A year-on-year bounce of $150 to $200 a head was met with delight by vendors at last Friday’s Bill Wyndham and Co special store cattle sale, where buyers were keen to get their hands on pens of cattle.
Wyndham’s selling agent, Colin Jones, said the sale results were very similar to recent sales in other centres, possibly a fraction dearer in places.
“Cattle had more condition and weight this year on average thanks to the season,” Mr Jones said.
“Prices were definitely $150-$200 a head better than last year’s sale in August.”
The opening pen of Angus bullocks weighing 609kg were sold by Wayne McInnes, Nicholson, going for $2940/head, and he also sold a lighter pen weighing an average 494kg which made $2590/head.
One of the largest vendors was the Wheeler family of South Buchan, with almost 200 head, mostly Angus but 70 or so Herefords.
One of Chris and Mary Wheeler’s pens of Angus steers, weighing an average 418kg made $2350, or $5.62/kg, going to a buyer near Warragul.
But it was a pen of the Wheelers’ Hereford steers, with an average weight of 297kg, that were chased by repeat buyers who jostled the price per head to $1820, or $6.12/kg.
Mr Jones was cautious about future cattle price rises, saying that would depend on the weather, particularly rain received in South Gippsland, where traditional buyers of East Gippsland cattle are.
“South Gippsland has had a little growth but needs regular rain or the spring won’t last long,” he said.
“East Gippsland needs South Gippsland to have good seasons, they weren’t as strong buying this year as in other years.”
When asked what the best selling category at the sale was, Mr Jones said using cents per kilo it was the Hereford cattle, though store cattle are sold in dollars per head.
“Herefords made more than black cattle which doesn’t happen very often,” he said.
“There were not a lot of Hereford cattle available, so the traditional Hereford purchasers didn’t have a lot of choice.
“Some have been sold earlier, and still some have been kept to grow out.”
The Hayden family’s Buchan Station Angus steers sold well, picked up in lots of two pens, one pen of 26 head weighing an average 412kg and another pen of
25 head weighing an average 396kg selling to JBS at $2275/head.
The next two pens sold at $2100 a head for 14 head at 373kg average and 11 head at an average 363kg.
Hereford steers offered by GD Simpson, weighing an average 283kg made $1510/head, while SE and DE Calvert sold steers of Karoonda bloodlines, weighing an average 328kg for $1520/head.
Mr Jones said heifers also sold strongly with a large portion going to lot feeders or grass fatteners.
RT Russell of Orbost sold 18 Angus heifers weighing an average 369kg for $1740/head, while Mountain Valley Angus, Orbost, sold a pen of nine head weighing 368kg for $1750.
A pen of 25 of the Sandy family’s Angus and Black Baldy heifers weighing 320kg average made $1400/head, while older Hereford heifers from Peter Smith at Omeo weighing an average 406kg made $1870 and stayed locally for breeding purposes.
In the lighter heifers, Peter Hopkins of Mount Taylor, sold 20 Angus weighing 237kg average for $1190 and 11 head weighing an average 196kg for $1000/head.
“We were very happy with the sale – the quality of the cattle helps on the day,”
Mr Jones said.
“There was a big crowd of buyers and quite a few faces we don’t see regularly.”
The next store sale at the East Gippsland Livestock Exchange in Bairnsdale is this Friday, August 22.
