The Ballarat monthly store sale saw a quality yarding and strong prices last week.
Agents yarded about 3600 head, with heavy steers selling above 500 cents a kilogram and weaners nearing 700c/kg.
Leo White, TB White & Sons, said it was a very good yarding.
"The top heavy steers sold exceptionally well," he said.
"It's probably the dearest we've seen here - a lot of the heavy steers were making 500-520c/kg and 530c/kg.
"Our smaller weaners made well over 600c/kg to 620-630c/kg.
"It was the dearest sale that I've been involved with since I've been here."
Feedlotters dominated on cattle above 350kg, he said.
"Even to the extent where we had Mort & Co from Queensland here buying cattle, it's the second time he's been here in these saleyards," he said.
"It just tells you that there is definitely a shortage of heavy cattle at the moment."
The prices were slightly better than expected, he said.
"We knew it was going to be good but probably not to these levels," he said.
M Neal sold 11 steers, 627kg, for $2720 a head or 433c/kg, while JE & SE North sold 13, 568kg, for $2580 or 454c/kg and a pen of seven 598kg, for $2620 or 438c/kg.
AC Archibald sold 19, 536kg, for $2610 or 486c/kg and 16, 526kg, for $2610 or 496c/kg.
Mt Ararat Angus sold a pen of 24, 505kg, for $2610 or 516c/kg, a pen of 24, 492kg, for $2600 or 528c/kg and another pen of 24, 482kg, for $2530 or 524c/kg.
Mountview Produce sold 13 steers, 479kg, for $2480 or 517c/kg.
Carrahil sold 39, 390kg, for $2040 or 523c/kg.
Ballanee sold 12, 379kg, for $2040 or 538c/kg, a pen of 10, 369kg, for $2000 or 542c/kg, and 13, 344kg, for $1850 or 537c/kg.
Hoodless and Heard sold 37 weighing 316kg, for $1820 or 575c/kg.
La Rose Estate sold 16, 364kg, for $1920 or 527c/kg, and 22, 320kg, for $1740 or 543c/kg.
Crossroads Angus sold 11, 341kg, for $1880 or 551c/kg, 24, 308kg, for $1750 or 568c/kg, and 15, 242kg, for $1590 or 657c/kg.
Andretto sold about 100 head, including 18, 290kg, for $1650 or 569c/kg, and 13, 311kg, for $1760 or 565c/kg.
The same vendor sold nine, 347kg, for $1530 or 440c/kg, 10 weighing 213kg for $1360 or 638c/kg, and 22, 249kg, for $1590 or 638c/kg.
Deloraine Rural sold 19, 432kg, for for $2130 or 493c/kg, a pen of 36, 397kg, for $2000 or 503c/kg, and 21, 350kg, for $1840 or 525c/kg.
MMDE Cummins sold 21, 438kg, for $2190 or 500c/kg, and a pen of 19, 381kg, for $1960 or 514c/kg.
Chandpara sold 16, 342kg, for $1780 or 520c/kg, and 20, 302kg, for $1660 or 549c/kg.
Penstock Pastoral sold 16, 249kg, for $1590 or 638c/kg, and 14, 206kg, for $1410 or 684c/kg.
Charles Stewart & Co livestock auctioneer Jamie McConachy said it was a big yarding for a winter sale.
Mr McConachy said prices were expected to be good, with the sale coming a day after a strong sale at Mortlake.
"You're getting used to the fact of this job getting dearer by the month, because it's now been about 15 months since it really started to get serious," he said.
"It just really hasn't missed a beat."
He said there were several feedlot buyers competing for the feeder steers.
"When you've got that many people trying to achieve the same thing, it can only mean one thing, and that's an unbelievable result," he said.
He said there were still some quality heifers offered but not in the same number as the steers.
W Fawcett sold 14 heifers, 505kg, for $2290 or 453c/kg, while Holm Point sold eight, 440kg, for $1980 or 450c/kg.
MG & LA Toohey sold 13, 418kg, for $1960 or 468c/kg.
ST Turner sold 15, 321kg, for $1650 or 514c/kg, while Stonehill Partners sold 17, 362kg, for $1800 or 497c/kg.
PL & RJ Matthews sold 17, 345kg, for $1810 or 524c/kg, and a pen of 11, 304kg, for $1520 or 500c/kg.
Langi Downs sold nine, 324kg, for $1550 or 478c/kg, a pen of 12, 343kg, for $1730 or 504c/kg, a pen of 12, 294kg, for $1540 or 523c/kg, and a pen of 19, 396kg, for $1950 or 492c/kg.