SELECTIVE would be the best description for buyers at the Elders February store cattle sale at Boyanup last week, with prices being a case of highs and lows and matching the types and quality of the offering.
A casual glance at the figures would indicate the overall average price paid eased by $73 when compared with the previous Elders store sale, but looking at the average weight of the cattle, which dropped by 37kg, multiplied by the average price of 369c/kg, tells us the average lifted by $63 when all factors are considered.
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Beef steers topped at $2051 and 526c/kg, a slight increase.
Beef heifers sold to $1713 and 388c/kg, easing around 20c/kg and quality driven.
A small number of beef cross steers sold to $1740 and 390c/kg, only 2c/kg less than the previous sale.
Friesian steers were back around $100 per head and 24c/kg at the top end, but no heavy steers were penned compared with the previous sale.
Dairy steers selling appraisal topped at $1270 with some nice Friesian poddies topping at $720.
Two pens of first cross unmated heifers reversed the trend when reaching $2500, up by $400.
A couple of pens of mated Angus heifers struggled to reach $2300, mainly due to their July to September calving date which is not popular with South West buyers.
Agents, commission buyers and lotfeeders were the main entries to the clerking sheets with very few graziers named.
A run of Angus steers from Moorlands Grazing Co, Capel, got the sale off to a strong start when the first line of nine steers weighing 534kg went to Delaney Livestock Services (DLS) costing $1966 at 368c/kg.
Richard Pollock, Nutrien Livestock, Waroona, then paid $1903 for the next line of nine weighing 496kg bidding to 382c/kg, followed by another six for $1776 and 384c/kg.
It was further into the beef steers before the top of $2051 was paid by DLS for six Moorlands Grazing, Murray Grey steers of 557kg selling at 368c/kg.
Other early higher returns included 12 black steers from Harvey Rinder, weighing 477kg and going to the bid of DLS for $1871 and 392c/kg.
Mr Pollock bid to 380c/kg and $1826 for eight Angus steers from Orondo Farms.
Six Angus steers from BM Strang, Donnybrook, saw a lift in competition with DLS securing six steers weighing 443kg at 424c/kg and $1879.
DLS also paid $1752 for 12 steers from DJ & L Klein, Capel, with the 427kg cattle selling at 410c/kg.
The top of 526c/kg was paid by Craig Martin, Elders Harvey/Brunswick, for seven Angus lightweight steers of 266kg that cost $1401.
Graham Brown became active as the sale progressed, starting with six Angus steers from Dilkes Farm, Greenbushes, with the 391kg cattle costing $1488 at 380c/kg.
Semini Enterprises, Treeton, were the main feedlot to buy, commencing with 12 steers weighing 384kg from Balcormo Pastoral Co costing $1536 at 400c/kg.
Nine blue roan steers from Saunders Beach Pty Ltd weighed 420kg and sold to DLS for $1564 and 372c/kg.
Errol Gardiner, Nutrien Livestock, Brunswick/Harvey, got the beef heifers started when bidding to the top of 388c/kg for the first 13 Angus from GS & RJ Legge, Vasse, seeing the 411kg females costing $1598.
Rob Gibbings, Elders Capel, paid the top of $1713 for two weighing 522kg from The Poot Family Trust, after bidding to 328c/kg.
Livestock Shipping Services (LSS) bought several pens of cattle, including nine heifers from EM Hawkins, Capel, weighing 285kg which made $1079 at 376c/kg.
Charolais heifers late in the section saw the best from Saunders Beach sell for $1482 at 350c/kg to Mr Gibbings, while five pens of sleek Charolais heifers from MJ & CH Bleechmore, Boyup Brook, topped at $1374 and 360c/kg when also bought by Mr Gibbings.
A small offering of beef cross steers saw six from Hilltop Greys weighing 527kg top at $1740 when Alex Roberts, Elders Boyanup, bid to 330c/kg.
Hilltop Greys had earlier sold another six weighing 525kg to Mr Roberts for $1735 and 330c/kg.
A single steer weighing 560kg from G & S Whitburn, Busselton, joined those at $1680.
A pen of sleek Shorthorn steers from M & T Martella topped at 390c/kg, going to AS & EL McFarlane, returning $1599.
Most of the Friesian steers were medium to lightweights but the top price of $1627 went to four weighing 581kg from DR & RL Coulson when Mr Roberts bid to 280c/kg.
Ralph Mosca, Nutrien Livestock, Peel, paid $1487 and $1387 for steers sold account Fortuna Farms, at 330c/kg and 332c/kg.
Mr Gardiner paid the top of 340c/kg for nine steers weighing 442kg to spend $1506.
Appraisal dairy steers reached $1270 for 11 sold by JP Giumeli & Son who also sold another nine for $1240, with both going to Elders Waroona.
Mr Gardiner bought the top pen of steers from Jesmond Dairy with the pen of nine costing $1250.
Friesian Poddies were generally of good quality resulting in a line of 16 from CA Panetta, Harvey, topping at $720 when bought by HJ Carter & Co, Marybrook, a regular buyer of top quality poddies.
Two lines of first cross bucket-reared heifers were sold by JP Giumelli & Son, with the first pen of eight going to Peter Reid, Nillup, for $2500.
The next eight were destined for Manjimup when J & R Bachos outlaid $2000.
Mated females reached $2300 when purchased by Mr Roberts, Elders Boyanup, with seven quality heifers sold by Mitchells Farms, Waroona.
Josh Hynes, Elders Pinjarra, had his final fling by paying $1500 for the next nine Mitchells Farms heifers.
WHAT THE AGENT SAID:
ELDERS auctioneer and Donnybrook representative Pearce Watling said the sale saw a good yarding of store cattle comprising mainly of beef bred weaners which sold to recent values.
"Feeder beef steers and lightweight beef steers sold to good competition from lotfeeders and graziers, while weaner beef heifers saw reduced buyer demand and as a result softened to again represent good buying," Mr Watling said.
"The yarding of Friesian steers sold to recent values."
