Colac will return to a single day weaner market next year, as weaner sales in Victoria's west and South Australia kick off.
Last year, agents yarded about 3000 head, over two days
But January 5, next year, will see Colac agents expecting to offer between 2000 and 2500 weaners at its annual Birregurra sale.
Charles Stewart livestock agent Jamie McConachy said it was the first time in many years that the sale would not go over two days.
The decision was partly being driven by potential numbers.
"For those selling on the one day that's got a lot of positives, for sheer management purposes," he said.
"We will have 2000 there, it's going to be a nice, high quality, manageable sale, which I am sure will attract a great deal of competition."
Nutrien Ag Solutions livestock agent Phil Douglas said the sale would be held on the one day, to avoid clashing with other saleyards.
"That's always an issue, at that time of the year," Mr Douglas said.
"We'll get our Gippslanders, buyers from South Australia and into NSW, but who knows who else will come?
"There have been a lot of autumn drop weaners sold already."
Prices were also expected to remain high.
"We are going to be first cab off the rank, we are the yardstick everyone goes by and we will be doing it again.'
"The cattle are really starting to 'do' now, they are starting to put a bit of weight and will continue in the next four weeks, so I expect it will be a pretty good sale."
Charles Stewart Dove auctioneer Shelby Howard said weaner prices in recent months had been "absolutely exceptional".
"People are capitalising on the good season," he said.
"We have seen a lot of steer weaners, we didn't see a lot of heifer weaners this year.
"A lot of clients are keeping more breeding stock after the big shortage of breeding females and the good couple of seasons we have had in a row."
He predicted limited first lines of lines of heifers would be drafted, with producers putting forward secondary stock.
'The forecast of a wet summer is certainly changing people's minds in keeping a lot more breeding stock.
"They'll be capitalising on the steer prices."
"We saw a big lick of weaners there into the December sale, but I think you will see the Biregurra sale with numbers around 2500," he said.
"People have extra feed, and they are holding cattle until January
"But you also have others who have thought the other way, (they are thinking) 'let's trade-in the weaner calves, for the big money, but then fatten something else until the end of summer.
"They have sold weaners in the November and December sales
"I have blokes who are going to buy chopper cows and skinny beef cows to fatten, other than growing the weaners through.
"They have already got the good prices and they will buy in some trading cattle, for the coming months."
Andrew Miller
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
I'm a general reporter with Stock & Land, with a special interest in irrigation issues. I completed my cadetship, with the Age, in 1980. Over my career, I've worked for ABC radio news (Mt Isa, Qld) and at provincial and suburban newspapers.
