Day two and three of the southern weaner sales have delivered the predicted continuation of extraordinary prices.
The sales have coincided with a number of significant rainfall events across the Eastern States which is undoubtedly fuelling restockers' concerns about a shortage of cattle going forward.
Buyers from Queensland, South Australia, NSW and Victoria have certainly been active at the sales where agents say averages are up $500 to $700 on the 2020 results.
Day Three - Wednesday
On Wednesday agents yarded 1080 head at Casterton for an average price of 525c/kg.
Elders Casterton livestock manager Sam Broomby said the prices were "off the planet."
"I just chatted to a fella and his average is $700 up on last year," he said.
"I don't know if we'll see it again but it's incredible to think how much these calves are making."
Meanwhile, if bidders thought Tuesday's Wodonga weaner sale was dear, they were in for a rude shock on Wednesday, with day two of the sales seeing prices reach $2070 for Angus weaner steers and $1880 for heifers.
There was 2514 head of good quality cattle yarded in the independent agents black cattle sale, the total offering averaging $1738 a head.
Wangaratta agents sure picked a good time to host their inaugural weaner sale with calves hitting $2250/head on Wednesday.
Strong northern demand and feedlot competition from NSW and South Australia underpinned the sale, agents said, as restockers and bullock fatteners vied to secure suitable lines of cattle.
Agents yarded 3000 weaners at the special store sale created to ease the pressure from the nearby Barnawartha yards where more than 10,000 cattle are set to be sold this week.
Corcoran Parker director Kevin Corcoran said the overall presentation of cattle was "second to none" and reflected the "marvellous" season in the north-east and southern Riverina.
Full report: Wangaratta calves hit $2250 in inaugural weaner sale
Vendors at Wednesday's Hamilton sale were also ecstatic with prices that were as much as 200 cents a kilogram above the 2020.
Weaner steers sold to $2039 a head and 580 cents a kilogram on a liveweight basis while the heifer portion sold to $1892 and 532c/kg.
The yarding of 2028 included 1597 steers that averaged $1743 and 500c/kg, while 428 heifers averaged $1597 and 499c/kg.
A strong field of buyers were present with cattle going to Gippsland, Mildura, Bendigo, Ballarat and strong western district support. Interstate destinations for cattle included south east SA and Dubbo, Blayney, Moree, Albury and Holbrook in NSW.
Kerr & Co auctioneer Zac Dan Wegen, described the sale as "absolutely incredible".
Day Four - Thursday
Tight supply and strong northern demand bolstered competition among restockers and feedlots on Thursday for day four of the Wodonga weaner sale series.
Prices for weaner cattle passed 550 cents a kilogram less than 30 minutes into the sale where NSW restockers competed against their Victorian counterparts for pens of vendor-bred calves.
Agents yarded 1344 Hereford, Shorthorn and Euro-cross cattle, 1000 head down compared to the same sale last year.
The smaller yarding was partially attributed to vendors retaining their heifer portions for breeding on the back of buoyant seasonal conditions.
At Thursday's Colac sale, agents reported very strong buying support from northern buyers.
Charles Stewart livestock consultant Matt Nelson said the prices reflected that weights were up on previous years.
"Our best calves obviously were getting up over 400kg but there was a lot of calves in the 370 to 400kg that probably other years wouldn't have been that heavy," he said.
"That's probably as dearer cattle sale as what we've probably seen, dollars per head wise, just purely because of the weight."
Full report: Strong demand for weaner steers at Colac sale
It was a small but keenly sought after penning at the Hamilton all-breeds heifer weaner sale on Thursday.
Elders and Nutrien yarded 863 heifers which reached a high of 578 cents a kilogram and averaged 496.5c/kg.
The average weight across the yarding was 312kg and sold to an average of $1551 a head.