Steer prices at the monthly Yea store cattle sale ticked up a little, although heifer prices slipped back, according to agents.
Tyson Bush, Rodwells, said cattle were showing the effects of winter, as there was little weight in the yarding of about 2000 head.
"The cattle were very, very woolly - they're putting a lot of energy into keeping warm," Mr Bush said.
But he said there were some exceptional pens of steers, with the tops reaching 390 cents a kilogram.
He said a pen of 17, Anvil and Dunoon-blood steers, offered by Mark Walsh, Strathbogie, made $950 a head, or 384c/kg.
His second pen sold for $840, or 390c/kg.
Paul McKay, Strath Creek, sold a pen of 11, two tooth Angus steers, 328kg, for $1020, or 310c/kg.
Hibberd Farming sold 13 steers, 544kg, for $1450, or 266c/kg.
Evans Pastoral, Thornton, sold 10 steers, Rennylea and Te Mania-blood, 305kg at $920, or 301c/kg, while Carrington Park, Moyhu, sold 18, 301kg, at $1040 or 345c/kg.
The Grange, Murrindindi, sold 22 Paringa-blood, August/September-drop steers, 265kg, for $840, or 316c/kg.
Mr Bush said there were one or two pens of heifers with good cover, which sold for around 250c/kg.
Among the heifers, a pen of 13 Angus, 315kg, offered by P Martin, sold for $770, or 244c/kg.
He said a highlight of the sale was cow and calf units, topping at more than $1800.
J Van Dyke sold 4x4 heifers and calves for $1820, while Perry Family Farms sold 8x8 cows and calves for $1540.
"There were two or three feedlotters operating, but a lot of cattle stayed locally, selling to producers around Yea, Alexandra and Mansfield," Mr Bush said.
Buyers from the Goulburn Valley were also active, as producers sought to hedge their bets.
"If we get a break and have an early spring, who knows that sort of heights there will be in the cattle job?" he said.
Chris Pollard, Landmark, said the sale was a reasonable reflection on the current state of the market.
The quality was down on previous yardings, which had vendor bred lines of spring drop calves.
Lighter cattle, between 180-200kg, sold for between 300-320c/kg.
Welton Farms sold six Angus steers, Anvil-blood, 322kg, for $930 or 288c/kg.
Jamie Quinlan, Elders, said a few cattle, weighing more than 300kg, sold to 240c/kg.
"The steer sale was a bit dearer, the heifers fractionally a bit cheaper," Mr Quinlan said.
A run of joined cows sold very well.
"One pen of featured Hereford heifers, 340kg, which sold for $970, and went back into the paddock for breeding," he said.