The Elders December store cattle sale at Boyanup last week saw 1142 cattle sold.
Both older beef and Friesian steers presented well, however younger cattle highlighted the dry finish to the season and were in lighter condition than recent sales.
The heavier beef steers attracted strong competition to top at $1218, selling to 294 cents per kilogram to be up by 8c/kg over the last store sale at Boyanup.
Beef heifers reached $1062, up $91 at the top end.
Beef cross steers sold to $1077, easing by $90, but the top pen made the same as last sale of 214c/kg, indicating lighter weights.
A couple of pens of Jersey steers piqued the interest of some to sell to $709 and a creditable 186c/kg.
Friesian steers on the other hand sold to $969 and 166c/kg, up by 12c/kg and $154, quoting the top price.
Appraisal beef and Friesian steers sold to $550 and $600 respectively with dairy poddies continuing to be neglected with mature types making up to $350.
One pen of first-cross heifers were only poddie size and made $315, while one pen of cows and calves were of improved weight and quality compared to past sales and sold at $1420.
The opening pen of 12 Angus steers weighing 569kg from Moorlands Grazing, Boyanup, topped the beef steers when bought by Kookabrook Livestock for $1218 at 214c/kg.
Galati Family Trust then paid $1116 at 210c/kg for the next line of Moorlands steers weighing 531kg.
Rodney Galati again was a dominant buyer, taking cattle for several identities.
Nutrien Livestock, Boyanup/Capel agent Chris Waddingham had a big order to fill and picked up several pens, paying to $1204 for nine steers weighing 497kg from Callanish Grazing, Donnybrook, to start.
Gibbs Family Trust and BJ Gibbs sold steers to this order at $1163 and $1141 for up to 244c/kg.
Elders, Pemberton representative Brad McDonnell added early support, taking a pen of nine Gibbs Family Trust steers averaging 457kg at 238c/kg to spend $1088.
Mr McDonnell soon added five steers weighing 483kg from Kirkpatrick and Inger for $1110, bidding to 230c/kg for them.
The first of many lines bought for Livestock Shipping Service (LSS) were four Angus steers weighing 492kg sold by I & H De Coppi, costing $1113.
Elders, Capel representative Alex Tunstill paid $1090 for De Coppi steers as well as $1123 at 216c/kg for a single steer weighing 520kg from M Tosano, Mullalyup.
Local lotfeeders, Semini Enterprises paid $1038 for eight steers weighing 418kg from KN & JT Tucker, bidding to 248c/kg.
Daniel Delaney, Delaney Livestock Services was one of the volume buyers, starting with a single steer sold account Brenda Lee that cost $952 at 224c/kg.
Moving on to grey steers, Kookabrook Livestock paid $1175 for 12 weighing 539kg sold by Moorlands Grazing followed by Mr Waddingham bidding to $1194 for seven Kirkpatrick and Inger steers weighing 497kg.
Values held well into the sale with a line of three Murray Grey steers from Notable Downs costing Kookabrook $1184 when the 553kg steers sold at 214c/kg.
Tempra Brothers, Manjimup, took the top in cents per kilogram price when its 10 steers averaging 296kg went to Lexden Park, Capel, at 294c/kg.
The beef heifers saw early pens going to Mr Waddingham, starting with the first pen from Gibbs Family Trust costing $1026 and 224c/kg.
Callanish Grazing, Donnybrook, earned the top of $1062 with four Charolais heifers weighing 476kg selling to Mr Waddingham at 222c/kg.
The top cents per kilogram heifer price of 258c/kg was for 10 Angus heifers sold by DeHaan & Son, Manjimup, costing Kevin Armstrong $906.
Always hard to beat on heavier cattle, Kookabrook Livestock paid the top price for beef cross steers with the eight Angus cross from Notable Downs weighing 633kg making $1077 and 170c/kg.
Just missing the top price but making a top of 214c/kg were three steers from MR & JL Piggott, Yoongarillup, costing Mr Tunstill, $1048.
Six steers weighing 537kg returned $1013 at 168c/kg for C & D Morgan when knocked down to GFT, Brunswick.
Another pen to sell at more than $1000 was four steers from MR & JL Piggott bought by Elders, Busselton representative Jacques Martinson, for $1028 when the 530kg steers made 194c/kg.
Taylyn Farms took the double in the Jersey steers when Mr McDonnell bid $709 and 186c/kg for the seven weighing 381kg.
Interestingly, the top Friesian price was 166c/kg paid by Lexden Park for 10 weighing 383kg from Stewart and Bennett to cost $636.
Earlier, the top of $969 went to seven weighing 648kg for steers trucked by BR & DR Marsh, Alexandra Bridge, going to GFT Brunswick.
Another pen of Marsh steers also went on this load when selling at 140c/kg and $897.
Appraisal Friesian steers reached $600 with the 12 Newbrook Investments steers going to Elders, Nannup agent Terry Tarbotton, who snapped up all six pens from this vendor.
Dairy poddies lacked any bloom, with the more mature types from Newbrook Investments making $350 bought by JG Fry, Brunswick.
The best of the WL Olsthoorn poddies sold at $310, bought by Mr Tarbotton.
Known for their quality offerings, CA Panetta, Harvey, sold two pens of Angus cross poddies with regular buyer, HJ Carter, waiting at the pen for these, paying $320 for lines of nine and 12 respectively.
Just the one pen of poddie size first-cross heifers were offered resulting in LM & EA Crouch, Nannup, buying them at $315 from Negus Enterprises, Tutunup.
Four cows and calves from Riverton Farms, Harvey, went to Mr Tarbotton at $1420 with the unknown aged cows having quality Speckle Park calves at foot.
