Confidence was high with hardly a pen under 300 cents a kilogram at the Hamilton All Breeds Weaner Sale held on Tuesday.
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Agents yarded about 3360 cattle in a firm sale that had good consistent weight through both black and coloured cattle lines.
Feature lines included Koala Park who sold a pen of 48 Angus steers with Bassano blood, 381kg, for 342c/kg or $1303 a head, while Arkoonah sold 33 Angus steers, 380kg, for 340c/kg or $1292.
The Cameron family, trading as Athlone South had a consignment of 331 cattle throughout the sale, with one pen of 99 Angus steers, 366kg, sold for 366c/kg or $1128.
That pen was awarded the best presented pen at the sale, while another of Athlone South's pen of Angus steers, 347kg, sold for 334c/kg or $1158.
The Hereford portion of the sale was of excellent quality, with the best presented Hereford pen of the day going to Inverell Herefords, who had a top price for a pen for 60 Hereford steers, 365kg, of 336c/kg or $1226.
J & J Kelly livestock auctioneer Jack Kelly said vendors had worked hard to improve quality despite a dry spring season.
"Considering how things looked six to eight weeks ago, the fat market is certainly looking to move in the right direction and that's what really helped," Mr Kelly said.
"Our sale here was a very good yarding of cattle [that were] all well weaned and repeat buyers are keen and here.
"I'd say things are probably 15-20 cents above what we expected, even three weeks ago , and it actually didn't matter whether they were Angus, Black Baldys or Herefords, vendors are really happy with a good amount of buyers in the sale."
Processors TFI, Midfield were active while locals buying for their own bullock operations and Gippsland buyers kept competition strong.
There were some buyers from across the border, as far as Gunnedah and Tamworth, with commission buyers also representing buyers from the Riverina were active in the first half of the sale.
The heaviest pen among the top pens went to Rosedale, who sold 12 Angus steers with Weeran blood, 434kg, sold for 317c/kg or $1210.
Amaroo sold 27 Angus steers, 399kg, for 325c/kg or $1296.
Nangana sold 40 Angus steers across two pens, 387-393kg, for 320c/kg or $1238-$1257.
Glenferrie sold 33 Angus steers, 361kg, for 324c/kg or $1169.
Sandy Camp sold 28 Angus steers, 413kg, for 332c/kg or $1371 and another pen of 59 Angus steers, 372kg, for 335c/kg or $1246.
Aringa West sold 31 Angus steers, 367kg, for 330c/kg or $1211.
Other well performing pens in the Hereford run included a pen from Melville Park, who sold 17 Hereford steers, 372kg, for 315c/kg or $1171.
Alison Woolridge, Dimbooly, Merino also sold 41 Hereford steers, 313kg, sold for 311c/kg or $973.
Ms Woolridge was pleased with her sale and the fact that there was more than one bidder attempting to buy her cattle.
She said her objective was to beat the prices achieved in the recent autumn and spring sales at."We are gradually bit by bit looking to claw back some of the losses that we've had over the last year or so," she said.
"When we've had such losses in the last few years, it means we can';t do any of those capital improvements on the farm."
Some Euro steers did significantly well too, with Lindlock selling a pen of 22 Charolais steers, 347kg, for 336c/kg or $1165.
Pleasent View, Tarrington, sold 18 Charolais steers, 383kg, for 318c/kg or $1217.
