Grown Hereford steers opened the Bairnsdale annual autumn store sale with a bang on Friday by topping the overall yarding at $1470.
The 17 to 18-month-old steers, weighing 522kg and Yalgoo blood, were sold by David and Penny Lucock to Rodwells Sale.
Selling agents Landmark East Gippsland Livestock, Bairnsdale, yarded 1771 cattle, predominantly vendor bred and with many large runs of evenly drafted one mark calves.
Steer finishers, backgrounders, restockers, lot feeders and processors attended from South Gippsland, Wodonga, Swan Hill, Warragul, Traralgon, Leongatha and local areas.
Landmark livestock manager Brad Obst quoted the market as fully firm to slightly dearer for steers and up to $100 dearer for heifers.
Mr Obst said competition on the heifer yarding was boosted by lot feeders and processors.
“The standout sale in the Hereford steers was a pen of 25 weighing 374kg and the seconds weighing 346kg from Kent Park, Mt Taylor, making $1100,’’ he said.
“They were bought by repeat buyer Jason McGuiness, Landmark Leongatha, for a Warragul client.’’
Ruth Hutton sold eight to 10-month-old Mawarra blood steers weighing 423kg for $1160 and the seconds for $1050.
Bluey Commins, Ensay, sold six purebred steers, Nunniong blood, for $1090 while Paul and Judi Sykes, Gelantipy, sold Karoondah blood steers for $1100. David Courtot, Ensay, sold his top pen of Mawarra blood steer weaners for $1090.
Mr Obst said the middle run of steers made $860-$1020 with vendors quoting rises of $200 in their averages.
Bridles Better Beef, Genoa, topped the Hereford heifers with a pen of 22 12-month-old females selling for $890.
Bluey Commins also sold 12-month-old heifers for $820 and Eric Woodgate, sold July-August drop, Glenellerslie and Karoonda blood, heifers for $800 to a local restocker.
Local breeders also paid $850 for Mawarra blood weaners from David Courtot, and Garrison feedlot, Swan Hill, paid $870 for Shorthorn-Hereford cross heifers from Joe Jordan.
Black Baldy steers, 200-280kg, hit 413c/kg or $930, according to MLA’s National Livestock Reporting Service.
Heavier Black Baldies, 280-330kg, sold to 343c/kg or $1045 and in the weaner heifers, pens hit 353c/kg or $705. Feeder heifers sold to 315c/kg or $850.
Overall, the yearling steers averaged 276c/kg or $954, feeder steers 303c/kg or $923, weaner heifers 333c/kg or $742 and feeder heifers 305c/kg or $811.