NUMBERS were well down on the expected yarding when 408 weaner calves were offered at the combined Elders-Primaries Manjimup sale last week.
This was partly due to some being unable to muster because of fire and vehicle movement bans.
The quality of the yarding was very mixed ranging from some very good lines to below average drafts.
Steer calves sold to $1428 for the heavy end while lightweights topped at 400c/kg.
Heifers were more consistent, reaching $1293 and 362c/kg.
Kevin Armstrong, Willowbank, was the most active buyer, with Elders Manjimup representative Cameron Harris and Rodney Galati, Brunswick, also multiple pen buyers.
Mr Armstrong snapped up the first four pens sold, for Kalgrains, including the top-priced steer pen in the Primaries section, paying $1344 at 320c/kg for the 13 sleek Angus steers from Rim Rock Grazing, Boyup Brook.
Four similar steers weighing 421kg from RH & LM Rose & Son cost $1306 at 310c/kg and a line of 13 sold by WD & IM Phillips & Son weighing 372kg were purchased at 340c/kg and $1265.
Five averaging 386kg offered by Marrivale Downs joined them at $1266 and 328c/kg.
Two more pens of Marrivale Angus steers were bought by Cameron Harris, Elders Manjimup, with two weighing 335kg making $1139 and 340c/kg and four averaging 254kg made $994 at 392c/kg.
The three pens of Angus heifers from WD & IM Phillips attracted buyers keen to buy future breeders, with Kevin Armstrong securing the first pen for $1276 when the 365kg heifers sold at 350c/kg.
Losing bidder, Jim Bogoias, Manjimup, then upped the effort to buy the next two pens for the top of 362c/kg for 13 weighing 324kg to cost $1174 and another 13 selling for $1106.
The top steer price in the Elders pens went to a single Murray Grey steer weighing 510kg from JA Longwood that was bought for Harvey Beef Farms (HBF) costing $1428 at 280c/kg.
In the same pen, two weighing 407kg made $1280 at 314c/kg,
A single Simmental weighing 495kg sold for $1336 and 270c/kg with the last Angus steer weighing 470kg making 280c/kg and $1316, with these all sold by JA Longwood and bought by HBF.
G & J Stoichev sold five Angus averaging 436kg for $1334 and these were snapped up by Mr Harris.
Kalgrains went into the clerking sheets for a Limousin steer weighing 375kg from GM Flannagan, returning $1207 while four Angus weighing 420kg offered by Clovermia Grazing, sold for $1344.
At the higher end of quality, a pen of seven Angus weighing 416kg returned $1374 for KL Edwards when Elders Capel representative Rob Gibbings bid to 330c/kg.
Another of the better pens were the 11 steers weighing 372kg from F Pessotto & Sons that sold to JL Piscioneri for 346c/kg to cost $1286, who had earlier paid $1253 for seven sold by KL Edwards.
A line of 10 steers from GM & F Jones appealed to John Kezich who bid to 365c/kg for the 303kg cattle that cost $1108, and then later added seven from M & L Herceg for $1109.
Mr Harris was strong on the lighter calves buying several pens to $1172.
Rodney Galati also put together several pens for up to $1064, paid for two Simmental weighing 315kg from I & H Panzich.
JIG Grazing bought the first pen of heifers in the Elders offering, paying the top of $1293 at 318c/kg for the heifers weighing 407kg from I & H Panzich.
Other heifers bought by JIG Grazing included five from Clovermia for $1138 and four of the Flannagan heifers at $1042.
The top of 334c/kg was for a single heifer sold by Chateau June Jerome, one of the many heifers going to Mr Harris.
Westbeef Holdings and Galati Family Trust secured numerous pens each towards the back end of the sale for up to $1024 and $1060 respectively.
