Excellent quality store cattle attract much competition

Competition was strong, with several buyers putting together a large number of pens.

Lotfeeders, live export, Nutrien Livestock agents, private agent and AuctionsPlus dominated the clerking sheets.

An upward trend in values was evident, resulting in beef steers selling to $1270 and 286c/kg.

This is s lift of around $60 over the previous month's store sale.

Beef heifers sold to $1242 for a very heavy heifer but yearling and weaner heifers topped at $971, a lift of $170 and 68c/kg when compared with similar cattle last month.

A small offering of beef cross steers reached $1165 and 214c/kg, up about $80 and 22c/kg.

Unfortunately Friesian steers eased again, topping at $815 and 154c/kg, down by $80 and 10c/kg.

Mated cows and one pen of cows and calves were mainly lightly conditioned and sold accordingly to reach $1000 and $1300 respectively.

The beef steers started with four pens of Angus steers from TK & WP Henwood, Donnybrook, with Daniel Delaney, Delaney Livestock Services (DLS), snapping up the first three pens, paying $1159, $1112 and $1037 from 214 to 222c/kg for steers up to 541kg.

Harvey Beef secured the last pen of 10 steers, paying $1031 at 228c/kg for the 452kg cattle.

Leno Vigolo, Nutrien Livestock, Central Midlands/Wheatbelt, added strong support, paying $1067 at 214c/kg for five Angus cross steers weighing 499kg from Small Tree Farm before adding the next pen at $1064 and 190c/kg.

Ten steers weighing 507kg from Flybrook Farm, Pemberton, went to DLS at $1177 and 232c/kg to be among the better results.

Next up eight pens sold by KL & SA Payne, Capel, saw five pens clerked to Harvey Beef, paying to a top of $1155 for 10 weighing 466kg and selling at 248c/kg.

Semini Enterprises, Treeton and Livestock Shipping Services (LSS) also bought Payne steers.

Harvey Beef took both pens from Kangaroo Gully Farm, paying $1129 at 238c/kg for 10, followed by 11 weighing 461kg for $1098 at 238c/kg.

Nutrien Livestock auctioneer Chris Waddingham then handed the gavel to Austin Gerhardy and dominated the buyers list for eight pens, starting with a line of 13 Angus from RG & AP Wheatley costing $1074 and 248c/kg.

Red Angus steers from Wyunga Grazing then followed, including the top price of $1270 when the 512kg steers sold at 248c/kg, with the next pen making $1045 and 238c/kg.

Four pens of Shorthorn steers sold by GLR Maidment, Capel, cost Mr Waddingham up to $1117 and 238c/kg.

Avon Valley Farm, Northam, put together numbers of different types during the sale starting with a single steer weighing 625kg costing $1187 at 190c/kg.

Welldon Beef, Williams, was active again, collating a truck load and paying $934, $863 and $917 for steers sold by KW Dunnet.

The top of 286c/kg was paid by Richard Pollock, Nutrien Livestock, Waroona, for 11 steers weighing 261kg, returning $804 for Jenkins Family Trust.

A single Murray Grey heifer weighing 690kg set values in the females when Avon Valley Farm paid $1242 at 180c/kg to Small Tree Farm.

Mr Vigolo bought the first pen of females paying $929 at 180c/kg for four Charolais sold paying $929 at 180c/kg for four Charolais sold by Browntin Farms.

Other higher returns included nine mixed breed heifers from GL & RK Dickson, Nannup, going to Mr Waddingham at $875 and nine Red Angus from Wyunga Grazing returning $938 at 210c/kg.

Taking the top price double, 12 Angus heifers from TV & GP Salmeri, Boddington, when bought for LM Giglia at 272c/kg and $971.

Naturaliste Grazing, Dunsborough, sold Charolais cross heifers to Mr Waddingham at $855 when the five weighing 382kg sold at 224c/kg.

What the beef cross steers lacked in numbers, they made up in quality, topping at $1165 when Denmark Trust sold 14 weighing 555kg to Mr Vigolo at 210c/kg.

Another line of 16 steers went on the load at $1064 along with five sold by Braes O'Glenifer at $1119.

Meelup Valley Farm took the top of 214c/kg when Jamie Abbs, Nutrien Livestock, Boyup Brook, paid $927 for the 433kg steers.

The first pen of seven Friesian steers from Blue Racing Stables topped at $815 when Jock Embry, Nutrien Livestock, Busselton/Margaret River, bid to 150c/kg for the steers weighing 543kg.

Best of the dairy steers from GL & RK Dickson, Nannup, went to AuctionsPlus for $805 and 130c/kg with the other three pens bought by DLS for up to $684 and 144c/kg.

Several pens of plain and lightly conditioned steers from the Wheatbelt were hard to generate competition on, with these selling from 80c/kg to a top 122c/kg with Pearce Watling, Elders, Donnybrook and Lexden Park, Capel, the astute buyers eyeing a good profit in the future.

The top of 154c/kg went to a line of 12 weighing 327kg from NI & A Earl and bought by Mr Abbs for $504.

Mated cows from Voyager Farm, Margaret River, saw the best pen make $1000, bid by Mr Embry.

Riverton Farms, Brunswick, sold the only cows and calves bought by A & PE Pratico, Greenbushes, at $1300.

Nutrien Livestock auctioneer and Manjimup representative Austin Gerhardy said a large portion of the yarding was made up of medium and heavyweight yearling steers in forward store condition.

"These sold to 252c/kg, with most sales above 235c/kg," Mr Gerhardy said.

"New season calves were of very good quality with several first drafts presented to the market.

"Steers were dearer with increased competition from lotfeeders and more interest from local graziers.

"Heifers were also dearer across all classes.

"In particular, the Angus females deemed suitable as replacement females met with strong competition.

"Friesian steers increased in value - selling to a top of 150c/kg - while Angus-Friesian steers also rose in value, realising a high of 210c/kg."