A strong field of buyers were keen to secure numbers at Warrnambool's monthly store sale, pushing prices higher across all types and weights.
Agents yarded 1940 cattle, an increase from the previous month and higher than expected.
Warrnambool associated agents president, Jack Kelly, said the area had received up to 55 millimetres of rain in the past couple of days.
"We can take that sort of rain at this time of year," he said.
He said there was an increased percentage of younger cattle in the yarding that sold extremely well.
"These prices are extremely strong," he said.
The best of the lighter steers sold for 610 cents a kilogram that was "dearer" than the previous month's sale, he said.
He said feedlotters included Teys, Hopkins River, Balranald, NSW, while Scott Creek attended in person for the first time in a few months.
There was a lot of bidding from StockLive particularly in the heifer and cross-bred cattle sections.
Mr Kelly said there was a "very, very good run of heifers".
"They did sell very well. They sold to 450c/kg and that's 20-30 cents dearer than the previous sale," he said.
He said the cross bred steers were dearer as buyers chased other options to beef.
The heavy end of the steers 500kg, made from 384c/kg to 405c/kg with a top of $2116 a head.
Steers weighing 400 to 500kg sold from 390 to 420c/kg while 340-400kg steers made 420 to 470c/kg. Those in the 280-350kg bracket made 420 to 480c/kg.
Open auction steers made from $1200 to $1430 with a top of 610c/kg while small steers sold from $900 to $1200 a head.
Te heavy end of heifers was quoted as 390 to 410c/kg for those weighing 300 to 450kg, while heifers 300 to 400kg made 390 to 450c/kg.
Open auction heifers made $1050 to $1350 and smaller heifers sold for $900 to $100.
Tops on a per head basis was a pen of nine steers, account Oyster Bay, weighing 556kg, made $2135 while a second pen of 12, at 521kg sold for $2016.
A pen of 11 account Rosedale, that weighed 529kg and sold for $2116 or 400c/kg.
Naringal Heights sold a pen of 14 steers, 20-22 months, 519kg, for 400c/kg or $2076.
The Ward family trading as Forward Pastoral, Port Fairy, offered an excellent quality draft of mixed sex Angus, 12 months. The steers sold to 438c/kg or $1708 for a pen of 11 weighing 390kg. A pen of 18 weighing 340kg sold for 470c/kg or $1598 while a third line of steers, 368kg, made 450c/kg or $1656.
The heifer portion of the Forward Pastoral cattle sold to a top pre kilo of 450c/kg for a pen of 22, at 305kg, or $1372. A pen of 25 weighing 341kg sold for 434c/kg or $1479.
Riverbend sold a pen of 18 steers, 426kg, that made 420c/kg or $1789.
Eight Angus steers account Ninavah weighed 360kg and sold for 458c/kg or $1650.
A draft came forward from L & L Lloyd with 13 steers weighing 355kg selling for 470c/kg or $1668 a head. The heifer portion of the draft topped at 440c/kg or $1408 for a pen of 15 that weighed 320kg.
A pen of 10 Angus weaners sold account Gnerrang, weighed 370kg and sold for 446c/kg or $1650 a head.
MF & RI Brian, Woolsthorpe, sold mixed sex Angus, with the tops of the steers being a pen of 11 that weighed 281kg and sold for 480c/kg or $1348. Their heifer portion was topped $1350.
Marinella who is moving into dairying consigned Hereford and black baldy steers, 6-7 months, that sold in two pens with the tops at $1390 weighing 228kg, or 609c/kg.
In the heifer yarding a pen of seven Angus sold account Limestone Ridge weighed 401kg and sold for 410c/kg or $1644.
A draft of 18 Angus/Friesian-cross steers, 362kg, sold account Fife Farms, sold for 398c/kg or $1540.
TJ & AM Wright sold 15 Hereford/Friesian-cross steers, 352kg, that made 402c/kg or $1415.
A pen of six Charolais steers, sold account Carney Dell, Byaduk, weighed 310kg and sold for 448c/kg or $1388. The same vendor sold 10 heifers, 277kg for 440c/kg, or $1218.
In the cows and calves a pen of 15 Angus/Friesian-cross heifers with calves at fot sold for $2675 account Hazelwood Farms.
Limestone Ridge sold a pen of 11 Angus cows and calves that made $2525 per unit.