SLIGHTLY below the advertised number was penned in the second day of this month's Elders Boyanup store cattle sale on April 8.
There were 753 offered in the sale and the highlight of the sale were the many pens of cows and calves of varying ages, that were at the end of the fixture, with these attracting the most heated support all sale to top at $4600.
Following the special beef sale on Wednesday, the few beef cross steers and heifers offered were of much lesser quality and sold accordingly.
The exception was the one pen of beef cross steers that made $2535.
Only a handful of beef heifers for future processing went under the hammer with these of only poddie size topping at $1191 and 438c/kg.
Friesian steers selling liveweight reached $2175 which was up slightly on the last sale of this type of cattle at Boyanup and topped at 462c/kg.
A couple of pens of beef cross steers, of only poddie size, sold appraisal topped at $1310 while dairy steers by appraisal made up to $1530.
Friesian poddies were back slightly, quality driven, when reaching $1190.
Some excellent first-cross unmated heifers attracted keen interest to sell to $2600.
Three pens of beef heifers, possibly mated, topped at $1980.
As mentioned, the many pens of cows and calves sold strongly to top at $4600, with another three pens all making $4400 to be not far behind.
The first pen of beef cross steers weighing 535kg from VM Giblett and J Vegar, Bridgetown, were bought for AS & EL McFarlane at 474c/kg to cost $2535.
This buyer then snapped up the three pens of Angus cross steers from M & T Martella, with four steers weighing 438kg making $2079 at 474c/kg, six selling for $952 when the 385kg steers sold at 506c/kg with the final eight head making $1656 at 526c/kg.
The best of the few beef cross heifers were a line of seven Angus from Riverton Farms weighing 272kg and these were bought by Nutrien Livestock, Waroona agent Richard Pollock at $1191 and 438c/kg.
The second pen of Friesian steers offered made the top price when Elders, Nannup agent Terry Tarbotton bid to $2175 and 412c/kg for the 528kg steers.
These were purchased for client, VA Edwards and another eight from AP & SM Davis joined them at $2044 with the 466kg steers selling at 438c/kg.
Riverton Farms started the dairy steers with a line of six weighing 517kg that sold for $2080 and 402c/kg when bought by Greg Jones for Telkel Pty Ltd.
Other pens from Giblett and Vegar sold for $2084 to Mr Pollock and a line of eight weighing 446kg made 424c/kg when Mr Jones outlaid $1894.
A pen of 12 steers weighing 443kg from Bridgetown Kennels sold for $1908 when bought by Mr Pollock.
Regular sellers, VR & EJ Pitter, Waroona, always attract buyer support and its four pens at this sale were no exception.
The first line of four steers weighing 448kg were bought by Cameron Harris, Elders Manjimup, for $1884 at 420c/kg.
Elders Boyanup representative Alex Roberts then took the next 11 steers weighing 393kg for $1645 and 418c/kg before adding another nine steers at $1621 and 4458c/kg.
Nutrien Livestock, Boyup Brook agent Jamie Abbs secured the last line of eight steers averaging 326kg for $1442 at 442c/kg.
The section top of 462c/kg went to the first pen of 11 steers sold by Ryeland Dairy, Capel, when Jacques Martinson, Elders Busselton, paid $1554.
Mr Jones added a pen of Ryeland Dairy steers costing $1375 and 442c/kg.
The appraisal Friesian steers topped at $1530 paid by Mr Roberts for two steers offered account LJ & RA Brennen with John Fry taking a single steer for the Brunswick Anglican Church at $1350.
Peter Lofthouse, Wokalup, snapped up three lines from Jesmond Dairy, paying $1470, $1320 and $1210.
Other pens of Jesmond dairy steers went to Mr Roberts for $1320, while another pen of 13 were bought by Elders Waroona for $1360.
Several pens sold by WL Olsthoorn saw the first two consisting of 12 and 13 steers respectively go to the bid of Mr Tarbotton, buying for OB Procopio & Sons, Nannup.
Three more lines of Olsthoorn steers were snapped up by Mr Martinson at $1100, $1050 and $1000.
The Friesian poddies saw a top of $1190, paid by Mr Roberts for 12 offered by LJ & RA Brennen.
Willow Hills Farm saw their first 15 calves go to the bid of Elders, Capel representative Rob Gibbings, with these costing $1110, who added the next 15 at $1010.
A pen of 13 calves from West and Haggerty, Capel, saw HJ Cater, Marybrook, put in the final bid of $1010 to secure them.
Bucket-reared, unmated, first-cross heifers saw a line of nine top at $2600 when bought by Mr Harris while Mr Roberts went to $2500 for his choice, with both lines from BJ Depiazzi, Dardanup.
Boyanup producers KL & AJ Jilley outlaid $2150 for 10 sold by GG & EJ Miller, before adding three sold by Tara Grazing at $2150 also.
Elders Capel paid the top of $4600 for a single Red Angus cow and calf, sold by KS & EN Roberts Son, Elgin.
Slade Parkin sold a pen of nine units for $4400 and a pen of seven for $4350 to A & K Bashford, Busselton.
Also making $4400 were nine offered by Max Ross Kerr, going to Elders Boyanup, while a single Angus unit from KS & EN Roberts & Son went to the bid of Raven-Jay Holdings for $4000 as well.
The best of the cows and calves from G & M Ferraro sold to Elders Bridgetown for $4200.
Two Charolais heifers, chance mated topped at $1980 while two Murray Grey sold for $1870, both going to Mr Pollock.
WHAT THE AGENT SAID
ELDERS auctioneer and Margaret River agent Alec Williams said the second day for this month's store sale featured diary and dairy cross cattle, unjoined females and cows and calves.
"The smaller yarding of heavyweight Friesian steers were equal to last sale with beef cross steers slightly easier," Mr Williams said.
"The mid-sized appraisal steers were equal, but as they got younger and smaller the values and enquiry dropped off.
"This was evident on poddie drafts with graziers reluctant to purchase until the season properly breaks in certain areas.
"The unjoined first-cross heifers had good breeder enquiry to sell to a top of $2600/head, but not to the higher levels achieved in previous months sales.
"Once again the cow/calf yarding was very well-supported by producers wanting to acquire quality lines of females with calves at foot.
"These consistently sold from $4000 to $4600 a unit for younger cows with older calves and $3300 to $3800 for others."
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