WHILE it would be stretching things a little to say that you could fire a shotgun without hitting anyone or cattle, the yarding and attendance at the combined agents sale at Manjimup last week, emphasised that numbers are running out.
The usual number of local cattlemen were absent, leaving plenty of room on the rail for serious buyers.
There was a myriad of types, ages, weights and quality offered, with values following suit.
A total of just over 100 cattle were offered between all three agents.
Beef steers sold to $1487 with the lighter vealer end making up to 358c/kg.
Heifers also saw a wide range of age and weight, with heavy heifers making to $1345 and one prime pen of youngsters topping at 330c/kg.
A small handful of Friesian steers failed to make value with these good buying for an astute purchaser at a top of $940 and 220c/kg.
Some good cows were penned with the best of these selling for $1647 and 220c/kg to be up on the last sale and equal to other recent markets.
A few yearling bulls all went to live export when reaching $1107 and 330c/kg.
Many of the processor lines were bought with a single bid, with Greg Jones holding a pocket full of buying orders to take most of the pens, putting a base to the market.
Elders held first position and soon sold a Simmental steer weighing 590kg from Crosby and Parke for $1357 at 230c/kg, bought by Mr Jones for Johnson Meats.
Other cattle bought early for Johnson Meats included three Angus averaging 516kg for $1291 and 250c/kg, sold by RL & E Thorn.
Other steers from this vendor were three Angus weighing 455kg which went to GR & PJ Jones at 250c/kg to cost $1137.
A heavy heifer sold by G & J Stoiche weighed 595kg and sold for $1309 at 220c/kg when bought for Western Meat Packers (WMP).
A pen of seven Simmental heifers averaging 388kg from F Pessotto & Sons took the premium pen prize, selling to Sebastian Butchers at $1282 and the top of 330c/kg.
Two heifers weighing 342kg offered by VS & C Dimitriou sold well, making 320c/kg and $1096 when bought by GR & PJ Jones.
Harvey Beef got a mention when an Angus cow from BR Styles sold for $1575 when the 750kg cow made 210c/kg.
Landmark had almost 50 per cent of the yarding, starting with three Angus heifers from WD & IM Phillips & Son, Manjimup, with the 502kg heifers making $1264 when bought for Johnson Meats at 252c/kg. Another five heifers from the Phillips family weighed 429kg and sold at 266c/kg to cost GR & PJ Jones, $1141.
A single black vealer steer from Gandy Timbers sold for $1100 when the 355kg steer made 310c/kg, joining the Jones truck.
VA & AJ Blechynden sold two Hereford vealers weighing 277kg for 358c/kg to local, Norm Vellios, costing $993.
The next pen of three Limousin steers weighed 280kg and also sold to Mr Vellios to cost $722 at 258c/kg.
Three Angus heifers averaging 333kg from Hall & Co sold to Mr Jones for $986 at 296c/kg while three of the Blechynden Herefords joined them when the heifers weighing 327kg sold for 294c/kg to return $960.
Gandy Timbers sold the top cows of the day when its two cows weighing 762kg went to WMP at 216c/kg to cost $1647.
The top of 220c/kg went to another two lighter Gandy cows which returned $1402.
A heavy Friesian cow from G & L Ylioff sold well to make $1532 at 188c/kg.
Livestock Shipping Services purchased all the yearling bulls offered, paying $1107 for two Blonde d'Aquitaine bulls from PM Gibellini.
Another two of the Blonde bulls made $1023 at the top of 330c/kg while a single Hereford from VA Blechynden was close behind at $1022.
Primaries drew last sale position for this sale and started with a heavy Murray Grey steer weighing 595kg from J & DL Bogoais that was bought for Princi Butchers for $1487 and 250c/kg.
Two steers weighing 332kg from Tony Ciccone sold for the Primaries top steer price of 285c/kg costing GR & PJ Jones, $948.
A heifer from JD Phillips sold at 232c/kg to return $1346, while a cow sold for $1342 and 220c/kg, with both going to WMP.