Cattle with weight were few and far between at Wodonga's bi-monthly store sale on Thursday where a large majority of cattle weighed below 300 kilograms.
Nutrien and Elders yarded about 1950 cattle for the market where feedlot orders underpinned the sale, along with support from restockers across northern Victoria and southern NSW.
Nutrien Paull & Scollard livestock agent Will Jennings said the sale was firm on the better-bred cattle, but cattle presenting in secondary condition and pens of small consignments were harder to move on.
"The sale was probably firm-to-cheaper in places," he said.
"On those well-bred calves with the numbers in the draft, it was firm on where prices have been, but cattle in smaller drafts were cheaper in places."
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Feedlotter Teys Charlton was among the major buyers, particularly on cattle between 350-400kg as well as the heavier end of the weaners, agents said.
"There was not a great deal of really heavy cattle, but there was a lot of cattle from 250-300kg and even a touch lighter," Mr Jennings said.
RP & JS Newnham, Bundaleer, Walwa, sold 23 Angus steers, 279kg, for $2090 or 749c/kg and 23 steers, 248kg, for $1900 or 766c/kg, along with 25 Angus heifers, 262kg, for $1720 or 656c/kg and 26 heifers, 247kg, for $1630 or 659c/kg.
Gippsland vendor DA Young, Ensay, sold 16 Hereford steers, 412kg, for $2590 or 628c/kg, 22 Hereford steers, 387kg, for $2450 or 633c/kg and 12 steers, 368kg, for $2420 or 657c/kg.
Bunroy Station, Bunroy, sold five Charolais Heifers, 352kg, for $1820 or 517c/kg, eight heifers, 313kg, for $1760 or 562c/kg, eight Angus, 316kg, for $1820 or 575c/kg and nine heifers, 298kg, for $1800 or 604c/kg.
The same vendor also sold six Angus steers, 392kg, for $2100 and 10 Angus-cross steers, 280kg, for $1950.
In other weaner drafts, MK Vagg Pastoral sold 19 Angus steers, 369kg, for $2420 or 655c/kg.
Burnbrae Crossing sold 14 Angus steers, 396kg, for $2510 or 633c/kg.
JP Dwyer sold eight Angus steers, 382kg, for $2340 or 612c/kg.
EA Friedrich & Son sold 17 Angus steers, 350kg, for $2250 or 642c/kg.
In the heifers, LG & MV Boswell sold 17 Angus heifers, 352kg, for $1960 or 556c/kg.
AC & IJ Rapsey sold 14 Black Baldy heifers, 300kg, for $1830 or 610c/kg.
Gordon Mitchell sold 14 Angus heifers, 283kg, for $1710 or 604c/kg.
Elders Wangaratta livestock manager Oliver Mason said the market experienced a correction once the lead pens of the yarding were sold.
"Our sale lacked cattle with weight and that reflected in the price per head averages," he said.
"We had a lot of cattle under 310kg, but a vast majority of the yarding would have been weaners 240-290kg.
"Heifer weaners were still selling in the mid-640 cents a kilogram range and steer rates were similar to those."
Mr Mason said the sale offered discounts on cattle which he believed were previously overpriced.
"We're coming into winter and we've reached a point in the cattle market where these secondary cattle are starting to attract lower prices," he said.
"I think those cattle have been overvalued so now the buying group seems to be picking and choosing the better runs of cattle."
The Sacco family, Myrtleford, sold 11 Angus/Friesian-cross steers, 477kg, for $2400 a head or 503c/kg and eight steers, 438kg, for $2260 or 515c/kg.
Ravenshead Pty Ltd sold 22 Santa Gertrudis steers, 381kg, for $1960 or 514c/kg and four Angus steers, 472kg, for $2350 or 497c/kg.
T Hooper sold four Angus steers, 580kg, for $2600 or 448c/kg.