There were 2605 cattle yarded at Wodonga on Thursday, with very large runs of cattle from the western Riverina attracting a flurry of bids, prices reaching $2070 for grown steers, while weaners made over 600 cents per kilogram.
Paull and Scollard Nutrien agent Sam Gordon said it was an exceptionally strong sale.
"I think we had a tremendous line up today, we had big lines of cattle, probably bigger lines of cattle today than we even saw in our January sales," Mr Gordon said.
"Some of the cattle today were brought forward a month due to the good season, we'd normally see them in March.
"Because the job been's so good we even had some people bring some really true store-type calves which we hadn't seen to date."
There were no large runs of cows and calves on offer and those that were there sold to a slightly cheaper trend, attracting from $2160 to $3010. Pregnancy-tested-in calf cows went for $1780 to $2400, for first calvers.
Grown steers topped at $2070 for a pen of 11 Shorthorn steers, Sprys Shorthorns blood, 18 to 20-months, 497kg from the Jarick family, Jindera. Most made from 400c/kg to 426c/kg.
"In the medium to light feeders it was well above 400c/kg, we had some steers make up to 480c/kg in the feeder weights, it was a huge sale," Mr Gordon said.
Steers weighing 380kg to 450kg sold from $1660 to $2015.
While, those weighing 320kg to 380kg sold from $1470 to $1825, some making upwards of 500c/kg, and lighter cattle 250kg to 320kg made from $1350 to $1780, attracting more than 600c/kg in places.
The large runs of steers started with 176 nine-month-old Angus steers, with Table Top Angus blood, from Two Creeks Pastoral Co, Tocumwal.
The steers reached a top of $1800 for the first pen of 21 weighing 352kg, returning 511c/kg. The steers sold well all the way through, one of the last pens, 22 weighing 281kg making for $1650 to return 587c/kg.
Andrew Baker of Two Creeks Pastoral Co said they usually grow most of their steers out on grass, but the strong market had tempted them to send more to market early.
"We can really focus our attention on our females now and getting them right," Mr Baker said.
The largest run of the sale was 355 Poll Hereford steers, eight to 10-months-old, Wirruna blood from Tarabah Livestock Co, Morundah.
All pens sold from 533c/kg to 596c/kg, the top 51 weighing an average of 319kg made $1715, to return 537c/kg. The next pen of 98, weighing 283kg, sold for $1510, 533c/kg, while a pen of 111, weighing 256kg sold for $1440, 563c/kg.
The final large run of the day was 156 Charolais cross steers, seven to 10-months-old, Kenmere Charolais blood from CM Pastoral, Moama.
The steers sold from $1530 to $1880. Sean McKenzie managed to nab all but one of the pens, choosing to take the first three pens of 20 steers, weighing an average 392kg for $1880, returning 480c/kg.
Mr Gordon said heifers almost kept up with the steers once again, those weighing 380kg to 450kg mostly made from $1540 to $1795, while those weighing 320kg to 380kg went from $1390 to $1690 and lighter weights, under 320kg sold from $1160 to $1505.
"Anyone after restocker heifers for future joinings or even to feed are really hooking into them," Mr Gordon said.
The top price for heifers, $1795, was paid for 10 Angus, 420kg, from Allan McPherson, Myrtleford, Vic.
LR and MJ Mull, Gundowring, Vic sold 33 Angus heifers, 9 to 10-months, Table Top blood, 329kg for $1635, returning 497c/kg.
Mr Gordon said there was a combination of local and away support with buyers still arriving from the north, as well as western Victoria.
The sale was conducted by Paull and Scollard Nutrien and Elders.
