Prices for weaner cattle jumped 20-30 cents a kilogram at Pakenham last week, with agents saying they were starting to see the first weaner steers coming through.
Alex Scott & Staff auctioneer David Setches said steers in the mid 400-kilogram range made up to 650c/kg.
"The cattle were a better quality," Mr Setches said.
He said there was "extraordinarily-strong" bidding on steers between 300-400kg.
"The heavier end suited the feedlot blokes and it was open slather on the others, for the fatteners and backgrounders," he said.
"It was a wonderful result to punch through the 700c/kg barrier for the mid to high-300kg cattle."
He said the draft of 420 cattle, offered by P Evans, Bass, had "really come on".
"Two months ago it was a bit wet down there and it really benefited the cattle to have that bit of extra time," he said.
He said he expected the sale to mark the first drafts of weaner cattle.
"The feeder cattle, in the front lane in the 400kg range, made up to 649c/kg," he said.
Nutrien Delaney Livestock and Property manager Anthony Delaney bought the bulk of the Evans draft, on behalf of a local bullock fattener.
"We have been struggling to find decent lines of cattle at recent sales, after the spring sales of early August," Mr Delaney said.
"It was an opportunity to buy on our doorstep, so we are pretty happy."
He said late spring-drop calves, which had been kept to yearling age, were now coming forward.
Feedlots G&K, Comdain, TFI, Charlton, JBS and Keswick bought cattle, along with commission buyer Campbell Brown.
The Evans' draft helped swell the yarding to 3552 steers and heifers.
Modella Grazing, Modella, sold 17 Table Top and Yarram Park steers, 669kg, for $3300 a head or 493c/kg.
G Murray, Nar Nar Goon, sold 22 steers, 611kg, for $3100 or 507c/kg.
BP Cornwall, Nilma North, sold 20 Yarram Park and Lawson-blood steers, 454kg, for $2680 or 590c/kg.
Eddington Holdings sold 20 Banquet, Welcome Swallow and Lawsons-blood steers, 442kg, for $2680 or 606c/kg.
RA Jones, Glen Forbes, sold 25 steers, 287kg, for $1980 or 690c/kg.
St Katherines, Darriman, sold 21 Mawarra-blood steers, 381kg, for $2450 or 643c/kg.
Lineham Farms, Vervale, sold 24 Ballanee-blood steers, 521kg, for $3050 or 585c/kg.
P Evans, Bass, sold 420 steers and heifers, 9-11 months, by Rosedale bulls.
The steers sold for up to $2350 or 718c/kg, for a pen of 19, 327kg.
P&J Euston, Sidonia, sold 23 steers, 402kg, for $2520 or 626c/kg.
Wells Agriculture, Elaine, sold 23 Adamleuca-blood steers, 340kg, for $2530 or 744c/kg.
Everitt, Seeley and Bennetts auctioneer Jarrod Bennetts said the company had a big run of heavy cattle up to 670kg.
"A few of my clients sold because it is so wet again and these big heavy cattle are doing a fair bit of damage to pastures," Mr Bennetts said.
Mirawah, Wattle Bank, sold 26 Fernleigh-sired heifers, out of Millah Murrah, Banquet and Te Mania cows, 336kg, for $1940 or 577c/kg.
Evans sold a pen of 24 heifers, 276kg, for $1890 or 684c/kg.
Lineham Farms sold 29 heifers, 465kg, for $2430 or 522c/kg.
AJ Willoughby sold 23 heifers, 326kg, for $1950 or 598c/kg.
Buln Buln Road Estate sold 14 heifers, 531kg, for $2510 or 473c/kg.