Dry conditions and fewer volume buyers made for challenging conditions at Bairnsdale on Tuesday as some steers struggled to find new homes.
Agents yarded 2953 cattle at the Bill Wyndham & Co annual opening special spring store sale, where rising two-year-old steers sold for cheaper rates in some places compared to 12-month-old cattle.
Buyers and vendors typically use the sale as an indicator for the impending spring selling season, as many sellers said they received prices below expectations.
Agents pointed to a lack of available feed, drying conditions across Victoria and a pessimistic outlook in the prime market sector as driving factors of the softer market.
Agents who represented bullock fatteners and restockers from South and West Gippsland made up a bulk of the buying gallery.
Among the major buyers was Eddy Hams and Kev Clark, Nutrien South Gippsland, who bought more than 400 steers and heifers for fatteners in the south.
Mr Hams bought eight of the first 13 pens of older cattle, ranging from 503-698 kilograms.
South Gippslander Anthony Hullick, Keswick Pastoral/Westside Meat, was another major buyer and bought more than 150 cattle to feedlot, including several pens in the first lane of heifers.
Rohan McRae, Elders Leongatha and Korumburra, David Hill, Elders Omeo, Denis Linley, Elders Pakenham, Neil Darby, Alex Scott & Staff Warragul, and Jason McInnes, Everitt, Seeley and Bennetts, Pakenham, were among some of the other prominent buyers.
Bill Wyndham & Co livestock manager Colin Jones said he was "disappointed" by the result of the sale, including one lot of steers which was passed in during the first lane of the sale.
"There were two disappointing factors, the first was rising two-year-old cattle sold for less than what 12-month-old cattle or yearling steers made here today," he said.
"The second was that some of the 10 to 12-month-old heifers sold for as little as $500-$700 a head."
He said dry conditions across East Gippsland had forced more cattle into the sale than initially anticipated.
"Four weeks ago, we planned to yard 2000 cattle for this sale, but we had clients who originally were going to sell 30 but opted to sell 50 or 60 due to the dry weather," Mr Jones said.
"A lot of the vendors today said words to the effect, 'at least we don't have to sell them' and that shows that people are worried about where the season could be heading."
Chris and Mary Wheeler, Buchan South, sold 176 mixed-sex Angus, Black Baldy and Hereford cattle, 12-14 months, with steers to a top price of $1380 a head.
Their consignment included 20 Angus steers, 419kg, for $1380 or 329 cents a kilogram and 22 steers, 375kg, for $1310 or 349c/kg.
The first one was bought by Kev Clark, Nutrien SGL, for a bullock fattener at Yinnar South, who ended up with 75 steers from the sale.
Buchan Station, Buchan, sold 75 Angus steers, 12 months, including 20 steers, 451kg, for $1510 or 348c/kg and 25 steers, 415kg, for $1480 or 356c/kg.
Both pens were bought by Denis Linley, Elders Pakenham, for a South Gippsland fattener.
Mr Linley bought the third one of Buchan Station steers, 374kg, for $1290 or 344c/kg for the same buyer.
Buchan Back Creek, offered 200 Angus mixed-sex cattle, 10-12 months, including 20 steers, 369kg, for $1290 or 349c/of and 24 steers, 353kg, for $1260 or 356c/kg.
The same vendor sold 22 heifers, 356kg, for $960 to a grass fattener near Trafalgar.
Creighton Grange, Mount Taylor, sold 16 steers, 409kg, for $1580 or 386c/kg and 15 heifers, 336kg, for $900 or 267c/kg.
The Pota family sold 70 Angus steers and 40 heifers, including 14 steers, 411kg, for $1380, 16 steers, 375kg, for $1240 or 330c/kg and 19 steers, 333kg, for $1240 or 372c/kg.
The family also sold 26 heifers, 293kg, for $900 or 307c/kg to Mr Hams.
PS, JM & LJ Sykes, Gelantipy, sold 34 Hereford steers, 12-15 months, including 20 steers, 417kg, for $1350 or 323c/kg and 14 steers, 381kg, for $1350 or 354c/kg.
Chris and Janine Cooper, Wulgulmerang, sold 66 Herefords, 12-14 months, including 22 steers, 389kg, for $1270 or 326c/kg and 23 steers, 371kg, for $1200.
The sale started with a pen of five steers, 669kg, consigned by WR Livestock which made $1800 or 269c/kg.
DR Whelan sold nine steers, 684kg, for $1790 or 261c/kg.
In the heifers, RT Filmer sold 15 Hereford heifers, 436kg, for $910 or 208c/kg to Dalrose Farms.
KH & WR Ingram, Bonang, sold 21 yearling Angus and Black Baldy heifers, 431kg, for $1060 or 245c/kg to Brian Kyle, SEJ LKD, and 11 heifers, 354kg, for $930 or 262c/kg to Westside Meat.
In other sales, D George sold six steers, 643kg, for $1660 or 258c/kg.
JD, TJ & AL Stevens sold 12 Hereford steers, 622kg, for $1760 or 265c/kg and 11 steers, 633kg, for $1710 or 270c/kg.
RE Hutton sold five Hereford steers, 503kg, for $1070.
J Stewart sold 15 Angus and Black Baldy steers, 544kg, for $1710 or 314c/kg and 15 steers, 492kg, for $1540 or 313c/kg.
R & A Chilla sold 15 steers, 534kg, for $1370 or 256c/kg to Keswick Pastoral, and 18 steers, 483kg, for $1190 to Elders Leongatha and Korumburra branch manager Rohan McRae.
J & T Sandy sold 24 steers, 374kg, for $1270 or 339c/kg.
J & G Clancy sold 20 steers, 374kg, for $1330 or 355c/kg.
Castleburn Station sold 13 rising three-year-old heifers, 464kg, for $870 or 187c/kg.
D & D Guy sold seven heifers, 456kg, for $1080 or 236c/kg.