Sale prices went to another level at the Western Victorian Livestock Exchange monthly store sale at Mortlake on Thursday.
With the saleyards holding around 3397 cattle, prices were dearer across all categories.
WVLX associated agents president Alister Nash said the sale was "enormous and all sections had big highlights".
With sale numbers coming in late bumping the sale lots to 480, the sale was switched from planned ring selling to pen selling.
With a couple of extra buyers from Gippsland looking to fill orders for heavy steers for taking through to bullocks, the competition for this cattle was a highlight.
Mr Nash said the additional Gippsland support took the grown cattle to a new level. Any cattle that Gippsland bid on went beyond the price range of feedlotters.
He said 582 kilogram steers made 390 cents a kilogram or $2271 a head and grown cattle sold to 432c/kg.
Demand for heifers was also strong with a number of drafts where the heifers made more than their steer brothers on a cents per kilo basis.
He said AuctionsPlus had 15 active buyers that purchased 29 lots for buyers in NSW, SA and Gippsland.
Orders included Korumburra, Leongatha, Echuca, north-east Victoria and a wide area of central west of NSW. There was also a strong presence of western district buyers.
Feedlotters included Garrison, Hopkins River, Yambinya, Princess Royal as well as processors.
The bulk of grown steers made between 400c/kg-420c/kg.
The weaner steers saw a top of 530c/kg for 238kg steers, with top price per head achieving $1707, and the balance making 420c/kg to 490c/kg. Open auction steers made to a top of $1350 per head and 635c/kg with most selling between $980 and $1275.
Grown heifers made to a top of 424c/kg and a top of $1803 a head, with most making 390c/kg-410c/kg.
There were just short of 500 weaner heifers on offer with the top pen making to 456c/kg or $1635. The rest of yarding made 410c/kg to 440c/kg. Open Auction heifers fetched to a top of $1270 a head or 567c/kg for the well bred cattle.
There 54 cows and calves presented with four Speckle Park cows and calves making $2520 and the balance making between $1800-$2200. Cross-bred cattle did exceptionally well as they topped out at 376c/kg, Freisian steers topping out at 316c/kg. Cross-bred heifers making to 386c/kg.
IL Heard consigned 19 heavy Angus steers with the tops weighing 582kg making $2271 or 390c/kg. A pen of 12 same vendor weighed 583kg and sold for $2215 or 380c/kg.
A pen of 13 steers sold account FB & WT O'Connor weighed 516kg and sold for $2138 or 414c/kg. The same vendor had a small pen of three that weighed 571kg that sold for $2200 or 385c/kg.
DJ & IR Smith had a draft that included a pen of eight steers, 14 months, that weighed 543kg and sold for $2175 or 400c/kg.
Best presented pen of steers was a pen of 18, 16-17 months, sold account Bruan Partnership, weighed 467kg and sold at 424c/kg, or $1983.
Two pens of five Angus steers sold account DJ & A Cameron weighed up to 491kg and made $1973 or 402c/kg.
Waimari Pastoral Co sold 29 steers, 16-18 months, weighing 411kg and making 432c/kg or $1778.
A feature was a draft of autumn 2020-drop calves sold open auction account LJ & CJ Tonissen, Trenoweth, Condah, being sold due to the sale of the property. A pen of 36 steers, March 2020 drop, that weighed 226kg and sold for $1275 or 564c/kg was topped by their lighter brother with 14 at 181kg making $1150 or 635c/kg. The heifer portion of the draft sold to $1220 or 567c/kg for a pen of 41 that weighed 215kg.
Draffen Properties sold a draft of 154 steers with 73 selling in one run at 511c/kg or between $1361 and $1366. The tops per kilogam was a pen of 23 that weighed 238kg and sold for 530c/kg or $1263.
K McIntyre forwarded a pen of 27 steers, 269kg, that sold for $1334 or 496c/kg.
A pen of 26 weaner black baldy steers was part of a draft from N & J Lillie Pty Ltd, 9-11 months, that weighed 308kg and sold for $1469 or 476c/kg. The best of the draft on a liveweight basis was a pen of 19 that weighed 241kg and sold for 502c/kg or $1210. They also sold 20 at 261kg that made $1242 or 476c/kg. Their third draft of 79 over three pens sold for 474c/kg or $1336 to $1533.
The Estate of TI Laidlaw forwarded a consignment of heifers that included a pen of 19 Herefords, 198kg that made $967 or 488c/kg. A pen of 25 black baldies, 227kg made $1057 or 466c/kg and a pen of 13, 266kg that made $1160 or 436c/kg.
Of the light steers a pen of 13 sold account Gumvale Grazing Co, weighing 218kg, sold for $1127 or 516c/kg, and a pen of 14, weighed 214kg and sold for $1015 or 474c/kg.
D Coolahan had a pen of 17 weaner steers, 323kg that made $1476 or 456c/kg.
ST Johns sold 30 steers at 301kg for $1401 or 465c/kg and 30 heifers, 289kg, for 456c/kg or $1320.
Grown heifers were topped on liveweight basis by a pen of nine sold account Nacooma Estate tdhat weighed 345kg and sold for 424c/kg or $1465.
MJ & MJ Thom sold 11 heifers, 366kg for 422c/kg or $1547 while DR & GM Lucas sold six at 369kg for 421c/kg or $1554.
Top of the heavy heifers was $1803 for 13 at 478kg sold account J Parker.
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