THE good times kept rolling on last week when the Nutrien Livestock South West team hosted its monthly store sale at Boyanup.
In the sale the Nutrien Livestock South West team penned 1348 cattle with yard staff doing a wonderful job after three days of moving cattle in extreme heat.
Values continued to be strong in the sale, albeit with some types easing while others actually lifted when compared with the last sale at Boyanup.
The telling statistic was the overall average that lifted almost $200 compared to the past sale to finish at $1961.
Even this statistic could be misleading without in depth study of types and weights of the cattle in the two sales.
While beef steers eased in cents per kilogram terms, the top price lines were up by $50 when making $2489.
Beef heifers were similar with a top price for a pen at $2050 easing just $33, while a single heavy older heifer sold for $2516.
Balancing this, a magnificent offering of heavier Friesian steers lifted almost $100 and 14c/kg at the top end.
Poddies were softer in a small offering of generally younger and lighter calves.
A few pens of Montbeliarde steers sold well to reach $2152 with beef cross steers reaching $2284 and 586c/kg.
Cows and calves are hard to assess a comparison but the top of $4150 was stronger than seen for some sales.
Harvey Beef Farms were strong again, starting from the first pen of eight Angus steers weighing 506kg from A Simpson & Sons costing $2422 at 478c/kg.
Two pens from Creekview Farm, Donnybrook, joined these at $2424 and $2394 at 478c/kg and 488c/kg respectively.
Harvey Beef Farms continued strong on the heavy beef steers, adding steers from Woodlands Wines for $2465, $2410 and $2306 and up to 490c/kg.
Kookabrook Livestock Trust secured the top pen of three Charolais steers from K & M Taylor, Capel, paying $2489 at 438c/kg for the 568kg cattle.
Nutrien Livestock, Boyup Brook agent Jamie Abbs was active early, buying several pens, with a line of seven Limousin calves weighing 387kg from JD & IL Wilmot costing him $2133 at 550c/kg.
Mr Abbs soon added a pen at $2245 at 530c/kg from SJ Davis, as well as other Davis calves at $2155 and $2131.
Elders Donnybrook, representative Pearce Watling took one pen for $2157 and 548c/kg, before adding nine Red Angus of 409kg from Charlie Miaolo for $2137 and 522c/kg.
John Gallop had several orders to operate with and paid $2118 at 560c/kg for the first pen of 12 Murray Grey steers from G Tassos & Co, Bridgetown, as well as 10 Angus from JW Sheehan for $2101 and 582c/kg.
Nutrien Livestock, Margaret River agent Jock Embry secured several pens also, paying 632c/kg for nine steers weighing 303kg from the Sheehan draft.
Brett Chatley, Nutrien Livestock, Manjimup, bought 10 of the Tassos steers weighing 308kg for $2026, bidding to 658c/kg.
The top of 682c/kg was paid by Mr Embry for 10 Red Angus from Dansinup Grazing with the 265kg calves costing $1807.
A heavy older heifer made $2516 when sold by A & D Pillai with Kookabrook Livestock bidding to 340c/kg for the 740kg female.
The top pen was 12 Murray Grey heifers weighing 445kg sold by Shorelands Pastoral, Wonnerup, with Greg Jones bidding to 460c/kg and $2050.
Nutrien Livestock, Bridgetown agent Ben Cooper secured nine of the Shorelands heifers for $1927.
Two pens of Limousin heifers from JD & IL Wilmot, resulted in the first 12 going to L & S Miaolo, Donnybrook, for $1969 and 504c/kg with the next 11 weighing 346kg picked up by Mr Gallop 508c/kg and $1759.
The best of the Tassos Angus heifers topped at $1918 at 578c/kg with the next pen of nine making $1901 when Nutrien Livestock commercial cattle manager Skye Ogerly bought them both, while Mr Cooper took the 11 Murray Greys at $1827 and 540c/kg.
Elliot & Sons, Serpentine, received the top of 582c/kg when Maywill Farms took the eight grey heifers weighing 258kg to cost $1505.
The top pen of Montbeliarde steers from NM Electrical, Busselton, went to Melrose Enterprises, Donnybrook, at $2152 and 450c/kg.
Beef cross steers sold strongly to reach $2284, paid for 11 Angus cross from BA Storch when the 480kg steers sold at 476c/kg to Richard Pollock, Nutrien Livestock, Waroona.
Harris Beef sold several pens, with Mr Embry buying four lots for $2207, $2127, $2132 and $1995 at 460c/kg while Mr Pollock took a pen for $2081.
Mr Pollock later added the top price of 586c/kg for steers weighing 328kg from Casad P/L that cost $1925.
The heavier Friesian steers saw many suitable for processing with the top of $2346 paid by Kookabrook Livestock for the first pen sold weighing 648kg at 362c/kg, sold by G I Mercuri, Kalloorup.
Mr Abbs and Mr Pollock were the volume buyers with a pen of six weighing 628kg from Cuthbert Farms costing Mr Abbs $2211 at 352c/kg.
The tops in Mr Pollock's lots, $2246 was for steers from K & M Taylor, Capel.
Greg Jones paid up to $2324 for 652kg steers from The Farm Trust while Melrose Enterprises and Lexden Park, Capel, were successful grazier buyers to $2105 and $2041 for steers from AL & LC Windsor and Bridger and Cavallo respectively.
Dairy poddies were younger and lighter than previously with the best quality returning $1297 for 202kg poddies from JS Crimp, when bought by Nutrien Livestock, Donnybrook representative Dean Taaffe.
Nutrien Livestock, Peel representative Ralph Mosca paid the top of 716c/kg for 15 calves weighing 160kg that cost $1147, with these were sold account Casad Pty Ltd.
Casad also sold the top first-cross heifers, bought by JR Walmsly at $1720.
This account also paid the top cow and calf price of $4150 for a single Angus unit from S Sargent Family Trust.
What the agent said:
NUTRIEN Livestock auctioneer and Donnybrook, Boyanup and Capel agent Chris Waddingham said the yards were full again in the sale with a large offering of good quality unweaned calves dominating the beef section of the yarding.
"Heavy dairy steers and a run of first-cross steers in very good condition, particularly given the time of year sold to a very keen gallery of South West graziers and opportunity lotfeeders," Mr Waddingham said.
"Feeder Friesian steers and poddies were highly sought after again and breeding females also realised above expected values in another strong market."
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