vale,Kadnook, Vic, received one of the highest cents a kilogram rates in the sale with their 15 August/September 2023 drop Angus making $3.86/kg to TDC. They were 244.3kg.
Overall the 1146 steers averaged $1222, while 1042 heifers averaged $926.
Gamble Pastoral, Lucindale, had both the heaviest and highest priced heifers in the yards with 18 Simmental-Angus heifers making $1490 to Nutrien Adelaide's Trevor Driver who was buying for Korunye feedlot.
These 510kg heifers were Woonallee and Glatz bld.
Late in the sale, Manuka Farming, Conmurra, sold two pens of two year old Shorthorn heifers which were pregnancy tested empty.
The Polldale and Bayview bloods which weighed 470.61kg made $3/kg or $1411.
Their second pen of 21 which were 446kg made $3.02/kg or to $1347.
.Both were knocked down to Nutrien Adelaide.
MR Irving received $1370 for 10 JB Angus heifers, January/February 2023 drop, weighing 450kg.
Among the best of the yearlings Karatta Pastoral, Binnum, sold 31 422kg Angus for $1230, also to Nutrien Adelaide.
The Ogilvie Group, buying through Miller Whan & John, was another dominant heifer buyer including all but one pen of 90 Angus from Saltbush Ag, Lucindale, all at $2.74/kg.
The TeMania bloods which weighed 280 to 332kg equated to $769 to $912.
There were still plenty of light heifers making $700 to $800.
The sole pen of cows with calves, 20 Angus cows from Cove Station, Serviceton, Vic, which ranged from two to 10 years of age, were good buying at $1810, selling to Creek Livestock.
They had Poll Hereford sired calves.
PPHS Penola agent Ashley Braun said the sale was 10-15c/kg stronger than where he had anticipated it may have been.
"There are close on 25,000 calves getting sold in the next two days (Thursday and Friday) so that is a lot of numbers to consume," he said.
There was also a bit more competition on the - there were plenty of those cattle making $3.60 and $3.65/kg
He said light heifers were also better than expected, comparable to March sale.
"We were thinking it could be back around $2.20 to $2.30/kg but most were making around $2.50/kg to $2.60/kg," he said.
"The closer we get to a bit of rain there are few people that have decided, let's take a chance and put some out because they won't have to feed them for long."
Nutrien Naracorte auctioneer Brendan Fitzgerald said heavier black steers made similar rates to the March sale but coloured steers were at least 20c/kg dearer than the previous month as feedlots chased any suitable cattle with weight.
"There was enough feedlot demand whether it was processors, feedlotters or others to keep the sale ticking along," he said.
" You only need three or four operating, we saw some buying at 320kg to 400kg and others coming in at 400 to 500kg so there was a spread."
Mr Fitzgerald said the market was being driven by feedlotters not backgrounders who were still cautious about the lack of paddock feed and "already eating into their haystacks".
"At the moment it is numbers driven, a (seasonal) break will change things and may see prices lift but it needs to come sooner rather than later especially in western Vic before it gets too cold," he said.
