There were 1939 head of cattle offered at Wodonga on Thursday, selling in what was described as an "extremely buyout" market, with weaner steers making more than 748 cents a kilogram.
But interestingly nearly the whole yarding was made up of young cattle, with no cows and just one pregnancy-tested-in-calf heifer up for grabs.
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Schubert Boers director Craig Schubert said the quality of the yarding was good but there wasn't a lot of weight in the offering, with some spring-drop calves starting to enter the market.
"The majority were 250 kilograms to 350kg," Mr Schubert said.
"People are starting to say at the money they can get for them now they might be better to sell rather than wean them and take them through the winter."
Meanwhile, the absence of cows was put down as an indication of the overall lack of females and producers' increased confidence in their breeding.
Mr Schubert said the market was one of the dearest he had seen with 250kg calves making close to $1700.
"We keep saying it can't get any dearer but then it does, it was very solid," he said.
The few pens of grown steers weighing over 500 kilograms sold from $1880 to $2110.
Feeder steers, 350kg to 500kg, sold from $1480 to $2180, for Angus cross weighing 500kg.
The large number of steers weighing 250kg to 350kg attracted from $850 to $1810, while lighter steers, under 250kg, made from $990 to $1670.
Corcoran Parker agent Bo Helwig said most Angus steers, 300kg plus, were selling for around 570c/kg.
The feature run of the day was 385 Angus cattle, August-September 2020-drop, Lawsons Angus blood from Fairfield Park, Greta South, Victoria.
The annual draft was made up of 241 steers and 143 heifers. Their weaner cattle attracted a premium with the steers selling to an average of $1698 and top of $1750, for three pens of 25 weighing just under 300kg, while lighter steers, 216kg, made $1600 or 748c/kg.
The heifers averaged $1487 and topped at $1525, for two lines of 30 weighing around 250kg, while lighter heifers, 228kg, made $1480 or 649c/kg.
Their agent, Corcoran Parker's Gordon Perkins said the heifers were all bought by local commission buyer Andrew Lowe and most of the steers went to a fellow Corcoran Parker agent for their clients.
Mr Schubert said in general it was difficult to purchase a heifer for under 500c/kg. Heifers weighing 300kg and over sold from $900 to $1840 and under 300kg made from $250 to $1750.
J and WJ Carmody, Nariel Valley, Victoria offered 20 Hereford heifers, 450kg, which sold for $1670.
Mr Helwig said the lead of the heifers, 350kg to 420kg, went directly to feed.
"It seems that the feeder market and those competing for feeders are looking for next week's induction," Mr Helwig said.
There was commission buyers operating for northern areas, along with bidders from the Upper Murray and Finley districts, but Mr Helwig estimated 70 to 80 per cent of the cattle stayed local.
Wodonga/Albury-based agencies BUR, Corcoran Parker, Peter Ruaro Livestock and Schubert Boers conducted the sale.