Positive Leongatha Store Sale

THURSDAY'S Leongatha Store Sale featured a mix of happy buyers and sellers, with plenty of good quality calves available.

While Berrys Creek farmer Fergus O'Connor was pleased with the prices he paid for 60 Angus calves, describing them as easily a dollar a kilo less than last year, Anthony Delaney of Elders Delaney Livestock and Property was equally happy with the strength of Thursday's sale.

Mr Delaney said that on average, the market was up 50 to 80 cents a kilo on last year's weaner sales.

Riverslea Pastoral, based in Riverslea, sold 180 Angus mixed sex weaners.
Mr Delaney praised the breeding of those calves and their length and weight, noting they sold very well.

One pen of 20 Riverslea Pastoral steers made $5.14 a kilo, those cattle weighing an average of 319 kilos and going for $1,640 a head.

Another pen of 22 steers, tipping the scales at an average of 358 kilos, also cracked the $5 a kilo mark, achieving $5.05 when they sold for $1,810 each.

The best price per kilo for Riverslea Pastoral heifers was $4.60 for 16 animals, averaging 371 kilos and fetching $1,710 each, a pen of 20 averaging 348 kilos going for $1,600 a head at $4.59 per kilo.

Mr Delaney also sold Angus calves from the annual draft of RJ & SM Williams of Currajung South, praising the animals' weight.

"They're only 10 months of age and to be 400 kilos is a terrific effort given the season it's been," Mr Delaney said.

That was another success story on a positive day, with the top price per kilo for RJ & SM Williams steers being $5.35 for a pen of 21 animals averaging 355 kilos and selling for $1,900 a head.

However, that was upstaged by a pen of that vendor's heifers that achieved a whopping $6.04 a kilo for 22 animals averaging 346 kilos, with Michael Foote of Elders remarking, "There were a couple of outstanding pens of Angus weaner heifers that made around the $6 mark, bought by restockers to be grown out and joined."

Mr Delaney elaborated on the success of the day.

"Every consignment we had certainly met or exceeded expectations," he said.
Kate Looke of Merristock Pty Ltd in Beveridge was happy with the prices a couple of pens of the business' steers made.

One lot, weighing an average of 312 kilos going for $1,710 each at $5.48 per kilo, while the other made $1,990 a head at $5.37 a kilo for animals averaging 370 kilos.