THE Boyanup saleyards were almost filled to capacity when close to 1500 cattle were penned for buyers perusal at the Nutrien Livestock store cattle sale last Friday.
Overall, the sale was sound with some classes of cattle lifting on last month's Nutrien Livestock sale, but the average eased by almost $200 per head.
Average weight was down by 15kg along with a greater number of genuine store types sold to be considered when making comparisons.
A total of 1492 cattle were sold to an average of $1238.
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The top beef steers reached $2009 along with a high of 470c/kg in comparison with $1842 and 482c/kg at the previous sale.
Beef heifers sold to strong demand to top at $2005 and 502c/kg, a lift of almost $200 and 90c/kg at the top end.
Beef cross steers, while small in number but not in return, topped at $1491 and 502c/kg to be a rise in both.
Friesian steers struggled at times with few heavyweights penned, with these selling to $1512 and 356c/kg, up 4c/kg but back over $500 due to weight difference.
Few of the Friesian poddies had bloom with some plainer types offered with the best reaching $836 and 336c/kg.
Bucket-reared first cross heifers attracted a number of bidders to top at $1500.
The cow and calf offering, best described as plain and lacking weight, reached $2000 for the best of them.
Austin Gerhardy started auction duties while regular auctioneer Chris Waddingham exercised his pocket of buying orders.
Mr Waddingham paid the beef steer top of $2009 for seven Murray Grey steers weighing 510kg from Catalano Farms, in the second pen offered, bidding to 394c/kg.
The first seven steers sold from Farmshine Pty Ltd made $1607, also going to Mr Waddingham's client.
Richard Pollock, Nutrien Livestock, Waroona, the day's volume buyer, took two pens of Catalano steers at $1638 and $1436 at 374c/kg and 380c/kg, respectively.
Grey steers from AR & SM Penfold topped at $1658 with the 400kg steers going to Mr Waddingham at 414c/kg.
Several pens of Angus steers from PMV & GV Butler, Waterloo, received strong competition, with the heaviest steer weighing 515kg going to Ben Cooper, Nutrien Livestock, Bridgetown, for $1987 at 386c/kg.
Mr Pollock paid $1571 at 412c/kg for ten and $1646 for another pen at 438c/kg.
Other better results included five Angus from M & JC Puljiz, costing Mr Cooper $1653 who also added the next pen for $1154.
A line of 11 Angus from Redwood Hills, Bridgetown, went to Mr Waddingham at $1672 and 420c/kg, while John Gallop secured one pen for his lotfeeder client at $1555 and 442c/kg for steers weighing 352kg.
Fine examples of the breed were four Hereford steers from Mackline Farms, Elgin, making $1825 when Mr Waddingham bid to 432c/kg for the well-finished steers weighing 422kg.
The run of lightweight South Devon steers from DW & JM Rees, Collie, topped at $1308 for 13 weighing 319kg with L A & E M Mullins snapping up five pens to a top of $1246.
Mr Pollock also secured four pens of the Rees steers.
Beef heifers started with a bang when the first pen sold made $1810 when Mr Waddingham bid to 384c/kg for the 471kg females from M & JC Puljiz.
Mr Cooper paid $1672 for seven South Devon heifers from Cosy Creek Farm, Manjimup, bidding to 380c/kg for the 440kg cattle.
Another four pens of these went on the same load.
Promoted as future breeders, five pens of Angus heifers from Willawayup Farms, Esperance, made the trip worthwhile when the top pen sold for $2005 to Errol Gardiner, Nutrien Livestock, Brunswick/Harvey, with Mr Gardiner outbidding all on the other four pens as well to pay $1968, $1965, $1982 and $1789.
Beef cross steers saw four Simmental cross from B & R Larsen top at $1682 when Robert Gibbings, Elders Capel, bid to 308c/kg for the 546kg steers.
Angus cross steers from NL & E Haddon, Yoongarillup, were next best when making $1666, also going to Mr Gibbings.
Vince Versaci, Harvey, sold the top Friesian steers, three weighing 540kg costing Jock Embry, Nutrien Livestock, Busselton/Margaret River, $1512 at 280c/kg.
Mr Versaci also sold another seven weighing 475kg for $1491 and also purchased by Mr Embry.
A line of 12 from C & P Barber, Manjimup, cost Mr Gardiner $1291, with other pens of the Barber's steers joining these for $1186 and $1178.
A pen of nine sold by the Barbers went to David Lofthouse, Wokalup, at 320c/kg.
The best of the poddies were sold by TD & JD Norton when Mr Gardiner paid $807 at 336c/kg for the 240kg mature calves.
A second pen of lighter Norton poddies were snapped up by KT & L Warburton for $627 when the 191kg poddies sold at 328c/kg.
First cross heifer specialists were out in force to compete on the mainly Angus cross bucket-reared females.
Although the top price of $1500 was paid by grazier JD & I Wilmot, Scott River, with these offered by KM & EJ McDonald. Hyde Park Grazing.
Mr Pollock bought 10 at $1200 while Mr Gibbings bought a single heifer at $1250.
Hopkins Pastoral also took home a line of 14 sold account IR Sorgiovanni at $1200.
Younger but quality heifers from GGD & M Tartaglia were popular, selling to $1100 twice, with the five pens all bought by LM & EA Crouch Nannup.
The top cow and calf units made $2000 for vendor Peter Varischetti when bought by Mr Pollock.
WHAT THE AGENT SAID:
NUTRIEN Livestock, Boyanup/Capel agent and sale auctioneer Chris Waddingham said the offering of beef steers and heifers met with strong competition from graziers as well as lotfeeders.
"We saw the market rise 30-40c/kg on the better types," Mr Waddingham said.
"In terms of the Friesian offering from start to finish, the market was quite subdued.
"There was limited interest and static prices compared to last months values."
