THE Boyanup cattle yards were comfortably full for the Nutrien Livestock monthly store cattle sale at Boyanup last week when 1546 head of cattle were penned for buyers' perusal.
Quality was very good for this time of year with perhaps the older Friesian steer offering being of lower weights at the top end with younger steers still presenting well.
The sale averaged $1760 across all lines.
This is $200 less than the March Nutrien Livestock sale at Boyanup but to quantify this the average weight was also lower by some 33kg, explaining the fair amount of the drop in returns.
A noticeable feature however was a number of pens selling with a single bid or few bids, causing auctioneers to work harder than has been the case for some time.
Demand from across the Nullarbor was absent, with AuctionsPlus buying the one pen and past strong supporter Princess Royal feedlot was absent from the sale.
Local feedlots and processor support continued along with strong buying from local agents.
Beef steers sold to $2371 and 690c/kg to be $60 and 4c/kg lower.
Beef heifers reached $2138 and 576c/kg compared to $2151 at last month's sale.
Beef cross steers made up to $2182 and 680c/kg, up considerably on last month's top of 568c/kg.
Friesian steers showed the greatest drop in weights to reach $1815 and 588c/kg.
Friesian poddies continued to attract strong bidder support to sell to $1285 and 802c/kg for calves weighing 116kg.
A run of PTIC heifers sold from $1200-$2250 with the lower price paid for heifers of only poddie size.
A small number of cows and calves reached $3250 with some quality calves at foot.
Eight Angus cross steers weighing 498kg in the first pen offered topped the beef steers when selling for $2471 at 496c/kg with a single Charolais steer in the pen weighing the same made $2172 with these sold by F Grantham & Sons and going to a shy Southern buyer.
Rodney Galati, Brunswick, had numerous pens clerked to his name, with most going to Central Stock Care (CSC), with eight Charolais from Harris Beef Enterprises the first costing $2213 at 520c/kg.
Harvey Beef took 11 Angus from Harris Beef for $2320 while John Gallop bid to $2272 for ten grey steers on behalf of Omeehan & Co.
Kealy Farms, Williams, saw their eight black steers of 406kg go to CSC for $2340 and 576c/kg.
Two pens of Angus steers weighing 463kg and 400kg from H & H Harnett, Roelands, sold well to top at $2411 at 520c/kg when bought by Harvey Beef and the other line made $2323 and 580c/kg paid by Mr Gallop.
The Harnett families had a good day with BC & S Harnett topping at $2420 for steers going to Harvey Beef.
Mr Gallop then went on a buying spree when securing four pens from MG Armstrong, Northcliffe, paying to a top of $2292 and 652c/kg.
He then added three pens from DL & CA Jannings for up to $2281.
The annual run of calves from PMV & GV Butler, Waterloo, did not disappoint when selling to a top of $2321 and 646c/kg, with all five pens making more than $2100, with Richard Pollock, Nutrien Livestock, Waroona, snapping up all.
The top of 634c/kg was paid by Mr Gallop for two Angus steers weighing 330kg from
S & F Ross, with these costing $2092.
Several pens of lightweight South Devon steers sold by DW & MJ Lees, Collie, attracted the usual support to reach $2034 when Welldon Beef, Williams, bought four pens from 620-638c/kg to top at $1918 for 309kg calves, while Mr Pollock bought three pens, all at 620c/kg to top at $1757.
Steve Harris, Westcoast Wool & Livestock, took the top pen of six beef cross heifers when bidding to 502c/kg for 10 South Devon heifers weighing 426kg to return KM & EJ MacDonald $2138.
A pen of nine Angus cross from the MacDonalds also went to Westcoast for $2132.
Simmental heifers from GC & CA Brown, Nannup, cost Willowbank, Benger, $2124 at 520c/kg.
Several pens of black heifers from the Armstrongs topped at $1983 when bought by Mr Galati at 536c/kg.
The heavier beef cross steers sold strongly to top at $2182, paid for six weighing 568kg from CG & SJ Fraser, Busselton, when bought by Mr Pollock at 384c/kg.
Another six went the same way at $2055.
A single Murray Grey steer sold by C & P Odorisio, Waroona, went to Mr Pollock for $2116 and 432c/kg.
Friesian steers weighing 468kg sold by NL & E Haddon, Yoongarillup, topped the section when 10 steers sold for $1815 with Peter Lofthouse, Wokalup, bidding to 388c/kg.
Mr Pollock bought two pens of Haddon steers, costing $1787 and $1721 respectively.
The heaviest of the Friesian steers from Willowbank cost LG & CJ Robinson $1625 at 514c/kg with Bob Pumphrey, Nutrien Livestock, Albany, taking three pens at $1274, $1273 and $1309.
Friesian poddies saw a top of $1285, paid by Errol Gardiner, Nutrien Livestock, Brunswick/Harvey, for 13 sold by AC & CA Jenkins weighing 202kg, these sold at 634c/kg.
Poddies from JS Crimp and Co reached $1271, paid by Jock Embry, Nutrien Livestock, Margaret River/Busselton.
Mr Gardiner was pushed to 802c/kg for seven calves sold by Consero Pty Ltd with the 116kg calves costing $933.
Several pens of first cross heifers saw three pens from DN Hyde all go to Mr Pollock for $1900, $2250 and $2100.
Two heifers from Anne Sorgiovanni, Harvey, cost Mr Gardiner $1900 who had paid $2100 for six of the Hyde heifers a pen earlier.
The top-priced cow and calf was for a single unit sold account JT & CA Warwick and was destined for the Southern Forest region at $3250.
A Vizzari, Mundijong, had approved the cows from F Slee & Son, Busselton, and was happy to go to $3200 to secure two more with Hereford sired calves at foot.
Avoca Dairy sold the largest line of 11 Charolais units for $3100 with these also heading for the Southern Forest area.
WHAT THE AGENT SAID
Nutrien Livestock auctioneer and Capel agent Chris Waddingham said it was a lighter store yarding than previous sales and while some selective buying made for a varied market, some descriptions sold firm to dearer than last month's sale.
"Beef steers were of excellent quality and values remained similar to slightly dearer for some weight ranges," Mr Waddingham said.
"The beef heifer offering in the main was mixed in quality and values reflected this, with a significant difference in values seen for heifers with muscling and condition.
"Friesian steers were fewer in number than last month and were mainly lighter cattle with less heavyweight Friesians offered.
"Yearling Friesians through to poddies met strong competition from a number of restockers and values appeared to be dearer the smaller the cattle were."
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