A few more than advertised numbers were penned at the Nutrien Livestock store cattle sale at Boyanup last week where some types lifted a little in value.
Beef steers and heifers benefited from increased competition from live export and lotfeeder buyers, while the usual agent, commission buyer, processor and grazier support was evident.
Beef steers topped at $1336, a lift of $66 when compared to the top of the previous sale at the same 326c/kg top.
SALE SUMMARY
- Beef steers: 218-326c/kg ($628-$1336)
- Beef heifers: 160-260c/kg ($490-$1138)
- Beef cross steers: 160-210c/kg
- ($529-$1130)
- Friesian steers: 110-172c/kg ($411-$1132)
- Friesian poddies: 102-148c/kg ($202-$320)
- First cross heifers: $350-$880
- Cows and calves: $1450-$2050
Beef heifers sold to $1138 and 260 cents per kilogram, a slight drop for both figures.
The top pen of beef cross steers were heavy and well-covered, selling to $1130, up $90 but dropping 60c/kg for the top price, indicating more weight.
The top-end of Friesian steers made $1132, being $140 more than the previous sale but lower in cents per kilogram again showing the added weight.
A large yarding of Friesian poddies was difficult to sell and recorded the biggest drop of all types when topping at $320 and 148c/kg, dropping $60 and 12c/kg.
A few pens of first cross bucket-reared heifers were also cheaper, reaching $880.
The biggest lift was the top pen of cows and calves which sold for $2050, a full $1000 up on last month's sale.
This increase was mainly due to better quality and condition, with older calves at foot.
Overall, the sale average eased by $9 but average weight was also down by 23kg which shows a more accurate result.
The sale started with five pens of steers from KL & SA Payne, Capel, with the fourth pen of Angus weighing 415kg making the beef top price of $1336, bought by Graham Brown at 322c/kg.
The first pen of the Payne's Murray Grey steers of 436kg went to Chris Waddingham, Nutrien Livestock, Capel, for $1125 with Harvey Beef taking two pens at $1273 and $1221 respectively.
Six Angus steers weighing 420kg from J Shine & Co, Brunswick, were the first of many pens clerked to Livestock Shipping Service (LSS), with these costing $1321 at 314c/kg.
Mr Brown added lines of steers to his purchases including five steers from MJ Howie for $1243 and 304c/kg followed by nine weighing 413kg sold by Doungup Park for $1332 at 322c/kg.
Doungup Park then sold the equal top price of 326c/kg for nine steers weighing 373kg that cost LSS $1218.
In the next pen, seven steers of 395kg equalled this price when Mr Brown outlaid $1287 for the steers sold by D & J Morris, Boyanup.
Gordon Atwell, Weldon Beef, Williams, had attended sales prior to this one assessing market values and operated on numerous pens of beef steers in suitable weight range.
Charolais steers from KA & DA Reading weighing 371kg cost $1122 at 302c/kg, while seven Angus of 407kg cost $1180 at 290c/kg sold by Myrtle Hill Farm.
Late in the section nine Charolais steers from Murray Vale Farm made $1243 at 310c/kg with 10 Limousin cross were bought for LSS for $1147.
The first pen of heavy beef heifers topped at $1138 when the 522kg cattle were knocked down to Harvey Beef at 218c/kg when sold by Sheron Farm, Brunswick.
Mr Waddingham secured several pens of heifers for his client, starting with eight Angus of 478kg sold by Stickney & Sons selling for $1061 at 222c/kg.
Buying numerous pens, LSS paid to a top of $802 for 11 weighing 349kg from TW & AL Hoddle, Collie.
As weights decreased, Jamie Abbs and Richard Pollock, Nutrien Livestock, Boyup Brook and Waroona respectively, dominated the clerking sheets with the top of 260c/kg paid by Mr Abbs for 10 heifers of 276kg from Norwood Grazing, Boyup Brook, that cost $717.
Seven Charolais cross from Murray Vale Farm were among the dearer purchased by Mr Pollock when the seven weighing 387kg made $913.
Beef cross steers saw two steers weighing 665kg from C & R Angi, Yarloop, top at $1130 when bought for Avon Valley Beef at 170c/kg.
The rest of the cross steers were lighter with a pen of 10 from PJ & J Boley topping at 210c/kg when the 370kg steers cost Jock Embry, Nutrien Livestock, Busselton/Margaret River, $776.
The C & R Angi account also topped the Friesian liveweight section with six weighing 658kg when AuctionsPlus succeeded at 172c/kg and $1132.
This vendor and buyer teamed up again on the next pen of six weighing 545kg that sold at 170c/kg to return $997.
Mr Pollock snapped up six pens, paying $872 for six
C & R Angi steers and to $751 for the dearest pen sold by RL Britza.
A pen containing seven Friesian poddies from J & C Italiano topped the poddies when selling to Willowbank, Benger, at 142c/kg.
Ravenhill Pastoral Trust, Narrikup, had numbers of poddies at the sale with 13 pens selling to a top of $308 for 13 calves, down to $202.
Willowbank, Mr Abbs and Mr Embry bought most of them.
Ravenhill Pastoral sold the first pen of first cross bucket-reared Angus heifers for $700 going to Alex Roberts, Elders, Boyanup.
Austin Gerhardy, Nutrien Livestock, Manjimup, paid the top price when the next line of seven from PJ & J Boley went for $880.
A better standard of cows and calves sold to strong support to see six with older calves at foot top at $2050 when Ralph Mosca, Nutrien Livestoock, Peel, saw off opposition bidders.
These were sold account S & J and SP Bolton, Bridgetown.
WHAT THE AGENT SAID
Nutrien Livestock auctioneer and Capel agent Chris Waddingham said week two of Nutrien Livestock's October store sale program presented a better quality offering of mediumweight yearlings and significantly more new seasons calves.
"The increase in quality saw an increase in demand and values improved accordingly," Mr Waddingham said.
"However the value increase was minimal.
"Dairy steers continued to present a marketing challenge with values easing 20-25c/kg across all classes with buyer enquiry somewhat reduced."
