Encouraging signs for cattle at Yea

A near capacity yarding at Yea saw feedlots chasing steers with weight while restockers stepped-up their support for lines of light Angus calves.

Auctioneer Anthony Delaney, Elders, selling steers at Yea today.

Some encouraging signs for store cattle at Yea today with feedlots chasing steers with weight, while restockers stepped-up their support for lines of light Angus calves.

The stronger demand came amid a near capacity yarding of 3000 head, with heavy grown steers selling to $1950 on a weight of 642kg as they kickstarted the sale at the 300 cent mark.

The hot spot of the sale was some bigger lines of one-mark young Angus steers that sold above 400c to a peak of 470c/kg liveweight for a pen of 40 calves from Balaclava Station, which had a displayed weight of 253kg and sold for $1190.

Scott and Jennifer Bennett, Killingworth, decided to step into the market and purchase 50 replacement steers for between $1250 to $1300, ahead of grown steers they will sell in coming weeks.

Little heifers also sold well at times, with a line of 54 small Angus from Balaclava Station selling for $860 on a weight of 242kg to equal a cost of 355c/kg lwt.

But the mid-run of steers and heifers were judged to have sold well without showing exciting price rises, not fitting the feedlot orders and not really chased by restockers wary of paying much over $1200 per head for replacements.

There was a run of steers in the 350-400kg range, which were mostly costing from 330c to 375c/kg lwt, or $1300 to $1450. The general run of heifers of a similar weight were mostly 290c to 310c/kg lwt.

Janine Layton and Ross Linaker, Mia Mia, had the first pen of heifers in today’s Yea sale, receiving $1280 for 13 Angus and black baldy which weighed 416kg.

Agents said rain had influenced results, with reports supplies of heavy feeder cattle had started to tighten up, while 40mm plus in some northern and southern areas had restockers on the hunt for small calves being purchased to dollar per head rates.

“When you look at where a lot of cattle are going, which is Gippsland and the north, that is the influence of the bigger rain events,’’ said local Yea agent Rick Wills, Elders.

“This area still needs another follow-up rain which is why I don’t think we seen locals push into those middle run of steers.’’

Processor G&K O’Connor was a lead buyer of heavy steers to feed, paying an average of about 340c/kg for blacks in the weight range of around 440kg to 520kg.

Agent Glen Rea, M&M at Bendigo watched as about 200 steers and heifers from their client network sold at Yea, and said there were some positive signs that the backlog of cattle to processors was starting to ease, which should promote more vigorous trading as producers were finally able to move finished stock at better money.

“There is more energy being shown at the processing end with meatworks now starting to actively look for cattle, and that should free-up people to trade more easily and build confidence,’’ he said.

“We were very happy with how the cattle we had at Yea today sold, with all the good lines of blacks making over 400c to a top of 426c/kg for us.’’