AS THE sun rises over the Northern Victoria Livestock Exchange near Wodonga, agents are gearing up for the second day of annual weaner sales.
There's an estimated 3500 Angus weaners up for auction with selling agents Elders and Paull and Scollard Landmark.
After yesterday's solid market, there's a cautious optimism that the market will hold up again today.
Yesterday Michael O'Halloran of Grifforan Pastoral Company, Mansfield, Vic, sold a total of 56 Angus steers of Riga and Alpine Angus blood during the Blue Ribbon Angus Weaner Sale.
Sold through Corcoran Parker, Wodonga, the first run of 25 Angus steers weighed an average of 340 kilograms and sold for $1055 a head, or 310 cents a kilogram.
The second pen of 31 Angus steers weighing 295kg made $960/hd or 325c/kg, and were snapped up by Corcoran Parker, Wodonga.
They were all autumn-drop calves and were drenched with Cydectin and vaccinated twice with Ultravac 5 in 1.
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Operating a self-replacing herd, the O'Hallorans join a couple of hundred cows per year and annually sell at the Wodonga weaner sales at NVLX every January.
"Prices and weights this year, were similar to last. Last year we sold 338kg steers for $1080," he said.
Mr O'Halloran said all the steers were yard weaned which is one of the best things he has done to help quieten down the cattle and get them used to things.
"The seasons been good, but water has not been good," he said.
"We have feed, but we don't have water. Two years of no run off isn't good.
"We have just secured a bore. It has cost a lot ... but you need to have water security."
