WITH a total of more than 1250 cattle penned and a good roll up of regular buyers present, confidence was firm before the opening bid at last week's Elders Boyanup store cattle sale.
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The sale started with a run of specially selected beef heifers ideal for future breeders and this proved an excellent move when these topped at $2260 three times.
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After the feature heifer line-up, the sale moved into the store lines - beef steers topped at $2082 and 502c/kg with beef heifers reaching $1415 and 372c/kg to ease about 15c/kg.
Beef cross steers reversed that trend when selling to $1836 to lift almost $100 in terms of top prices compared to last sale.
Some quality heavy Friesian and Montbeliarde steers were offered with these topping at $1677, a lift of $50 for the top price when compared with the February sale.
Beef steers selling appraisal were few in number but the best of these reached $1130 while dairy steers made up to $1010.
Selling to stronger interest, Friesian poddies reached $820 which was about $100 more than the previous sale.
A couple of lines of excellent first-cross heifers created competition to reach $1950, while the best of a mixed cow and calf offering were good buying at $2200.
The sale started with the pens of specially presented Angus heifers from P & F Giadresco & Sons, with the first pen going to Elders, Pemberton representative Brad McDonnell at $2210.
Mr McDonnell then secured the next 11 heifers at $2200 before Elders, Manjimup representative Cam Harris bid to $2020 for eight going to client Sam Vellious Trust.
Mr Harris later added one of equal top-priced pens to his order when paying $2260 for 11 heifers from Cherry View Estate.
Arkle Farms, Munglinup, paid the equal $2260 top price as well for 10 heifers from Blackrock Angus, Vasse, as well as $2040 for 10 sold by B & E Marchetti.
The third vendor to record the $2260 top price was JS Fox, Pemberton, when a pen of 10 Angus heifers weighing 394kg from the Fox family were added to the truck bought by Mr McDonnell, who bought another 10 Fox heifers at $2200.
Red Angus heifers from Biljedup Pty Ltd, Busselton, topped the breed at $1640 when bought by breed supporter, Norm Dennis, Marybrook.
Rosebrook Estate sold Murray Grey heifers for $1500 with Elgin Park receiving the same value for six Shorthorn heifers with both pens going to Elders, Boyanup representative Alex Roberts.
A single Hereford steer from McCormick Milling, Busselton, topped the beef steers when the 595kg steer went to Kookabrook Livestock for $2082 and 350c/kg.
Kookabrook had earlier bought the first pen, four Angus weighing 522kg from DM & J Carter, Busselton, costing $1954 at 374c/kg.
Harvey Beef kept things local when paying $1860 at 400c/kg for eight Angus steers weighing 465kg from AE Roesner, Harvey.
By sale end it was a toss up for the volume buyer between Elders, Capel representative Rob Gibbings and Rodney Galati, buying for several accounts of Livestock Shipping Service (LSS).
The first two steers weighing 377kg from BP & NC McGinty, Greenbushes, cost LSS $1366 at 362c/kg.
The highest of the early pens going to Mr Gibbings were 10 Simmental cross steers that were sold by RE & LM Clarke, costing $1722 and 392c/kg.
Two pens from GD & LR Morgan also were bought by Mr Gibbings to a top of $1436.
The top cents per kilogram steer price of 502c/kg went to a line of 12 Angus weighing 290kg from GM & MA Kilrain when Elders, Harvey/Brunswick agent Craig Martin paid $1457 for the line.
Elders, Nannup agent Terry Tarbotton bid to 500c/kg for seven Angus from the WA College of Agriculture, Harvey, with the 291kg steers also costing $1457.
Well into the steers a pen of 11 McCormick Milling Herefords averaging 371kg were snapped up by Mr Roberts for $1559 at 420c/kg.
Even later, 24 quality Limousin cross steers weighing 425kg from HH Clifton cost Mr Gibbings $1702 at 400c/kg.
A run of steers from CA Vinci saw the top pen go to LSS at $1605 and 438c/kg.
Generally, the quality of the beef heifers did not match their brothers.
The top of $1415 was paid by Mr Gibbings for a single heifer sold account C & C Minson when the 445kg female sold at 318c/kg.
Later a single Murray Grey sold by GD & LR Morgan equalled the $1415 price when Greg Jones bid to 286c/kg for the 495kg animal.
Just a few pens of beef cross steers were offered with the top of $1836 paid by Mr Gibbings for eight Angus cross from Brunn Energy P/L.
Mr Roberts paid the top of 372c/kg for five steers sold account Hamner Springs Trust, costing $1123.
Quality and weights were sound in the Friesian steers with a line of eight from M Tosana, Mullalyup, topping at $1677 when the 541kg steers sold to Nutrien Livestock, Busselton agent Jock Embry at 310c/kg.
Mr Embry also paid $1632 and $1608 for other pens of Tosana steers.
The top of 330c/kg went to seven steers weighing 337kg from Oak Springs Farm, costing Elders, Busselton representative Jacques Martinson $1114.
READ MORE BEEF-CATTLE RELATED NEWS:
Beef cross steers selling appraisal reached $1130, paid by Mr Tarbotton for seven sold by Negus Enterprises, Busselton.
Appraisal dairy steers made to $1010 for the WA College of Agriculture, Denmark, going on the same load.
Dairy poddies saw a lift in interest, causing the top 16 from CA Panetta making $820 when bought by Elders, Margaret River agent Alec Williams, who then added another 17 Panetta calves for $720.
The best of the Negus Enterprises calves sold to Mr Martinson at $750.
The Clive Elson Family, Karridale, sold two pens of bucket-reared, first-cross Angus heifers and these topped at $1950 for five, while the second five made $1800, going to Mr Martinson and Mr Williams respectively.
The cows and calves were a mixed entity, but the two Angus units from HW Griffiths & Co were quality and good buying for Treeton Lake, Cowaramup, at $2200.
WHAT THE AGENT SAID
ELDERS auctioneer and Donnybrook representative Pearce Watling said there was a good quality yarding of store cattle presented in the sale with the major draw card being the unjoined females at the start of the sale.
"The unjoined beef females sold to strong buyer competition and topped out at $2260 three times," Mr Watling said.
"Buyers were appreciative of the quality of the heifers and the effort that the vendors had gone to with the preparation for the sale.
"Store steers sold firm if not 10-20c/kg dearer on the previous month with extra grazier competition as well live export and lotfeeder competition.
"The heifers met the same competition to remain firm on the previous month.
"Heavy Friesian steers and first-cross steers sold firm on previous month while appraisal Friesian steers gained some extra competition to be stronger than the previous month."
