LAST week's Elders Boyanup weaned weaner sale at Boyanup was best described by Elders Capel representative Rob Gibbings: "Little in numbers but not in quality".
A total of 421 calves of the advertised 600 made an appearance, with the silence golden and appreciated by all.
The quality and weights of the calves were excellent and attracted strong support to possibly be slightly dearer than recent sales for the weights.
Steer calves sold strongly to $1440, paid at the heavy end, while 390c/kg was the top for lightweights.
Heifers also sold from a low of 300c/kg to 348c/kg and $1248 top.
A highlight of the sale was the offering of a steer from Marc Piantoni to raise funds for the Leukaemia Foundation.
It's a condition very close to the hearts of the Piantoni and Pianta families, with one-year-old Jackson Pianta currently in Princess Margaret Hospital receiving treatment for the condition.
Kevin Armstrong, Willowbank, stepped up and paid $1440 at 320c/kg for the 450kg calf.
The first pen held 10 Charolais vealer weaners weighing 451kg, and these sold to Willowbank at 316c/kg and $1424.
The first few pens were all heavy calves, with T & R Wrigglesworth selling three averaging 452kg for 316c/kg and $1427 to Willowbank, the volume buyer at the sale.
A pen of slightly lighter calves from J & L Kirkham weighing 420kg went on the same truck at 326c/kg and $1370.
Saunders Beach, Donnybrook, had several lines of different breeds starting with two Charolais averaging 420kg also going to Willowbank at 300c/kg and $1260.
Bill Kessell, Elders Donnybrook, broke the Willowbank monopoly paying $1240 at 322c/kg for three Murray Grey steers weighing 385kg from Meljabre.
The best of the Gemhurst Simmental steers were a pen of seven weighing 396kg with these going to HNH Grazing for $1324 and 334c/kg.
A line of 11 similar steers sold account Bass and Pinch, Boyup Brook, joined these at $1206 and 326c/kg.
Willowbank also liked the Bass and Pinch calves, snapping up a pen of nine for $1316.
Marc Piantoni sold five Limousin steers weighing 360kg costing Rob Gibbings $1210 at 336c/kg.
Later in the sale, Mr Piantoni saw his six steers weighing 400kg make $1315 when Larry Miaolo, Donnybrook, bid to 328c/kg.
Brad and Nikki McGinty sold steers weighing 347kg for 342c/kg and $1187, bought by Willowbank.
Tahmalee Well sold the top Angus calves, 10 weighing 409kg making $1300 and 318c/kg going to GJ & J Watt, Cowaramup.
Ten Murray Grey calves from Tahmalee then sold for $1245 when Willowbank bid to 320c/kg for the 389kg cattle.
Shaun East, Manjimup, bought 11 Angus from DLP Farming for $1170 and 11 grey calves, sold account J Pazzano at $1087.
The top price of 390c/kg was paid for five Angus weighing 271kg offered by Darwonga Investments, costing Maywill Farms, Waroona, $1057, which added three South Devons averaging 242kg from Maranup Ford Grazing at 380c/kg to cost $918.
Darwonga had earlier sold 12 Angus weighing 314kg to Lexden Park, Capel, for $1181 and 376c/kg.
The opening pen of seven Charolais heifers from T & V Wrigglesworth sold to GJ & J Watt, Cowaramup, for the top pen price of $1248 when the 400kg females made 312c/kg.
A single Angus heifer from Saunders Beach sold for the top of $1368 also bought by the Watts, paying 285c/kg.
Marc Piantoni continued his successful day when his line of 10 heifers weighing 386kg sold for $1229 when Kevin Armstrong bid to 318c/kg.
Nine Murray Grey heifers averaging 379kg sold by Bass and Pinch, topped $1212 when Kevin Armstrong bid to 320c/kg.
A pen of eight heifers sold by J & L Kirkham were up with the tops when they made $1181 at 318c/kg.
Galati Family Trust, Brunswick, chipped away all sale, buying eight black heifers averaging 347kg from B & N McGinty for $1056 and 304c/kg.
Three from PA Terpstra in the next pen joined these at $920 and 310c/kg.
Prices held strong to the end of the sale with the last run seeing five Murray Grey heifers weighing 363kg from Tahmalee Well sell to GJ & J Watt for $1140 and 314c/kg.
Shaun East, Manjimup, added five grey heifers sold account J Pazzano to his earlier steer purchases, outlaying $1050 at 328c/kg for the 320kg cattle.
The top of 348c/kg was paid for the last 12 beef heifers sold, weighing 253kg from Maranup Ford Grazing that sold to R & L Pollinelli, costing $883.
