Yea sees large drafts of spring-droppers continue to come through

Chris Pollard, Nutrien Ag Solutions, Yea, said there were between 600-700 "genuinely-bred" spring-drop calves in the yarding of 1378 head.

"The bigger cattle were probably a whisker cheaper and we didn't have the run of the heavier cattle to attract the major buyers," Mr Pollard said.

"We are saying it might have been a bit cheaper, but we are still talking about steers making more than $2000 [a head]."

Producers were seeking to cash in on high prices "while they can", he said.

"Quite a few cattle went locally, Gippslanders had a bit of a crack and Hamilton bought a few," he said.

The quality of the cattle was generally solid, apart from about 200 head of smaller pennings of one or two animals.

The yarding was dominated by steers, mainly ranging in weight from 300-400 kilograms.

"People are hanging onto their breeders," Mr Pollard said.

"A lot of people are probably understocked, with what's gone on in the last two or three years, and they can see what joined cows and calves are making."

Steers weighing more than 500kg made between $1800-2200, with stock between 300-400kg selling for up to $1650.

"Work it back from there, it's 500 cents a kilogram, then we got onto the last pen of the little cattle and they made 806c/kg," he said.

Elders Yea livestock manager Jamie Quinlan said Cremona Park and Mimosa Glen were among the producers offering larger drafts at the sale.

"Little light steers went for 700-800c/kg and heifers fetched in the mid 600-700c/kg," Mr Quinlan said.

He said it was a very mixed yarding of feeder cattle and the quality was not there.

"The sell-off of the spring-drop weaners is in full swing," he said.

Read more: Yea store cattle sale softens slightly

There was a lot of support from Alexandra, the Yarra Valley and Mansfield.

I&D Weeks sold three Angus steers, 560kg, for $2240 or 400c/kg.

E Eisner sold six Hereford steers, 513kg, for $2020 or 393c/kg.

Yencken Pastoral sold 13 Anvil-blood steers, 12-months-old, 346kg, for $1770 or 511c/kg.

HRPC sold 18 steers, 256kg, for $1550 or 605c/kg.

T Oliver sold 16 Shrublands-blood steers, August/September-drop, 305kg, for $1690 or 554c/kg.

Bridon sold 20 Reiland-blood steers, 325kg, for $1710 or 526c/kg.

Inverness sold 23 Charolais/Hereford-cross steers, by Tarcombe/Paringa bulls, 262kg, for $1640 or 625c/kg.

Glenfiddich sold 27 steers, September 2020-drop, 277kg, for $1680 or 606c/kg.

Flying Duck Pastoral sold nine Arbrecht-blood steers, 264kg, for $1520 or 575c/kg.

Mimosa Glen, Donnybrook, sold 21 Connamara-blood steers, 246kg, for $1610 or 654c/kg.

Premier Bay sold 34 Angus steers, 181kg, for $1460 or 806c/kg.

Cremona Park, Caldermeade, sold eight Entally Forest, Tamaroo and Adameluca-blood steers, August/September 2020-drop, 206kg, for $1090 or 529c/kg.

Jab Nominees sold 14 heifers, 489kg, for $1880 or 384c/kg.

Premier Bay sold nine Angus heifers, 165kg, for $900 or 545c/kg.

Hopkins River sold 26 Angus heifers, 218kg, for $1210 or 550c/kg.

K Foletta sold 15 Black Baldy heifers, 256kg, for $1310 or 511c/kg.

Oliver Thomas sold 21 Angus heifers, 264kg, for $1490 or 564c/kg.

Richard Reed, Thornton, sold seven All Black-blood Angus cows and calves for $3050.

A&M Coulson, The Passes, Whiteheads Creek, sold 10 two-year-old heifers, Connemara and Anvil-blood, pregnancy-tested-in-calf to an Anvil bull, for $3000.