ANGUS heifers for breeding were the star attractions at Kyneton's annual weaner sale today.
More than 80 per cent of Angus Autumn-drop heifers were bought for breeding.
While most of the heifer buyers were local, the market was pushed by Ed Beacham, manager of Tasmania's Fingal Valley Pastoral Company.
Mr Beacham was on a mission to buy and while he kept his bids under $700' he was still able to secure more than 125 head to add to the 40 he bought at Colac yesterday.
Michael Abramowski’s Glendene Angus heifers from Sutton Grange were the pick with a pen of 21 322kg going for $765 or 238c/kg.
Kyneton's feature sale attracted a near capacity yarding of 800 steers and 600 heifers with more 75 per cent weighed.
Agents believed the weights and condition of the cattle were up on last year.
Steer weaner prices were 5c/kg dearer than at Colac this week, but were under what were the extreme prices at Yea last Friday.
Angus steers 350-380kg sold to a top of $800 at rates from 216-225c/kg.
Sam White’s pen of 16 Glenardagh 370kg Fedruary-March Angus steers were regarded as the sale toppers at $800 or 216c/kg in the autumn-drop selection.
However, Braeside sold a pen of Angus steers, 434kg, to Westside Meats for $870.
Kyneton’s sale had the advantage of a diversity of buyers including processors/lotfeeders Steve Chapman of T&R Pastoral and Mark McCashel of Westside Meats, South Gippsland Landmark agent Eddie Hams, local commission buyer Jimmy Mathews and an array of local restockers looking for small runs of cattle..
T&R bought most of the heavy steers, while Jimmy Mathews bought about 110, predominantly Angus, 300-350kg, for a NSW Hunter Valley order paying on average $740.
Summing up the sale Landmark-Dwyer auctioneer John Robson though it was one of Kyneton’s best ever sales.
"We don’t like to be dearest, and we don’t like to be the cheapest, and I think here today we were about right in the middle," Mr Robson said.
