Warm conditions greeted buyers at Leongatha on Thursday for a mega six-hour store sale, the largest South Gippsland market in 12 months.
Agents yarded about 4800 cattle including 3500 steers and about 1300 heifers after initially drawing for 5500 head.
It meant more than 7500 cattle were processed at the Victorian Livestock Exchange in two days following Wednesday's prime market which had an additional 3500 cattle through the gates.
Elders Korumburra and Leongatha branch manager Rohan McRae said cattle were weighed up to midnight on Wednesday.
"It was very difficult and it's a credit to everyone who was working in the sale yards," Mr McRae said.
"We're going to have a debrief and talk about it and see what we can do if these numbers continue to come through ... but a credit to the VLE staff, the agents and the vendors that made it happen."
Steers ranged from 400-470 cents a kilogram while heifers - which started being sold four hours into the sale - made between 345-385c/kg, on average.
The broader yarding of quality and weights made prices fluctuate more compared to recent store sales.
"I think the sale levelled out because it's been rising and rising and as it rises it looks more buoyant but today it levelled so it doesn't look as buoyant but cattle were still making extremely good money," Mr McRae said.
"I thought the crowd was probably down a bit and I suppose that's a symptom of people thinking cattle are out of reach so the crowd naturally drops off a bit."
Five feedlots operated competitively throughout the sale as restockers were more prominent compared to recent Gippsland store sales.
Landmark Leongatha livestock manager Brian McCormack said it was difficult for restockers to buy cattle out of NSW and Queensland due to the recent rain.
"The last few months local graziers have been selling cattle whether they be bullocks or fat cattle or older store cattle so naturally they've got to come back into the market," Mr McCormack said.
Feature lines included 87 Angus and Black Baldy steers by Sally and Donald Jelbart, Tarwin Lower, which sold to $1850 a head and Don and Dorothy Fairbrother, Walkerville, who sold 108 polled Hereford steers to $1860.
"The Jelbart's steers made from 396-415c/kg and then the Fairbrother family's steers sold from high 300s to low 400s," Mr McCormack said.
"Both lines of cattle showed exceptionally good breeding and the breeding reflected in the prices received today."
Alex Scott & Staff livestock auctioneer Dane Perczyk the sale presented better opportunities to buy cattle cheaper.
"With the amount of cattle that were here the sale was very strong and consistent where it's been the last two or three sales," Mr Perczyk said.
"It was almost 2000 more head that the last fortnight and it was good compared to that sale because last fortnight was very strong and despite the bigger yarding, the prices coped with numbers.
"I think the prices were up and down more though; you'd have a good lane of cattle that sold really well and then you might have jumped over the other side where they might have dropped back 30 cents a kilo."
T and C Jacka, Dumbalk North, sold 24 steers, 350kg, for $1500 or 428c/kg.
A, B and N Moyle, Wonthaggi, sold 17 steers, 327kg, for $1480 or 452c/kg.
R and C Donat, Wonthaggi, sold 20 steers, 350kg, for $1540 or 440c/kg.
B and B Quinn, Meeniyan, sold 11 steers, 610kg, for $1800 or 295c/kg and a second pen of steers, 553kg, for $1800 or 325c/kg.
Lang Lang Pastoral, Lang Lang, sold nine steers, 651kg, for $2190 or 336c/kg.
B and L Barrett, Tyers, sold 18 steers, 294kg, for $1370 or 465c/kg.
P and J Davies, Allambee, sold 18 steers, 262kg, for $1210 or 461c/kg.
RJ Sandy sold 14 steers, 479kg, for $1930 or 402c/kg.
JW Gibson, Hallston, sold 31 steers, 414kg, for $1780 or 422c/kg.
In the heifers, Dave Pickersgill, Mt Eccles, sold 20 heifers, 376kg, for $1390 or 369c/kg.
Katelea Pastoral, Glen Alvie, sold 20 heifers, 283kg, for $1120 or 395c/kg.
T and J Waters, Dumbalk, sold 17 heifers, 444kg, for $1660 or 373c/kg.
C Talbot, Rutherglen, sold 19 heifers, 337kg, for $1200 or 356c/kg.
SJC Farms, Thorpdale, sold nine heifers, 374kg, for $1420 or 379c/kg.
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