Cattle prices continued to climb to new levels at Mortlake on Thursday largely due to a short supply of feeder-weight cattle and an oversupply of prospective buyers.
Agents yarded about 3850 cattle at the Western Victoria Livestock Exchange in a yarding typical of what regular buyers would expect at a mid-winter sale.
Several feedlotters were actively chasing lines of black cattle more 350 kilograms, while restockers and agents from NSW, north-east and north-west Victoria and South and West Gippsland were also buying cattle.
Mortlake Stock Agents' Association president Matt Baxter said the sale was the dearest he had witnessed at Mortlake, a claim he made last month following June's monthly store sale.
"It was off the planet," Mr Baxter said.
"It was dearer across the board, both the steers and heifers, and up by 20-40c/kg in places.
"Supply and demand is driving the trend because supply is down, but we have so many people on the rails looking to buy cattle."
The Rollinson family of Gazette sold the dearest pen of grown steers with 13 Black Baldy cattle, 390kg, going under the hammer for 572 cents a kilogram or $2230.
The family sold a draft of 159 Hereford and Black Baldy cattle including a top Hereford pen of 22 steers, 490kg, for 500c/kg or $2450.
HG & BA Beach sold the top two pens of grown heifers including 15 Angus, 412kg, which made 552c/kg or $2277 and another pen of 13 Angus, 386kg, for 552c/kg or $2135.
Both of the Beach's top pens were bought by Albury, NSW, commission buyer Duncan Brown.
In other standout sales, Fitzroy Pastoral sold 41 steers, 444kg, for 566c/kg or $2513.
Windy Hill was awarded the best presented pen of steers with a pen of 10 cattle, 431kg, for 562c/kg or $2422.
Mr Baxter said the odd feedlotter was buying cattle under 350kg to put onto an earlier grown feed ration, which indicated signs of tight supply.
"Most of those cattle under 300kg went to restockers and all your grass fatteners," Mr Baxter said.
"The best of the feeder job was 550-560c/kg for steers upwards of 450kg and that's massive money."
Romsdale Park sold the top pen of weaner steers, 236kg, for 718c/kg or $1697.
VJ & SK Rowett, trading as Marylards, sold one of the dearest pens of steer calves with 25 Angus weaners, 240kg, fetching 711c/kg or $1707.
Another pen of 25 steers offered by the same vendors, 269kg, made 681c/kg or $1834.
Both pens were bought by an agent from West Gippsland.
Meanwhile, Kilkenny Pastoral sold the top pen of weaner heifers with a draft of 36 cattle, 294kg, making 670c/kg or $1970.
The pen won best presented heifers at the monthly store sale.
The Roache family of Kilkenny Pastoral, Hawkesdale, also sold 60 steers 310kg, for 626c/kg or $1945.
Another indication of strong confidence in cattle prices was the amount of cattle weighing below 250kg, with most of those weighted cattle usually held over until the end of spring to sell.
"It was a reasonably mixed yarding and that's why the job was so dear - not because of the quality of the yarding - but because there was lots of different bits and pieces," Mr Baxter said.
"There wasn't a lot of weight in the cattle but they were selling for a lot considering their quality."
IR & JA Rhode sold the top pen of 14 cows with calves at foot for $3610.
Steers
RD & SM Lawrence sold 16 steers, 571kg, for 452c/kg or $2580.
Windy View sold 35 steers, 428kg, for 558c/kg or $2380.
Jindabelluc sold 14 steers, 558kg, for 482c/kg or $2689.
Moongulla sold 14 steers, 508kg, for 548c/kg or $2783.
Bushy Park sold 24 steers, 514kg, for 544c/kg or $2796.
Bowdens Point sold eight steers, 334kg, for 590c/kg or $1970.
Burncourt Partnership sold 17 steers, 206kg, for 655c/kg or $1350.
Lenehan sold 15 steers, 271kg, for 660c/kg or $1780.
N & J Lillie sold 23 steers, 246kg, for 690c/kg for $1697.
Heifers
Kangaroobie sold 21 heifers, 16 months, 388kg, for 540c/kg or $2095.
S Black sold nine heifers, 326kg, for 518c/kg or $1680.
Gilmour Pastoral sold 27 heifers, 416kg, for 536c/kg or $2229.
Rifle Range Beef sold 29 heifers, 414kg, for 515c/kg or $2132.
Furneaux sold 10 heifers, 483kg, for 455c/kg or $2200.
Mia Mia sold 15 heifers, 410kg, for 516c/kg or $2115.
Bushy Park sold 10 heifers, 460kg, for 520c/kg or $2392.
GM Heath sold nine heifers, 266kg, for 584c/kg or $1553.
Highride sold 13 heifers, 272kg, for 562c/kg or $1528.
Neathvale sold 22 heifers, 352kg, for 554c/kg or $1950.