First pen tops 5000-head yarding at Ballarat store cattle sale

Vendor Allan Pearce has topped the latest store sale at Ballarat, where 5000 were yarded, with a pen of 42 steers.

Vendor Allan Pearce from Bullarto South sold the top-priced pen of grown steers for $2600 or 393c/kg for 25 Angus steers at 661kg. Ballarat store cattle sale. February 26, 2021. Picture: Petra Oates

PRICES climbed and held for the full house yarding of 5000 cattle at the 48th annual Nutrien weaner sale at Ballarat today.

On a cents-a-kilogram basis, prices topped at 745c/kg or $1670 for a run of 42 vendor-bred Angus steers at 224kg by Carngham Station. The tops of the Carngham Station cattle made $1800 or 577c/kg.

Vendor Allan Pearce topped the sale with the day’s first pen, which returned $2600 or 393c/kg for his 25 Angus steers at 661kg.

Mr Pearce bought the 22-month-old grown steers at the Ballarat weaner sale last year and spent 12 months growing them out for this sale.

Grown steers weighing 470kg to 600kg made from 400c/kg to 460c/kg while steer weaners at 400kg plus made around 480c/kg.

Smaller weaner steers around 300kg pushed above 500c/kg and out to 560c/kg with standout pens of lighter weight weaners making up to 600c/kg and beyond.

In the heifer market, grown heifers above 400kg made from 450c/kg to 480c/kg while heifer weaners between 280kg and 350kg reached heights of 530c/kg and averaged around 490c/kg to 500c/kg.