CATTLE and crowd numbers were back on past sales for the last WALSA weaner sale of 2021 at Boyanup before Christmas.
But despite the crowd being down there was still enough genuine bidders present to ensure a most successful sale.
Several lotfeeder buyers were absent due to proximity to the Christmas break allowing more agent and grazier purchases.
The final wrap-up revealed the overall average was on par with the previous sale when it went very close to a $2000 average for the combined offering of 515 head.
Steer calves topped at $2324 for the best steers with lighter weights making to 678c/kg while heifers reached $2104 and 600c/kg.
Elders
Elders started the sale with a pen of 13 Angus cross steers from Sydney Wheatley & Son, Bridgetown, weighing 336kg and these sold to Elders Donnybrook, at 630c/kg and $2117.
The next pen of seven Wheatley steers then made the top of 678c/kg with 264kg steers staying together to cost $1791.
Lou Tuia, Melrose Enterprises, Brookhampton, paid the top of $2185 in the Elders run for six Charolais from BP & NC McGinty, Greenbushes, that weighed 380kg.
The McGintys also topped the heifer category with six weighing 385kg that went to Semini Enterprises at $2025 and 526c/kg.
The top liveweight price for heifers in the Elders run of 590c/kg went to six Angus heifers from LG & R J Pitter with Nutrien Livestock, Waroona agent Richard Pollock starting his push for the volume buyer title of the sale with these.
Buyer Graham Brown paid next highest price for 12 of the Pitter heifers weighing 355kg that cost his client $1900.
Nutrien Livestock
Nutrien Livestock, auctioneer and Boyanup/Capel and Donnybrook agent Chris Waddingham opened the Nutrien Livestock section by thanking staff, agents, clients and buyers.
Nutrien Livestock started strongly when the first pen offered weighing 455kg made $2324 for 12 Angus from Peter Varischetti and bought by Harvey Beef at 510c/kg.
Ten Simmental steers weighing 434kg sold by GL & VJ Roberts just missed the top when Semini Enterprises paid $2320 at 534c/kg for them.
Three early pens from JC & Jay Higgins, Brookhampton, saw the tops go to Nutrien Livestock, Margaret River agent Jock Embry for his lotfeeder client to cost $2264 at 558c/kg.
Mr Pollock paid $2236 for a single steer and $2176 for nine at 572c/kg.
Mr Tuia added nine Murray Greys weighing 386kg from Henco Rural that returned $2227 at 576c/kg to be among the better results.
Seven pens of black calves sold account EB & G Quick, Donnybrook, all made more than $2000 to top at $2276 paid by Lexden Park for 10 weighing 406kg.
Another 11 stayed with those to cost $2262 before Mr Embry snapped up four pens to $2209.
The tops from the Prenton Park Angus were 10 weighing 352kg and these were bought by Mr Brown at 626c/kg and $2203.
Mr Embry continued buying good cattle, including 11 weighing 385kg from RA & LL Nelligan, Donnybrook, costing $2235 at 580c/kg.
The heifers had many supporters to see nine Limousin cross from Jay Higgins top at $2104 when Rodney Galati, Brunswick, went to 562ckg for the 432kg females.
Another nine from his father, John Higgins, then made $2049 at 558c/kg, going to volume buyer, Richard Pollock.
The only other line of females to crack $2000 were six Simmental cross from GL & VJ Roberts weighing 432kg that sold for $2093 when Kevin Armstrong, Willowbank, Benger, bid to 484ckg.
Nine was a popular number in a pen with Mr Embry buying nine from EB & G Quick at 500c/kg to spend $1900.
In the lighter weights, Mr Embry changed hats and bought several pens for M & AJ Bell, Elgin, paying $1847 for 10 heifers of 327kg from EB & G Quick, followed another eight from NJ & HJ Weise, Collie, for $1622 and 550c/kg.
Among his many purchases Mr Pollock followed instruction and bought six Hereford heifers weighing 287kg from EJ Moltoni, Pemberton, at 572c/kg.
The 600c/kg top heifer liveweight price for the sale went to a single heifer weighing 235kg from RA & LL Nelligan, Donnybrook, which was also bought by Mr Pollock, costing $1410.
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