Big lines of breeders' cattle came under strong competition at Ballarat on Friday as feedlotters and grass feeders set the tone for a positive market.
Following the July sale that saw prices surge on strong demand, this month's sale generally kept pace on the heavier end while some lighter cattle were slightly easier.
TB White & Sons auctioneer Tom Madden said the just shy on 2900 head yarding had attracted competition from a very strong gallery of buyers.
Mr Madden said it was a very good quality run of cattle given the time of year and the wet conditions of the past six weeks.
"It was an exceptional yarding of cattle for breeding," he said.
"Any of the grown steers around 450 kilograms were 320 to 360 cents a kilogram depending on the size of the line.
"The top end of the steer weaners was pretty similar."
Mr Madden said the notable grown heifer sale was a line from one vendor that sold around 330c/kg for 400kg.
"Most of the better grown heifers were 310 to 330c/kg," he said.
The lighter steer job was pretty strong at 350c/kg-plus for good breeder calves.
There were plenty of lighter heaviers, and they were slightly easier on the previous sale.
Mr Madden said he expected a "fair swag of cattle" coming forward for the next sale in Ballarat.
"We're getting a bit closer to spring and we have had some trouble getting cattle out of paddocks," he said.
Feedlotters were very active as well as strong support on the lighter end of calves from south-east Victoria.
Gippsland support was also present.
In the grown steer section, a pen of 15 Angus forwarded by the Conroy family, Warrah, Ballan, that weighed 528kg, sold for $1780 or 337c/kg.
A second pen from the same vendor, 456kg, sold for $1530 or 335c/kg.
A well presented line of 149 steers, Reiland and Crawford-blood from the Bergamin family, Echuca, sold to a top of $1710.
The first pen of 23, at 487kg, topped at $1710 or 351c/kg, while the top pen on a liveweight basis was a pen of 27 that weighed 411kg and sold for $1470 or 357c/kg.
A line of 44, 448kg, sold for $1570 or 353c/kg.
Lighter calves from the same property sold in two pens with 30 weighing 384kg making $1340 or 349c/kg, and 15, 379kg, selling for 316c/kg.
D Minns sold 26 Angus steers, 26-28 months, Tillabudgery-blood, weighing 582kg, that sold for $1850 or 329c/kg.
A small pen of five steers, 518kg, sold by RW Phillips made $1770 or 341c/kg.
A well-bred draft of mixed-sex grown and weaner cattle came forward from Claymore, Darlington.
At the heavier end, the consignment topped at $1480 for 10 steers, 429kg, coming in at 344c/kg and 11, 367kg, that sold for $1140, or 310c/kg.
Tops of the Claymore cattle on a liveweight basis was a pen of 35 weighing 293kg that sold for 375c/kg or $1100.
Two further pens of weighed Claymore steers sold for $1280 and $1110 or 359 and 358c/kg respectively.
The heifer portion of the draft sold to $1000 for a pen of 10, weighing 333kg, or 333c/kg.
The balance of the Claymore weighed heifers sold between $680 and $950 or 251-309c/kg.
A pen of 14 steers sold by Mountain Top weighed 453kg and sold for $1590 or 350c/kg, while on a liveweight basis the same vendor achieved 372c/kg for 24 steers weighing 370kg, or $1380.
Alpha Pastoral offered a pen of six that weighed 403kg and made $1380 or 342c/kg.
The heifer portion of the Alpha Pastoral cattle attracted plenty of interest with the top pen of 23, weighing 417kg, selling for $1340 or 321c/kg.
A pen of 19, weighing 382kg, made $1220 or 319c/kg.
A pen of 14 steers by Finch made $1060 or 356c/kg on weights of 297kg,
C Grech sold eight steers, 324kg, for $1110 or 342c/kg, while SM & SP Kosa, sold 14 steers, 303kg, for $1050 or 346c/kg, and 11 steers by BM & N Shillito, 325kg, made $1110 or 341c/kg.
Inverell Farms consigned a draft of steers with 23 tops, 347kg, making $1200 or 345c/kg.
W Woods sold seven steers, 410kg, that made $1380 or 336c/kg and a pen of six, 407kg, for $1210 or 297c/kg.
A big draft of cattle came forward from Warrak with a pen of 24 Murray Grey steers, The Glen-blood, weighing 371kg and making $1230 or 331c/kg.
Alandale sold 14 steers, 431kg, that made $1420 or 337c/kg.
The Windsor Family Trust sold six heifers, 388kg, that made $1260 or 324c/kg and nine heifers sold by Alexander, 340kg, sold for $1080 or 317c/kg.
The Alandale heifer portion topped at 338c/kg for a pen of six that weighed 334kg, or $1130.
L & A Cocking, Amphitheatre, sold a line of 19 heifers, 282kg, that sold for $890 or 315c/kg.
Chartwell Farms forwarded 11 heifers, 412kg, that made $1280 or 310c/kg.
The heifer portion of the Warrak Murray Grey cattle sold to $785 for a pen of 30, 284kg, or $276c/kg.
An unweighed pen of 30, same vendor, made $625.
A pen of 12 Angus/Charolais-cross heifers, sold by V & C Goy, 285kg, sold for $790 or 277c/kg.
In the open auction section, heifers generally sold between $550 to $680.
