THE trend to wean calves prior to sale is gaining pace in the high country, but only just.

Many breeders are still divided about the practice.

Fewer than half of the Omeo, Benambra and Hinnomunjie yardings at last week's high country calf sales had been designated as weaned.

Ensay was the exception: all but one of the 16 vendors had weaned their steers and heifers. Most of the Ensay cattle had been yard weaned.

Buyers say they want calves to be weaned.

But for some breeders the extra premium doesn't justify the cost.

Andrew Talbot, Elders NSW key account livestock manager, came to Omeo determined to buy only weaned calves.

But Mr Talbot admits he had to buy several unweaned pens to finish off loads.

"My message is that cattle should be weaned," he said.

Don Bowman, of Elders Korumburra, was another who had orders for only weaned steers.

"You've got to get the message out there that you have to wean if you want full competition, and you've seen that here today," Mr Bowman said.

And he was right.

In an analysis of prices for the first two rows of 640 Hereford and Hereford-Shorthorn steers at Omeo last week, two thirds had been weaned.

The pens of weaned steers averaged $690, while the unweaned averaged $667.

The difference of $23/head was about the extra cost of feed, treatments and handling to successfully yard wean the calves.

But there are other benefits, according to Benambra breeder Robert Lee, who yard-weaned his Hereford steers that sold to a top of $750 at Benambra.

He said these benefits included the fact that cattle were quieter and easier to handle once weaned and that weaning took pressure off the cows.

David Hill, of Elders Omeo, agreed. He said the real benefits for a breeder were in the welfare of the cow. Weaning six weeks prior to a sale could also save the cost of that extra bale of hay to feed a cow, he said.

Michael Batty, from Swifts Creek, was not so sure.

He sold unweaned Hereford-Shorthorn heifers weighing 300kg to a top of $670 at Omeo.

Mr Batty said his calves began their weaning when they left their mums on the night before the sale. He said his April-May drop calves received no setback, because they were on milk right up to the sale.