MORE than 1200 head of cattle were penned at the Elders Boyanup cattle sale recently where a good number of buyers assembled to compete.
Bidding was intense on all the quality cattle on offer, with most types selling strongly to see values generally stronger.
Taking the biggest lift in value and interest were the dairy poddies which have been hard to sell at recent sales.
Beef steers selling liveweight topped at $1400 for a single steer and 348 cents a kilogram for lighter types, while heifers were close behind when topping at $1348 and 290c/kg.
Some excellent Friesian steers were offered, selling to $1315 and 234c/kg.
Appraisal Friesian steers topped at $740, pipping the beef steers which sold to $680.
Friesian poddies sold to $475 for mature types with smaller calves from $275-$300 to be up more than $100 like for like.
The sale commenced with three pens of South Devon steers weighing 510 kilograms from GMM Trust that made $1378, the top for a full pen when bought by Greg Jones at 270c/kg.
Two more pens of 10 cattle in each went to Elders Boyanup at $1311 and $1248 at 280c/kg.
Trevor Scott, Elgin, had several pens of the better-finished steers, selling a Charolais weighing 425kg for $1241 at 292c/kg and five Herefords for 296c/kg and $1278, both bought by Robert Gibbings, Elders Capel.
Lotfeeder competition was strong, starting with GJ & J Watt paying 296c/kg for seven Charolais from BP & NC McGinty, Greenbushes and later adding 12 Trevor Scott Angus for 298c/kg and $1236.
Welldon Beef, Williams, first pen were 10 Herefords from APH Cotton Holdings that made 312c/kg and $1056.
John Gallop was active for his clients, paying $1271 at 332c/kg for 10 steers weighing 383kg.
At this point 18 successive pens were shared between the three most active lotfeeders.
Vendors enjoying support included IG Rutherford, MJ Wringe, HD Harrison, G & S Whitburn and Norsca Holdings.
The top of $1400 was then paid for a single Murray Grey of 515kg sold by LO Miller at 272c/kg to Mr Jones for a grazier client.
Numerous pens sold about 320-334c/kg with a pen of 18 Angus topping when the 294kg cattle made 348c/kg for IG Rutherford, bought by Alex Roberts, Elders Boyanup.
A pen of 11 Murray Greys trucked from Beverley by Glenroy Trading were close when they sold for 346c/kg to see Pearce Watling, Elders Donnybrook, outlay $802 for the 231kg steers.
Beef heifers started with the top price of $1348 paid by Kookabrook Grazing for four Angus weighing 576kg at 234c/kg from Norsca Holdings.
This vendor sold another nine to Kookabrook at $1126 and 262c/kg.
The top of 290c/kg was well into the sale when 13 heifers described as Charolais from Glenroy Trading and weighing 248kg were bought for Livestock Shipping Services for $721.
Liveweight Friesian steers were of excellent quality and weights, resulting in a top of $1315 paid by VA & MP Wright for 10 steers sold account Dudinalup Pastoral, Nannup, with the 567kg steers making 232c/kg.
Another nine Dudinalup steers of 533kg sold for 234c/kg costing $1249 when knocked down to Mr Jones, buying four pens of the Dudinalup steers, including the top of 236c/kg.
The appraisal steers were smaller than some of the previous sales, topping at $680 in the beef section.
This was paid by Errol Gardiner, Landmark Brunswick, who was a dominant buyer of dairy cattle.
The next best price was $550 paid by GE Payne, Nillup, for four Hereford steers from GR & SE Howell while Mr Gardiner paid $465 for lines of Angus.
Dudinalup Pastoral were quick to secure replacement steers, paying the top of $740 for 12 sold by BP & NC McGinty before adding another 13 McGinty steers at $730.
Terry Tarbotton, Elders Nannup, paid $645 for 14 steers from TC Lumsden while Mr Gardiner secured two pens for $550 each, sold by TC Lumsden and EM Hawkins respectively.
The older Friesian poddies sold much stronger to reach $475 with Negus Enterprises the happy vendors when bought by Clint Gartrell, Elders Busselton.
Regular vendors of quality, West and Haggerty, sold six for $435 to Alex Roberts before 16 LJ & RA Brennen calves were snapped up by Deane Allen, Elders Donnybrook, at $430.
Better smaller calves sold from $275-$300 to be much stronger than recent sales.
First cross bucket-reared heifers were average quality and topped at $560 when GE Payne secured the pen of 13 sold by Peninsula Downs.
Just two pens of cows and calves were offered, resulting in eight Angus units sold by RPM Grazing, Busselton, selling to Michael Longford, Elders Waroona, for the top price of $1350.
