Big bucks for heavy stock at Yea store cattle

It was a case of heavy weights and big bucks at the latest Yea store cattle sale.

Bidding was quick at Yea on Friday with plenty of demand from southern restockers. Picture: Jenny Kelly

HIGH cents per kilogram rates and the tremendous weight of young cattle created a big money sale at the Yea store cattle market on Friday.

Grown steers sold to a top of $2260 with buyers needing $1700-plus to even be in the bidding race for the main run of yearlings and weaners.

About a dozen pens in the opening laneway of steers sold above $2000 — something many onlookers had never seen before at Yea.

And there was no relief for the heifers, with feedlots and domestic processors stepping in to push the lead pens to above $1900.

Showing the strength of the sale, the very final pen of steers to be offered comprised some young but fresh calves estimated at just 200kg liveweight that sold for $1400 each.

Just a few pens earlier there was little Angus steers with a displayed weight of 243kg that made $1600 or 658c/kg.

Premiums for small calves were partly created by the lack of supply, with the majority of the

1900-strong yarding weighing above 350kg.

Nutrien Yea livestock agent Chris Pollard rated the sale as another $50 to $100 dearer

than the last sale at the centre a month ago.

It was a comment mirrored by meatbuyer Phil Conway who was trying to buy suitable young cattle to further finish for Hardwick Meats at Kyneton.

“Everyday it just seems to get a little bit dearer,’’ Mr Conway said, after buying a run of heavy heifers in the opening laneway of unjoined females for between $1690 to $1930.

Taking a light hearted approach to the rising market was Nutrien Mansfield livestock agent Jamie Beckingsale, who at one stage was on his phone trying to see if price rates on AuctionsPlus were more accessible.

“The good thing about it is that every sale you go to makes the cattle you bought a few weeks ago look cheap,’’ he said.

“There are no bargains anywhere at the moment.’’

The following is a snapshot of key steer sales to show the cents per kilogram trend:

$2260 for 15 Angus at 520kg from RJ McGlade, working out at 434c/kg;

$2160 for 46 Angus at 486kg from Bungie Boorie, 444c/kg;

$1940 for 22 Angus at 418kg from C Spanjer, 464c/kg;

$1900 for 30 Angus yearlings at 393kg from G & E Fern, 483c/kg;

$1890 for 17 Angus at 369kg from Ballandry, 512c/kg;

$1730 for 26 Angus at 346kg, 500c/kg;

$1660 for 12 Angus at 315kg from Mount Erica, 526c/kg; and

$1600 for 9 Angus at 243kg from Anst Pastoral, 658c/kg.

Results for the lead run of heifers included:

$1930 for 11 Angus at 501kg from Strath Rural, 385c/kg;

$1830 for 10 Angus at 436kg from G Luckie, 419c/kg;

$1750 for 12 Angus at 390kg from P & M Ransom, 448c/kg; and

$1540 for 20 Angus at 334kg from Villabrae Pastoral, 461c/kg.

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