Pakenham cattle sale underpinned by major feedlots, restockers

Teys Australia purchased more than 120 cattle for its Charlton Feedlot, Yeungroon East, and bought seven of the first 10 pens during the fortnightly sale on Thursday.

About 1600 cattle went under the hammer at Victorian Livestock Exchange in a market where prices were firm to slightly dearer compared to a fortnight ago on the back of several feature consignments.

Alex Scott & Staff Pakenham livestock manager David Setches said he believed the market was stronger compared to the past fortnightly sale, and people were keen to restock ahead of June 30.

"Charlton Feedlot was fairly active on those mid-to-high 400-kilo steers which made from 340-360 cents a kilo, which is a good 20 cents dearer than it was a fortnight ago," he said.

"They were probably the biggest [feedlot] buyer here today and certainly in the weaner cattle, there weren't a great deal of weaners, but a lot of them went back into the paddock."

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Mr Setches said vendors had started to sell bullocks and were purchasing weaners as replacements.

He said it was a "very solid sale" with dearer prices compared to the previous fortnightly sale.

"It was good to see more agent support and a good crowd here today, there were certainly more people than a fortnight ago and certainly some nice calves on offer," Mr Setches said.

"The quality was excellent, the weaners on offer here today were as good as you would see."

West Gippsland agent Neil Darby, Alex Scott & Staff, Warragul, was among the most prominent weaner cattle buyers, selecting 50 Angus weaner steers, 265-338kg, for a Warragul bullock fattener.

Northern agent and Elders Victorian and Riverina livestock manager Matt Tinkler, Wodonga, was active during the sale, purchasing a pen of heifers to send north of the Murray River.

Commission buyer Campbell Ross, Melbourne, represented feedlots in Victoria, NSW and SA and bought more than 200 cattle during the market.

Gippsland-based feedlotter and backgrounder Anthony Hullick, Tarwin Lower, bought more than 100 cattle split across his feedlot operation, Keswick Pastoral, and Westside Meat.

Elders Yea livestock manager Jamie Quinlan, who sold cattle at the market, said the big lines of breeder cattle sold well at Pakenham, but quality "fell away" towards the end.

"The sale was along similar lines to the market at the moment, I think though with any market the well-bred, well-presented cattle will sell OK to a certain rate," he said.

"Some of the put-together, odd-end type cattle, there's holes in them and it lacks a bit of bottom on those cattle sometimes.

"There was a reasonably large crowd and more backgrounder and farmer interest rather than just relying on the commission buyers and the larger-volume feedlots.

"The commission buyers got their good share of cattle but there was a lot of interest on those better pens of weaner heifers and weaner steers."

Among the feature lines was a consignment of 140 Angus mixed-sex calves sold by Hugh Middleton, Trafalgar.

His draft included 10 steers, 9-10 months, 372kg, for $1490 or 400c/kg, and 16 steers, 338kg, for $1320 or 390c/kg, and 15 steers, 326kg, for $1210 or 371c/kg, and 18 steers, 298kg, for $1190 or 399c/kg, and 16 steers, 265kg, for $1060 or 400c/kg.

H Hotchkin, Childers, sold 10 steers, 22-24 months, 525 kilograms, for $1840 a head or 350c/kg, 19 Angus steers, 17-18 months, 417kg, for $1490 or 422c/kg.

Jones Farms, Hastings, sold 15 Angus steers, 19-20 months, 585kg, for $1850 or 316c/kg, and 15 steers, 14-15 months, 464kg, for $1460 or 314c/kg.

DH Collins, Willow Grove, sold 18 Angus steers, 20-22 months, 482kg, for $1740 or 361c/kg, 18 Angus steers, 445kg, for $1630 or 366c/kg, and 15 steers, 444kg, for $1630 or 367c/kg.

Hagley Park, Merricks, sold 10 Angus steers, 18 months, 427kg, for $1510 or 353c/kg.

Jennat Farms, Nar Nar Goon, sold 10 Speckle Park steers, 20 months, 457kg, for $1430 or 312c/kg, and 16 Speckle Park steers, 392kg, for $1390 or 355c/kg.

Watermill Pastoral, Red Hill, sold 14 Angus steers, 9-10 months, 394kg, for $1480 or 375c/kg, and 15 steers, 336kg, for $1250 or 372c/kg.

Cremona Park, Caldermeade, sold 16 steers, 9-10 months, 345kg, for $1290 or 373c/kg, and 15 steers, 298kg, for $1100 or 369c/kg, and 18 steers, 276kg, for $1010 or 365c/kg, and 20 steers, 268kg, for $930 or 347c/kg.

The same vendor also sold 16 heifers, 290kg, for $920 or 317c/kg, and 15 heifers, 268kg, for $780 or 291c/kg, and 16 heifers, 256kg, for $795 or 310c/kg.

B Paton, Flinders, sold 12 steers, 9-10 months, 347kg, for $1270 or 365c/kg, and 12 steers, 302kg, for $790 or 261c/kg.

Corrabora Cattle Farm, Neerim North, sold three heifers, 367kg, for $650 or 177c/kg.

Four Gums sold 17 Angus steers, 550kg, for $1800 or 327c/kg.

M & C Masterson, Warragul South, sold 14 steers, 505kg, for $1800 or 356c/kg.

RW & PE Wuchatsch, Bunyip North, sold 22 steers, 295kg, for $1250 or 423c/kg.

Pepperhill Trading, Willow Grove, sold 12 Black Baldy steers for $810 and eight Angus for $920, and nine heifers, 421kg, for $1270 or 302c/kg.

C & N Downie, Ripplebrook, sold six steers, 350kg, for $1170 or 334c/kg.

Blackforrest Pastoral, Werribee, sold six steers, 320kg, for $1010 or 315c/kg.

Stone Pastoral Pty Ltd, Drouin West, sold seven steers, 327kg, for $990 or 303c/kg.

RJ & ALE Brough, Jindivick, sold 12 steers, 339kg, for $1210 or 357c/kg.

C Cruden, Castella, sold four steers, 345kg, for $1140 or 330c/kg, and five heifers, 350kg, for $960 or 274c/kg.

Greystroke, Boisdale, sold six steers, 370kg, for $1270 or 343c/kg and six heifers, 354kg, for $1000 or 282c/kg.