A total of 2095 good quality, mostly black, weaner and store cattle were presented at Yass on Friday, prices smashing the five dollar a kilogram mark for Angus weaner steers.
MD and JJ Anderson agent, Greg Anderson said it was an exceptional sale for their area.
"There's still not a lot of feed around Yass but some of the other areas where they've come to buy from have got good feed and that's helped the market today," Mr Anderson said.
There were only 62 cows and calves on offer, the top price of $2050/unit paid for a pen of Angus cross cows and calves from K and J Weir, Crookwell.
Mr Anderson said heavier steers sold for up to 385c/kg, while younger Angus steers made over 520-530c/kg.
The Best Presented Steers were a pen of 15, 9-10-month-old Angus steers, weighing 361kg from Roy and David Reeves, Bia-Grab Pastoral Co, Grabben Gullen.
The pen attracted the top price of the steers, selling for $1590/head to Leanne and Andrew Snow, Goulburn.
A second pen of steers from Bia-Grab sold to the Snows for $1480/head.
The Reeves said the 47 weaners they offered at Yass were their tops and they had 100 more at home to sell.
Marty and Leanne Clowes, Fullerton sold 45, 5-6-month-old Angus steers weighing 277kg for $1485/hd.
Account Mooandbaa Pty Ltd, sold 13, 9-10-month-old Angus steers, weighing 313kg for $1380, while MA and SP Sharman offered 13, 9-month-old, Angus cross steers weighing 319kg for $1360. Both pens were bought by the Snows of Goulburn.
Andrew Snow said they were buying steers weighing just over 300kg, planning to grass-feed them and sell at around 500-600kg.
"We've had 150 mils so it's starting to green up nicely, we'll put a bit of crop in and have irrigation we can use as well," Mr Snow said.
He said if the season cut out they would sell to feedlots but if they could get them to 600kg they went into specialised grass-fed programs.
"I don't mind paying these prices for the heavier-end because it's easier to get them to your target weights, quicker," Mr Snow said.
"We usually keep them for around six or seven months."
Mr Anderson said most heifers sold for around 400c/kg, the best attracting 450c/kg.
The Best Presented Pen of Heifers was offered by Scott Kensit, Hollywood, Crookwell.
His 17, 7-8-month-old Angus heifers, weighing 305kg, sold for $1200/head.
Account of VS and FE Brewer, Boorowa offered 7-8-month-old Angus heifers, weighing 346kg, which sold for $1300/head.
While, Roy and David Reeves, Bia-Grab Pastoral Co, Grabben Gullen also attracted a top price for their weaner heifers, a pen of 13, 9-10-month-old Angus heifers, weighing 336kg selling for $1260/head.
Mr Anderson said this month's store sale was combined with a weaner sale to offer producers an opportunity to offload calves earlier than normal.
"We're breeders not feeders around here and a lot of clients breed calves particularly to sell into these sales," Mr Anderson said.
"People are looking to kick the calves off the cows now, mainly because the cows are fairly backward in condition because of how dry its been.
"If we can get the calves off the cows now they will hopefully handle the winter a lot better."
