Heavy cattle were a solid trade in Leongatha on Friday but lighter weaner stock saw prices slip slightly.
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In a near record yarding of 6000, feedlotters and local graziers stepped up for the majority.
Nutrien auctioneer Brian McCormack said there was a "very, very good run" of bigger feeder cattle, which sold well.
He said the few really well presented pens of weaners also sold very well and pushed into the high 300 cents a kilogram range.
However, he said lighter weaners landed on the lower 300c/kg mark.
"Once you got back down on your proper calves and any sort of cattle around 300 kilograms, or not much more, they might have been a little bit tougher," he said.
"They were just off the boil a little bit except for the odd real good pens of steers in that range."
He said these lighter weaners were back by up to 15 cents a kilogram on recent sales.
He said they "still made good money" and were back "nothing major".
Mr McCormack said some cattle were "probably just showing a little bit on those wintery conditions".
"People have done the right thing and weaned most of those calves," he said.
"If you wean them and the way the weather has been, those colder nights and that, the cattle are getting just a little bit hairy."
Melbourne-based commission buyer Campbell Ross bought nearly every second pen in some parts of Friday's sale.
Mr McCormack said it was the odd backgrounder commission buyer like Mr Ross and local graziers who stepped up.
Alex Scott & Staff auctioneer Dane Perczyk said he felt the "market was very consistent on the last fortnight".
"I wouldn't have said it was any dearer," he said.
"Feeders at the right weight sold well with the regular buyers back buying them.
"Cattle that weren't feeder types of cattle were reliant on restockers.
"They might have been a smidge easier buyable in places just because the time of the year, going into winter."
He said if cattle were feedlot weights, it was commission buyers who were buying nearly every single pen.
Mr Perczyk said there was mainly local interest for lighter weight steers, the cattle which didn't meet feedlot specifications.
He said the South Gippsland area had a good autumn break and this was bolstering demand for cattle.
"We've grown plenty of good autumn feed and a lot of cattle are coming in off green lush feed and you can see it in them today," he said.
There were some quality lines of heavy cattle to start Friday's sale.
Alan Need, Hazel Park, sold pens including 15, 618kg, Red Angus steers, for 320c/kg or $1980, 18, 570kg, Red Angus steers, for 289c/kg or $1650, and 18, 540kg Red Angus steers, for 302c/kg or $1630.
Darren and Deanne Stanley, Fish Creek, sold pens including 19, 548kg, Angus steers, for 332c/kg or $1820 and 20, 510kg, Angus steers, for 349c/kg or $1780.
Phil Shellcot, Foster, sold 18, 530kg, Angus steers, for 357c/kg or $1810 and 18, 486kg, Angus steers, for 368c/kg or $1790.
Neil Page, Sale, sold his annual draft of Angus steers with keen interest from commission buyers for most.
Prices for the 123 head were consistent across the board.
His pens included 21, 577kg, Angus steers, which sold for 321c/kg or $1850, 20, 560kg, Angus steers, for 330c/kg or $1850, 22, 543kg, Angus steers, for 331c/kg or $1800, and 19, 499kg, Angus steers, for 347c/kg or $1730.
Mr Ross bought the first two of these.
Lighter weaner pens saw some quality Hereford stock presented.
Carolyn Jeffries, Driffield, sold pens including 19, 309kg, Newcomen blood, Hereford steers, for 311c/kg or $960 and 18, 293kg, Newcomen blood, Hereford steers, for 328c/kg $960.
George Adams, Camoola Angus, Lang Lang, sold 20, 334kg, Landfall blood, Angus steers, for 329c/kg or $1100 and 20, 297kg, Landfall blood, Angus steers, for 357c/kg or $1060.
The latter of these pens was bought by Simon Henderson of Phelan & Henderson & Co.
Elders Delaney auctioneer Campbell Czempinksi, Bunyip, said the sale was "very, very strong".
"It was what we expected or a little bit better," he said.
"Our feature lines of cattle sold very well.
"Weight definitely was sought after in the blacks and little weaned Hereford calves sold to strong competition."
He said feedlotters bought the heavier Angus steers and backgrounders took home the lighter end of the Herefords.
"There was local support throughout with local bullock fatteners," he said
Overall, Mr Czempinksi said feeder cattle went for prices in the mid 300c/kg range.
