Ballarat agents reported a solid October store sale, with prices up on lighter steers, due to the smaller number yarded.
Agents yarded 3118 head of cattle.
Tom Madden, TB White & Sons, said grown steers were easier, ranging from 290-320 cents a kilogram, while steer weaners were on a par at 300-330c/kg, with some sales of good calves up to 360c/kg.
"Lighter steers were probably $100 [a head] dearer on the last sale, but that would be on the back of smaller numbers yarded," Mr Madden said.
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Local and South Gippsland buyers were active on the light cattle.
Heifers from 350-450kg ranged in price from 260-290c/kg.
"We have a pretty good spring, at the moment," Mr Madden said.
"We are starting to get a bit more warmer weather, which is starting to put a bit of bloom on the cattle."
Bernie Nevins, HF Richardson, said the quality of the yarding was better than the September sale.
"I thought our bigger steers were pretty firm, although there were two competitors going fairly hard last sale," Mr Nevins said.
Steer weaners were also firm on the last sale, with 300-330kg cattle trading 10-15c/kg dearer.
"Little heifers could have been $50-60 dearer too," he said.
Cows and calves would have been up to $200 dearer.
Jamie McConachie, Charles Stewart, said it was a solid sale, on the back of a dear result in September.
"It was coming off the back of that and I think it was standing up pretty well here," Mr McConachie said.
"Steer weaners, the young section, was even stronger than last month, realising margins of $50-100 dearer."
He said the heavy cattle, 500kg and over, might have been a few cents cheaper than September.
"But we saw a heifer section start off really well, all in all, considering the dry north of us, it's an amazing result," he said.
Mr McConachie said three or four feedlotters joined grass fatteners in bidding for cattle.
"When you get three or four feedlotters in operation, on one day, it sets you job up incredibly well," he said.
One Camperdown agent had been particularly interested in the heavier feeder heifers, most likely for producers backgrounding on grass.
Sitebarb sold six Angus steers, 609kg, for $1860, or 305c/kg.
E O'Loughlin sold nine Banquet-blood steers, 500kg, for $1550, or 310c/kg.
I & J Clark, Junction Park, sold 10 Murdeduke-blood steers, 548kg, for $1720, or 313c/kg.
B&N Lenaghan sold a pen of eight steers, 532kg, for $1690, or 317c/kg.
Telegraph Road's first pen of Murdeduke and Weeran-blood steers, 470kg, sold for $1440, or 306c/kg.
Sunnydale sold a pen of 11 steers, 505kg, for $1580, or 312c/kg.
A second pen of Sunnydale steers, 294kg, sold for $1010, or 343c/kg.
Clark and Madden sold 13 Angus steers, Franc-blood, 418kg, for $1350, or 322c/kg.
The estate of TP Walsh, Trentham, sold a pen of 26 Angus steers, 352kg, Barwidgee-blood, for $1215, or 345c/kg.
Among the heifers, J Nolan sold a pen of seven 543kg Murray Greys, Mount Morgan-blood, for $1540, or 283c/kg.
Rocks and Red's pen of eight Red Angus heifers went for $1110, or 278c/kg.
IL and M Barber sold 18 heifers, 351kg, for $890, or 253c/kg.
RJ and BK Thomas sold 10 Banquet-blood heifers, 335kg, for $920, or 289c/kg.
Tyrell Brothers sold six Murdeduke-blood heifers, 389kg, for $1080, or 277c/kg.