The 626 steers made from $300 to the sale top $720 for the opening pen of 16 February-March 08-drop Yeowarra blood Angus-Hereford steers weighing 400kg from the Nelson family’s Cockaroo at Cororooke, near Colac. These made the equivalent of 180c/kg, with 11 slightly lighter steers in the second pen making $695 or 181c.

Following the leasing of their farm, these were the tops from a consignment of 71 Hereford, Angus and black baldy bought at the Colac weaner sale in January which made $660-$720 to average $692 (175-186c/kg).

Burrongebete South sold 60 Angus from $565 to $660 to average $587 (183-223c/kg), while The Plains, Birregurra, got $620-$700 for 25 Angus (170-187c).

Chris Davison, Morgiana, offered two nice pens of Gelbvieh-Angus steers that had been weaned at five months but had come up well for the sale at 272 and 243kg. These made $530 or 195 and 218c/kg.

The 88 weighed heifers from the top end of the small yarding of 373 heifers made 146-188c/kg to average 177c in a further closing of the gap between steer and heifer prices.

“It was a very good sale, but it’s always good here,” said Terry Dove of Stewart-Dove. “It was a good quality yarding with buyers from SA, NSW, Broken Hill, Gippsland and local areas.”

He said the steers made from 180-220c/kg and more for the lighter calves but the cow and calf “job” was tougher going.

“But it’s the middle of the year and buyers don’t want the risk of grass tetany or having to feed them through winter.”

Cows and calves sold to $1090, av $815; while springers made from $520-$890, av $684.

He said the “heifer job” was very solid.

Rumler and Sons sold 20 older Angus-cross heifers at $675 (146-166c), with The Plains, Birregurra, getting $650 (188c)for 16 18-20 month-old Angus. Burongebete South headed the heifer weaner prices with 20 Angus at $555 (185c) and 8 at $545 (182c).