Buyers local to the Colac, Geelong and Camperdown districts stuck strongly by sellers at Colac's monthly store cattle sale on Friday when volume feed buyers failed to attend.
Having received good rain during May, the local competition absorbed a large portion of the 850-head penning at mostly firm rates to the centre's month earlier market while those not making their money were returned home.
Across the steer penning the heaviest yard penned, a lot of four Limousin steers, 515kg made $1100 for its vendors, Howell Partnership. These were purchased by the vendors agent, HF Richardson while in the next five yards, the Stewart family sold their annual draft of Woodrowvale Charolais steers, Mt William-blood, with each of five pens taken by Werribee opportunity feeder, John Vella and Landmark Ballarat.
The lead of Woodrowvale Charolais, 464kg made $1220 while a second yard of 18, 420kg made $1170 as their draft of 61 averaged $1134a head and averaged 272c/kg.
Other vendor lines sold in the steer yarding that saw values vary considerably - Koallah sold 12 Red Poll steers, 451kg at $940 and 12 Red Poll steers, 385kg sold at $905.
H & H Mooney sold 13 Angus steers, 15-16 months, 393kg, at $1160 and second yard, 369kg, at $1130.
A & J Zappelli were another volume seller clearing Angus steers, 360kg, at $1060 and 324kg Angus steers at $910 with all of the above taken Nandaly feeder, Tyrrell Park.
Throughout the steer sale pens weighed from 360 to 450kg made $905 to $1220 a head and averaged 274 c/kg live weight while steers, 280-360kg, made $810-$1060/head, averaging 284c/kg.
Steers that were unweighed also varied widely in value to make from $470 to $805 depending on size, age and condition and included were lines of Hereford, Angus, Red Angus-Composite and Murray Grey.
Demand in the heifer market was also subdued with the absence of feedlot competition telling.
Sales overall averaged 216c/kg with several pen of Charolais heifers that were especially well grown, return home to be joined.
These included the entire draft of the Woodrowvale heifers weighed at 358 to 416kg that were without bids of $1000 on each of their four pens.
Heifers that were sold included GI & CA Bath – 7 Limousin, 292kg sold at $730 while Timberline sold Charolais-cross heifers, 328kg at $550. Other lots of heifers were sold between $370 to $690 a head as most realized sales between 200 and 240c/kg.
Yards of female breeding stock also met varied demand with some attracting good competition while other were passed unsold.
Myania Pastoral scored the market best money, of $1800 with 23 well-breed Angus heifers, 26-28 months, Boonarooka-blood, with Angus calves at foot while Koondonia sold 2 to 4th -calf Charolais cows, depastured and PTIC to a Charolais bull at $1520.