HEAVY rain across Gippsland fired up demand at FOB's store cattle sale in Sale today where weaner steers topped at $894.

About 1100 head were yarded and young steers sold up to 230c/kg and some older and lighter steers reached the same levels.

Weaner heifers reached $795 while a small yarding of cows and calves were in demand and topped at $1570.

FOB's principle and auctioneer Gordon Conners was upbeat after the sale and said prices were $20 to $40 above what they anticipated.

"There was a bit more confidence after the prime market lifted and the rain," Mr Conners said.

"And the little steers were exceptionally dear." 

Darriman producer Danny Kuch sold over 120 weaner steers to a top of $894 and 229c/kg and said prices were what he expected, but they were about $100 a head down on last year.

"They were about $100 less than last year with same sort of weight, but that’s to be expected with the way the fat jobs been," Mr Kuch said.

Seaspray producer Ann Coulson said the sale matched her expectations and she made similar prices to last year's sale, which was their best ever.

Ms Coulson's nine 11 to 12-month-old Angus and Angus short horn cross steers made $750 and she said her stock was in top condition as a result of the good season.

"We've had about six inches for the year, it's only March - we are into the Autumn break already," Ms Coulson said.

There were only a few pens of the larger grown steers and GD Lee topped the sale with four Hereford steers at $892 which was snapped up by a South Gippsland fattener.  

Radfords was the only abattoir active at the sale and the rest of the buyers were local, south and west Gippsland producers looking to restock.

Valencia Creek producer Garry Rose said the market was more expensive than he had hoped  after he bought 14 weaner steers from P&J Duggan for $770.

“It's a bit more than I wanted to pay, but that's the way the market ran today," Mr Rose said.

Females also sold well with a pen of 11 weaner Pinora blood Angus heifers from R&K Telling of Woodside topping the sale at $795.

Giffard West farmer Stan Harrison was in the market for breeders and bought the top pen of 10 cows and calves from Pinora Angus for $1570 to join with a Charolais bull.

"To buy pretty good cattle you have to expect to pay a fair bit more," Mr Harrison said.