Signs of autumn calves began to trickle through Pakenham on Thursday as feedlot operators underpinned the fortnightly store sale on Thursday.
Agents yarded about 2200 at the Victorian Livestock Exchange, down on an earlier number of cattle expected to be yarded due to the wet weather across West Gippsland, agents said.
Prices across most categories of cattle were firm as restockers and feedlotters competed for suitable cattle.
Three vendors headlined the sale with drafts of between 80 to 150 cattle, with quality generally good across most of the sale.
One of those drafts was a consignment of 120 Hereford steers, 10 to 12 months, from Jarrahwood Pastoral, Yea.
The top pen of 20 steers, 390kg, made $2340 or 600 cents a kilogram, 22 steers, 356kg, made $2270 or 637c/kg and another 22, 356kg, went under the hammer for $2270 or 637c/kg.
Jarrahwood Pastoral also sold a draft of black steers to a top price of $2630.
Elders Pakenham auctioneer Michael Robertson said the lighter the cattle became, the higher the prices rose.
"The heavier cattle were also pretty good," he said.
"We had about 700 cattle here today including a good run of feedlot-weight steers between 410-486kg.
"Nutrien Tamworth came down and were very strong on the feedlot cattle to go back into New South Wales, as did Bunaloo Feedlot."
Another feature draft was 80 feedlot-suited Angus steers, 15 and 16 months, offered by Cascade Park, Neerim East.
The top pen of 16 steers, 468kg, made $2790 or 596c/kg, the next pen of 18, 460kg, made $2760 or 600c/kg and 20 steers, 438kg, made $2600 or 593c/kg.
Mr Robertson said he thought the bullock job was a fraction softer, a flow-on effect from the easing prime markets in the last fortnight.
"However, those genuine feedlot-weight were just as dear if not dearer compared to other sales," he said.
"The season has been quite outstanding around here and the cattle themselves are in great condition because there's so much feed around Gippsland."
Nutrien Delaney Livestock & Property director Anthony Delaney said a highlight of his sale was a consignment of eight-month-old autumn 2021-drop Angus calves from Melbourne's south-west.
"We had 150 mixed-sex calves from Fingle Pastoral Company and they're from Eynesbury Station near Werribee," he said.
"They weighed from 240-320kg, sold from $2000 to $2400 and they were bought by local restockers."
Mr Delaney said the draft was the "first real taste" of autumn calves at Pakenham this year.
"The sale was very strong and in line with all the other store sales," he said.
"It didn't take a backwards step at all, despite some of the fat sales easing in the last few weeks."
Alex Scott Pakenham livestock manager David Setches said he was pleased with the buoyancy of the market.
"There was a good line up of grown cattle 450-550kg through various agents and they sold to very firm, if not a shade dearer, than a fortnight ago prices," he said.
"The shining light today was the weaner heifers which were comparative to steers."
He said wet weather had made it impossible to get some of the cattle in by truck due to the soggy ground, hence the smaller yarding than initially advertised.
"A lot of the heifers went back to the paddock for breeding programs and those 300-330kg heifers made up to 650-690c/kg," Mr Setches said.
"There's not a lot of cattle under 300kg here and what steers were here between 290-350kg have made up to 740c/kg."
L & E Visser, Archies Creek, sold 20 Angus steers, 423kg, for $2580 or 609c/kg.
Yulong Farm, Strzlecki, sold six Angus steers, 307kg, for $2080 or 677c/kg and 10 Angus heifers, 301kg, for $2060 or 684c/kg.
Bergamin Pastoral Co, Willow Grove, sold six Angus heifers, 451kg, for $2320 or 514c/kg and eight Hereford heifers, 407kg, for $2180 or 535c/kg.