Strong support from south-east South Australia, along with feedlotters and an export order, boosted prices at Hamilton's store cattle sale on Thursday.
Agents yarded just under 1200 cattle at their annual spring store sale.
Favourable seasonal conditions in the south-east and western Victoria gave producers with grass confidence to attend, although not all were able to secure stock.
JM Ellis & Co livestock agent Mick McMeel said there were good runs of grown and yearling cattle.
Mr McMeel said the season locally remained good with feed really starting to move, particularly north of Hamilton.
"Hopefully it will continue and we'll be set up for a pretty good season," he said.
He said the winter had been mild but "probably lacked feed" until the last six weeks.
Heavy steers made 296-318 cents a kilogram, while yearling steers made 300-331c/kg.
Mr McMeel said a large proportion of the yearling steers went to south-east SA while the lighter end went to an export order.
The better bred heifers sold well from 270-296c/kg.
Tops of the heavy steers was a pen of 21 Angus steers by Jigsaw Farms, 361kg, that sold for 326c/kg or $1179 a head.
A lighter draft of the Jigsaw steers, 326kg, sold for 331c/kg or $1079.
A draft came forward from Calcareb, with the tops of its Angus steers, 16 at 439kg, making 318c/kg or $1396.
Pineview consigned heavy steers, with a pen of 19 weighing 418kg making 316c/kg or $1322, while a second line of 11, 497kg, made 310c/kg or $1541.
A well-bred draft of Angus steers was forwarded by Hillcrest Partnership.
The top pen on a liveweight basis was a line of 37 that weighed 353kg and sold for 324c/kg or $1144.
A lighter draft from the consignment sold for 330c/kg for 23 at 321kg.
The same vendor had a second line of 16 that weighed 389kg and sold for 320c/kg or $1245.
Also making 331c/kg was a pen of 29 steers, 309kg, that were sold by Mt Napier.
A pen of 13 from the same vendor weighing 269kg sold for 314c/kg.
Hamilton Farmer sold a pen of 17 Angus steers, 323kg, for 328c/kg, and a second pen of 14, 290kg, for 310c/kg.
Of the Herefords, the top price was 313c/kg for a line sold by Neild Contracting comprising 18 steers, 366kg.
Lone Star sold 12 Hereford steers, 333kg, for 305c/kg.
Sixteen Charolais-cross steers, 353kg, sold by PG Hoskins made 316c/kg or $1116.
Nine by the same vendor, 286kg, sold for 300c/kg.
The first pen of heifers comprised 22 Angus sold by Glenrea, 416kg, that sold for 302c/kg or $1256.
A second draft from Glenrea, 349kg, sold for 298c/kg or $1041.
Two pens of Angus heifers were sold by Ferguson to a top of 293c/kg for a pen of 10, 366kg, at $1072, while the second pen of six, 482kg, sold for 279c/kg or $1346.
