IN spite of the time of year, the general quality of the 1305 cattle penned at the Landmark Boyanup sale last week were outstanding with only the tail end types of lesser quality.
Lotfeeders were the backbone of the buyers, with several agents, commission buyers, live export and a few graziers making sure they paid full value for the cattle.
This support gave a strong indication that when a break to the season occurs cattle could be scarce and expensive.
The sale grossed almost $1.2 million to average $911, a creditable result at any time.
Friesian steers selling liveweight topped at $1103 with the lightest steers making 244 cents per kilogram.
A few sold appraisal to reach $775, less than recent sales but these were also younger and smaller types.
Beef steers selling liveweight saw some excellent cattle offered to sell very consistently between 320-350c/kg to top at $1336 and 360c/kg.
Beef heifers made up to $1153 and 308c/kg.
A few pens of first cross heifers were offered, with these selling to $1520 to be stronger than the most recent sales.
Cows and calves attracted stronger support also, selling to $2220 with a handful of mated cows reaching $1180.
Six pens of Friesian steers from BM & A Dungey started the sale with the second pen making the top of $1103 when bought by Rosa Brook Grazing.
This buyer had also bought the first pen for $1100 paying 218c/kg and 214c/kg respectively.
Tekel Pty Ltd bought three pens for $1044, $1053 and $1045 paying up to 214c/kg.
Peter Lofthouse, Wokalup, bid to 220c/kg for another nine steers costing $1045.
Telkel then added the three pens from B Brooksby between 205-210c/kg.
Richard Pollock, Landmark Waroona, paid the top of 244c/kg for four sold by SH Fry weighing 441kg that cost $1076.
Some excellent pens of beef cattle were sold, with six pens of black steers sold account PMV Butler selling to $1251 from 312-325c/kg with all bought for RA Rogers & Co.
A pen of 10 weighing 376 kilograms from GD Muir & Co joined these at 318c/kg and $1197.
Gordon Atwell, Williams, then took over, buying 13 Butler steers for $1047 as well as two pens from DW Treloar, Boyup Brook, for $1112 and $983 at 328c/kg and 314c/kg.
Taking out the top quality stakes were two pens from Arizona Farms with the first 12 steers of 346kg making $1115 at 322c/kg and the next 13 weighing 336kg selling for 320c/kg and $1075 with both lots going to RA Rogers.
Other feedlots securing cattle included GJ & J Watt, Cowaramup, paying $1159 early in the sale for three Silverlands Angus weighing 420kg.
Another pen of these went to Kalgrains for $1045.
Well into the sale three Simmental cross steers weighing 448kg from GR Lee, Nannup, sold for the top of $1336 at 298c/kg to Kalgrains.
In the lighter weights, Mr Pollock was unstoppable, paying to 340c/kg for 12 Angus of 285kg from DI Graham that cost $873.
The top of 360c/kg went to a line of 10 steers weighing 220kg from Elysian Fields when bought for Yackaboon Contracting, Boddington, to return $792.
The top beef heifer price of 308c/kg was achieved early in the section when 10 Charolais from F. Grantham were bought for Kalgrains with the 339kg females costing $1046.
The only other heifers to break the $1000 mark were five from D Della & Son that sold to Kalgrains for $1101 and 300c/kg.
Two Angus from Hull & King were the top gross of $1153 when bought by GJ & J Watt.
In the lightweight heifers, Ben Kealy, Landmark Williams, was the dominant bidder, buying for Yackaboon Grazing, securing many pens from 288-300c/kg.
Appraisal Friesian steers sold to $775, paid by Peter Lofthouse for 12 sold by G & J Haworth.
Kinlie Pty Ltd sold several pens of just larger than poddies from $470-$500.
Bucket-reared first cross females were a sought-after article, with a pen of five from H & JB Blackburn topping at $1520 when bought by RJ Blackburn, who also snapped up the next six for $1500.
Two from IR Sorgiovani, Harvey, then went to Errol Gardiner, Landmark Brunswick, at $1500 also.
A good selection of cows with young calves at foot were popular with buyers, resulting in a pen of six Angus cross fourth calvers from CP & SB Sanderson going to Rangiora Farms for the top of $2220.
Another six from this vendor made $2100 when bought for GL & KR Farley, who paid $1780 for another three similar females.
Quality Shorthorn Devon cross heifers from GL Maidment were better than the support they received with the top six passed in and another two going to Carbon Plus at $1350 after the sale.