Mortlake store prices continue to hit new heights

Agents yarded just over 5300 cattle.

The cows and calves started off the sale selling extremely well, with the better lines making $3500-$4350 a head, which was described as very solid.

Most lines of pregnancy-tested-in-calf females made $2800-$3500, with one outstanding sale of $4540 for some Charolais-cross cows.

The heavy-grown steers weighing 520-560 kilograms made 500-550 cents a kilogram.

Steers weighing 450-510kg were fully firm on last month's very strong sale making 540-584c/kg.

One charity heifer, donated by the O'Keefe family to raise money for Movember and the Humans of Ag team, sold for $5200 and was purchased by Will Richardson, Geelong.

The rest of the heavy-grown heifers were fully firm on last month's sale, making 460-540c/kg.

Western Victoria Livestock Exchange Agents Association president Matt Sculley said weaner steers and heifers were dearer but in a better quality yarding.

Mr Scully said there were several stand-out sales.

A pen of steers sold by Birriwindi made 886c/kg at a weight of 240kg, and a line of heifers sold by Draffen Properties, 252kg, made 748c/kg.

"Speaking to several backgrounders and feedlotters after the sale, they felt weaner cattle were significantly dearer than expected, steers by 30-60c/kg more than they were prepared to pay and heifers at 10-40c/kg higher, so they were unsuccessful," he said.

He said crossbred cattle sold extremely well, with the heavy weights making 440-465c/kg, while light-end Friesian steers sold for around 600c/kg.

The best presented pen of steers went to Ryan Pastoral for a line of Angus weaner steers that sold for 678c/kg, returning $2571.

The best presented pen of heifers was awarded to Kilkenny Pastoral for their line of Angus grown heifers that made $2314 or 576c/kg.

Charles Stewart livestock agent Matt Baxter said it was the dearest sale of weaner cattle he had ever seen.

"It was dearer, if that's possible - there were good runs of calves and they made massive money," Mr Baxter said.

"Most of the weaner steers were from $2200-2600.

"$2000 can't buy you much when it comes to weaner steers at the moment."

He said most of the buyers came from the north-east, Gippsland, Pakenham, and south-east SA, with one from southern Queensland.

"Feedlots were active again, the majors operated with two or three buying steers from 280-350kg for a longer-fed grain job or grass then grain," he said.

Mr Baxter said J&F, AMG and Teys were all buying lighter-weight stock.

"If you have black weaners or heifers, I think that job was about $100 dearer," he said.

Warrnambool Agriculture Co sold 15 Coolana-blood heifers, PTIC to Hazeldean bulls, for $3500.