A total of more than 4100 store cattle were yarded at the Northern Victorian Livestock Exchange, Barnawartha, last Thursday.
Numbers for this Elders and Paull & Scollard-Landmark sale were more than double the corresponding sale a month ago.
Despite the sharp jump in cattle yarded demand continued unabated as restockers and processors scrambled to fill their orders.
Anything with weight is attracting keen competition.
Paull and Scollard Landmark agent Matt Pitzen quoted the market as 'pretty strong for the heavier end'.
"All of the cattle weighed well, with only a few pens at the lighter end showing the effect of a tough time," Mr Pitzen said.
"There wasn't a lot of cattle under the 300kg mark."
"There was a lot of interest from feedlots and we had four agents from south Gippsland which is unusual for us."
Elders auctioneer Matt Tinkler said there was some concern for how long the season would last and producers had decided to quit stock while prices were good.
He said the market for grown steers, 400 to 500kg, was $1090 to $1560, or 243 to 350c/kg, and steers 350 to 400kg made $1080 to $1260, or 295 to 328c/kg.
He quoted Angus weaner steers, 300 to 350kg as selling for $605 to $850 or 260 to 325c/kg. At the lighter end, 250 to 350kg, steers sold between $660 and $808, or 259 to 323c/kg.
Euro steers, 360 to 420kg made from $1110 to $1260 or 280 to 302c/kg.
Hereford steers weighing 350 to 400kg sold between $975 and $1120,or 275 to 300c/kg.
Light Hereford steers, 240 to 280kg sold in a range of $670 to $740, or 258 to 276c/kg.
Heavy grown heifers, 370 to 500kg made between $950 and $1150, or 240 to 275c/kg, while Angus weaner heifers, 350 to 380kg sold from $940 to $1010, or 250 to 276c/kg.
DKF Heywood and Sons, Glenlock, Everton, offered a large consignment of nearly 300 mixed sex Angus, 10-12 months, that were Witherswood, Ben Nevis and Fernhill blood.
The tops of their steer portion sold in two pens for $1195 or between 310 and 315c/kg on weights of 379kg and 385kg. The same vendor had 41 steers, weighing 338 to 340kg, that made $1070, or 315c/kg.
RJ Morton, Mount Annan, Holbrook, NSW, forwarded Angus and Angus/Limousin-cross grown steers, that sold to a top of $1660, or 326c/kg. The top pen comprised nine, 18 months, 508kg. Another pen sold for $1560, or 349c/kg on weights of 446kg.
RG Larkin, Gundowring, sold 13 Angus steers, 490kg, for $1660, or 338c/kg.
A draft of Hereford steers from RW & MH Trethowan, Kookardinia, NSW, with 27, 391kg, making $1305, or 333c/kg. The heifer portion of the consignment sold to a top of $950 for 25 weighing 351kg, or 270c/kg.
JM Star forwarded 25 Angus steer weaners that weighed 315kg and sold for $1260, or 358c/kg.
PR & RD Hilton, Jarvis Creek, sold 21 Angus steer weaned, 395kg, that made $1310, or 331c/kg.
R & D Wolter sold 10 Angus heifers, 389kg, for $1070, or 275c/kg.
A line of 21 Angus heifers, 16-18 months, NSM, sold account K & L Nankervis, Talangatta Valley, for $1310, or 328c/kg.
The Heywood's heifer portion sold for $850, or 272c/kg for heifers weighing 312kg.
Morton's heifers sold to $1140, or 276c/kg for a pen of 21 weighing 413kg.
Hereford heifers account P & E Paton, Tallangatta South, sold to $1170 for nine, while SJ Corrigan sold four heifers with calves at foot for $1520.
