Another near full capacity yarding of weaned calves from a wide area was presented to buyers at Boyanup last week, with values generally holding when compared to recent sales.
The normal gallery of buyers was present with a couple not as active as usual, but were replaced by others stronger in the bidding.
The surprise was the expected support from AuctionsPlus did not eventuate, with no lines purchased through this medium.
Steer calves topped at $1313 and 304c/kg, a lift of $31 and 6c/kg in the Nutrien Livestock section and heifers sold to a top of $949 and 240c/kg in the Elders section.
Overall the sale's average prices eased but with a drop in average weights of nearly 30kg, in real terms would be slightly higher.
Nutrien Livestock
Nutrien Livestock started proceedings with two Angus steers weighing 547kg with the 15 month old weaners from ME & TJ Roberts going to Alex Tunstill, Elders, Capel, at $1171 and 214c/kg.
The next eight weighing 440kg took the day's top price of $1313 when Semini Enterprises bid 298c/kg to secure them.
Semini Enterprises then snapped up the third line of the Roberts offering, paying $1144 at 286c/kg for the 11 weighing 400kg.
Myrtle Hill Farm sold six Angus weighing 419kg for $1182 when they were the first bought by Graham Brown, Brown's Cattle Consulting, for Princess Royal feedlot, Burra, South Australia, at 282c/kg.
Semini Enterprises was strong on the early heavier calves, adding six from SN Dunnet for $1086 at 286c/kg,
10 Lilyvale Grazing, Bow Bridge, weaners for $1154 and 290c/kg before adding Amber Valley Orchard Angus at $1132 and Myrtle Hill weaners for $1048.
Jock Embry, Nutrien Livestock, Busselton/Margaret River, added to the competition, buying several pens for his clients starting with 12 weighing 363kg from Lilyvale Grazing at 296c/kg to spend $1075.
Mr Embry also added eight Angus from Silverlands, Bridgetown, at $1063 when the 359kg steers sold at 296c/kg.
Alex Roberts, Elders, Boyanup, bid to 300c/kg for 11 weighing 342kg from JS Stowe, Dardanup, to spend $1026.
The top steer price of 304c/kg was for 11 Lilyvale Grazing calves weighing 311kg, costing Caris Park Grazing, Pinjarra, $946.
Richard Pollock, Nutrien Livestock, Waroona, was a dominant buyer, starting with a pen of local cattle sold account RW & TJ Hull that made $999.
Mr Pollock had numerous buying orders also paying $886 for six steers of 340kg from MS & AM Talbot, Brunswick.
John Gallop had been absent for a while but was back buying for his feedlot order starting with 11 steers of 320kg costing $928 at 290c/kg from Waymu Farms.
The next 10 Waymu Farms calves stayed with these when bought for $926 and 294c/kg.
Charolais steers of 382kg made $1078 for Raywell Farms when Mr Embry bid to 282c/kg for them.
In the mediumweight types, Mr Pollock snapped up the bulk of the other breeds, paying to $962 for Bancell Falls Shorthorns weighing 343kg.
The first pen of heifers, eight Angus from the Roberts family were the top-priced heifers when purchased for Princess Royal for $915 with the 405kg females selling at 226c/kg.
The next pen, also from the Roberts offering, went on the load to South Australia at $765 and 200c/kg.
The top of 232c/kg was paid by Ben Cooper, Nutrien Livestock, Bridgetown, for six weighing 343kg that returned $796 to vendor Myrtle Hill Farm.
Mr Cooper also paid $817 for 15 heifers sold by DP Scherini, Bridgetown, bidding to 230c/kg.
Elders
Semini Enterprises continued the buying spree in the Elders catalogue paying the top of $1129 when securing eight steers of 389kg from Tilbrook Mining Co at 290c/kg.
Aidefex steers of 390kg cost $1123 at 288c/kg.
Alex Roberts, Elders, Boyanup, paid $1055 at
298c/kg for 11 weighing 354kg from Roemarie Enterprises, Bowelling.
Mr Gallop then secured two pens from RW Bevan, Manjimup, paying $875 and $911 at 280c/kg for pens of 11 and nine respectively.
Mr Gallop later bid to $932 at 280c/kg for 12 weighing 332kg from DE Elphick and $903 for steers sold account WT & MC Hurst, Boyup Brook.
Calves from Carenda Angus, Katanning, were well received, resulting in the first pen of eight weighing 310kg going to Mr Gallop for $894 and 288c/kg.
Murray Grey steers cost Semini Enterprises $988 at 260c/kg.
Pens of Poll Hereford steers from JL & J Gibbs, Boddington, offered last in the steers saw the first pen make $961 when bought for Princess Royal while Power Feedlot paid $855 for a line of 13.
The second pen of heifers offered in Elders took top-priced honours when knocked down to Brad McDonnell, Elders, Pemberton, for $949 and 246c/kg to take the double top price for the day with those offered by RW Bevan, which sold in the next pen of 10 weighing 363kg for $850 to Mr Cooper.
Harvey Beef bought a couple of pens including a line of 18 from the Bevans for $796 at 226c/kg.
Jacques Martinson, Elders, Busselton, secured four pens of heifers for his client, paying $786 for 10 Angus from WT & MC Hurst followed by two pens from Carenda Angus at $773 and $715 for 236c/kg and 230c/kg respectively.
