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A record yarding of 6050 cattle greeted buyers at the Western Victorian Livestock Exchange at Mortlake Thursday.
Despite the huge yarding prices were quoted "very strong" with steers consistent with recent sales, while heifers were generally dearer.
Grown steers sold to 412 cents a kilogram, averaging $2048 a head, while the weaner steers averaged $1747 across the offering.
Open auction steers went under the hammer to a top of $1235.
Mortlake Associated Agents president Alister Nash, said the massive yarding took the total through the yards for the week to nearly 7800 cattle across two days of sales.
He said the bump up in numbers came from some extra mixed sex cattle from southern NSW that came to Mortlake due to transport requirements.
Mr Nash said the current coronavirus outbreak saw a massive reduction in the gallery, with the vast majority attending being buyers and agents with just a handfull of vendors.
There were virtually no onlookers present, he said.
Such was the strength of the sale, the weighed cattle across all breeds and categories, averaged 378c/kg.
Mr Nash said buyers attended and purchased from across the spectrum with cattle going to NSW, Queensland and SA.
Feedlotters were active with Teys, Killara, Hopkins River, Yambinya and Ramps Ridge all active.
He said processors were also active on cattle to put on feed for winter kill. There was also a range of orders for northern buyers.
A number of buyers shifted focus to the heifer offering as the steer market was strong, and that saw heifer prices jump 20c/kg, he said.
The heifer market was "very competitive" with weighed weaner heifers fetching 399c/kg, averaging $1740.
Mr Nash said the majority of the heifer yarding sold between 360 and 370c/kg.
Grown heifers topped at 410c/kg, averaging $1827, while the open auction heifers comprised a large percentage of "coloured" cattle, but made up to $1450.
A group of 12 PTIC heifers topped out at $1690 and cows and calves made to $2450. The top cows and calves were eight Angus, sold account Patch Ag Pty Ltd.
Top of the heavy steers per head was a pen of nine Angus-cross, sold account Pinelodge, 570kg, that sold for 359c/kg or $2048.
On a liveweight basis it was a pen of that made 412c/kg, or $1546 for a pen of 49.
Heavy Hereford steers topped at 382c/kg for a pen of 21, 511kg, coming in at $1954, sold account Vinebanks. Fourteen cross-bred steers, 560kg, sold for 340c/kg, or $1906.
A pen of 10 Angus steers, 435kg, sold for 389c/kg or $1693.
Bayandah Pastoral Co, sold 49 steers, 375kg, for 412c/kg, or $1546 and further drafts at 405 to 406c/kg and 42 steers, 388kg for 380c/kg, or $1477.
Best on a liveweight basis was a draft from Dumsney family, Port Fairy, that sold a pen of 14 Angus steers, 252kg, that made 418c/kg or $1055. The same vendor had a pen of 26 steers, 300kg, for 416c/kg and 17 steers, 337kg, that made 405c/kg.
A pen of five heavy Angus heifers, 521kg, sold for 350c/kg or $1825 while a pen of 11 Angus heifers, 507kg, sold for 356c/kg, or $1805.
Tops of the weaned steers on a per head basis was a pen of 19 Angus at $1747 that weighed 432kg and made 404c/kg.
A small pen of four Charolais heifers topped the weaned section at 399c/kg, for a pen that weighed 436kg, and topped the section on a per head basis at $1740.