Yea agents found the going tough at the yard's annual January female and store sale, with prices ranging up to nearly $2000 for cow and calf units.
Prices quickly fell away, after Mayneline, Woodstock, kicked off the sale with six Banquet-blood cows and Millah Murrah Fruse calves, re-depastured to an Ayrvale bull, going to a local producer for $1925.
Agents yarded about 950 head of cattle, predominantly cows and calves and pregnancy-tested-in-calf heifers.
Most of the yarding went back into the local area, with feedlots active on the heavier steers.
Jamie Quinlan, Elders, said the promise of rain might have seen producers hold back on committing to the sale.
"I think people only sold them if they really wanted to," Mr Quinlan said.
"It was pretty hard going; you had to really work hard to sell them.
"There were some reasonable third and fourth-calvers, $1550, down to some older cows to $1275."
He said apart from a representative from HF Richardson in the western district, who bought a run of older four and five year-old cows, most of the buying support was local.
Pickup Pastoral, Ginnung, sold 21x21 second-calvers, with Landfall-blood calves at foot, re-depastured to a Landfall bull, for $1875.
Pickup's second pen of 10x10 cows and calves sold for $1550.
S Tanner, Preston, Mansfield, sold 11x11 three to five year-old cows, with CAF, depastured to Anvil Angus bulls, for $1450.
L&W Oates, Merton, sold a pen of 9x9 Connamara-blood heifers, depastured to Connamarra-blood bulls for $1275.
S Davenport, Buxton, sold 6x6 Shorthorn cows and calves for $1500.
Anthony Delaney, Rodwells, said agents didn't have some of their regular vendors.
"We only had the top end of heifers in, there was no real tail end, which we have seen in previous years," Mr Delaney said.
He said while it was an excellent quality yarding of cows, calves and heifers, selling was tough, due to increased competition from other female sales around Victoria.
"The top end of the joined heifers was tough enough going, but looking at the average, it probably works out okay," he said.
"I thought the cows sold very well."
He said older steers achieved rates well above 300 cents a kilogram.
"All in all, it was a tough enough day, but an okay result," he said.
Three Sisters Pastoral sold 150 heifers in its draft.
Its first pen of 15 Reiland-blood heifers, 625kg, depastured to Glendaloch and Reiland bulls, made $1600, or 256c/kg.
The second pen of 16, averaging 567kg, sold for $1475, or 260c/kg.
They were both bought by Chris Pollard, Landmark, Yea.
A third pen of 14 heifers, 600kg, sold for $1600, or 266c/kg.
Callandoon sold 16 heifers, 577kg, depastured to a Glendaloch bull, for $1650, or 285c/kg.
A second pen of 13 heifers, 569kg, sold for $1550, or 272c/kg.
DGA Douglas, Woodstock, sold 18 rising two year-old heifers, 488kg, depastured to Barwidgee bulls for $1500, or 307c/kg.
Rochford Park, Lancefield, sold 12 Angus heifers, 469kg, PTIC to a Campaspe Rocks bull, for $1275, or 271c/kg.
Larnoo, Yea, sold its first pen of rising three year-old Coolana-blood heifers, 576kg, PTIC to Lawsons bulls, for $1475, or 256c/kg.
Subsequent pens of 12 heifers, 601kg, sold for $1775, or 295c/kg and 14 heifers, 554kg, for $1800, or 295c/kg.
Greenhills Herefords, Yea, sold its first pen of five 2.5 year-old Mawarra-blood heifers, 671kg, depastured to Mawarra and Glenholme bulls, for $1575, or 234c/kg.
Mr Quinlan said there was a "really nice top" on the steers and heifers.
"The feedlots got stuck into those," he said.
Perry Family Farm, Toolangi, sold a pen of 14 Te Mania and Landfall-blood steers, 478kg, for $1530, or 320c/kg.
A second pen of nine steers, 445kg, sold for $1450, or 325c/kg.
Balaclava Station, Murrindindi, sold 33 Lawson and Yamba-blood steers, 403kg, for $1340, or 332c/kg.
A second pen of 23 steers, 402kg, sold for $1330, or 330c/kg.
Its pen of 20 heifers, 389kg, sold for $1010, or 259c/kg.
Khan Yunis, Killingworth, sold 11 Anvil Angus-blood steers, 398/kg for $1150, or 288c/kg.
R & D Richards, Tamalight Farms, Yarra Glen, sold seven Angus/Black Simmental weaner steers, 381kg, for $1030, or 270c/kg.
Tamalight Farm's pen of five heifers, 320kg, sold for $860, or 268c/kg.
Ross Carrington, Seven Creeks Estate, Euroa, sold 10 Witherswood-blood steers, 328kg, for $990, or 301c/kg.
A pen of 18 of his heifers, 357kg, sold for $910, or 254c/kg.
Homewood Hill sold 13 heifers, 390kg, for $1010, or 258c/kg, to Elders Bendigo.