Good spring rain around Ivanhoe has brought about a change of routine this year, with some producers taking on stock for agistment.
Some areas recorded as much as 38 millimetres at the start of October, meaning they enough pasture grew to accept extra numbers.
Ben and Emma Palmer, Palapah Station, west of Ivanhoe, were among those in this fortunate position and said some of their neighbours were too.
While normally running 9500 Dorper ewes and 80 cows between their two blocks at Ivanhoe and Tilpa, the couple accepted 500 head of cattle on agistment which they have used to graze emerging spear grass.
"We do have some cows of our own, but not many," Mrs Palmer said.
"It's just not the right sort of country to run too many and they cost too much to feed."
Their neighbours, who also had surplus feed, had taken on agisted dairy cows.
"It's a different thing to be driving through the neighbour's place and seeing the old dairy cows that's for sure, not what you normally see out here," Mrs Palmer said.
Charlie Lawrence, Burtundy Station, north-west of Ivanhoe, was also able to take on additional mouths, in addition to his flock of 30,000 Merino ewes.
Mr Lawrence said although the season had begun to get dry, his creek country, which spilled flood water into some paddocks throughout the 101,171 hectare property, meant he had feed for an extra 200 head of cattle.
BR and C stock and station agent, Jack Pippin, Balranald, covers the Ivanhoe area and said the 38-odd millimetres or so of rain at the start of October helped the season stay on track, despite hot and windy weather that followed.
"There's people with a few more mouths on than normal for this time of year," Mr Pippin said.
"With the mutton job the way it is and the season going with us a little bit, we've still got a bulk of dry feed.
"A few people have keep their old ewes on and are going to run them around again. If they're only worth $20 to $30 then they'll cut that in their wool next year, or next year's lamb will well and truly cover that.
"Comparing now to what it was at the start of spring, even the past few weeks people have shifted a few stock and there's probably a few people seeing confidence in the job and a few more people wanting to buy a few stock."
But its not only the cattle and sheep numbers that have risen. Feral goats were also taking advantage of the extra feed.
However, Mr Pippin said some local goat depots had closed for the year given the wait for kill space was as long as two months, limiting sale opportunities there.
South-east of Ivanhoe, at Mossgiel, Mark Huntly and his family, on Strathavon Station, have been among those that held over surplus sheep due to the prices and improved season.
"I'll admit the way the sheep prices are, I had young cull ewes that I sent to Hay there a month ago and I brought them home as they didn't make the money I wanted," Mr Huntly said.
"So I brought them home and joined them, which I normally wouldn't do and it's just that we've got the feed that we've been able to do it."
The family also bought heifers in February with intentions of trading them, but as the cattle market dropped, they kept them.
"I'll breed my way out of them if I have to and turn them over that way, rather than if I'd bought steers, then you're only getting the money we paid for them," he said.
