It was a small but keenly sought after penning at the Hamilton all breeds heifer weaner sale last 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 it sold to an average of $1551 a head.
Elders Hamilton livestock manager Aaron Malseed said the sale kicked from the start after the price levels steadied.
Mr Malseed said pen one made 504c/kg and it "went from there".
He said a larger percentage of the early runs of heifers was likely to be going back to the paddock for breeding.
"They were good cattle making that money, the quality was suited to breeding purposes," he said.
He said this year's yarding followed a light yarding in 2020.
He said a lot of producers had kept extra heifers for breeders and others had retained their second and third draft heifers to take advantage of the feed available and some had gone for export earlier on.
He said most prices were more than $500 extra on last year's sale.
Vendors were rapt with what they received in the steer and heifer sales.
"It's great to see them being rewarded for what they produce," he said.
Nutrien Savin Livestock Marketing director Sam Savin said the sale was a "bit different to last year".
"It was tough last year," Mr Savin said.
"I thought we got away with the steers last year but the heifers were tough.
"Last year we were selling heifers at 240c/kg, 250c/kg, 260c/kg, and this year they are making over 500c/kg - more than double."
He said the first lane of their heifers represented a lot of bloodlines, a lot of breeding and genetics and a lot of those had gone back for breeding.
One particular order from Nutrien Bolton at Walcha on the NSW Northern Tablelands purchased 111 heifers.
"We had the feeder job as the back up to the breeders with our clients' heifers going back to our clients," he said.
Andrew Whan, Miller Whan & John, Mt Gambier, SA, bought 162 while East Gippsland buyers took away 122.
Ray White Albury purchased 153 for various orders and AuctionsPlus booked 65 head.
The lead pen of 36 sold account Harton Hills, Macarthur, made 530c/kg.
The Coolana and Toora West-blood heifers weighed 318kg and sold at $1687.
The next pen of 24 weighed 303kg and made 521c/kg or $1580.
The same vendor sold eight Black Baldy heifers, weighing 283kg, for 475c/kg or $1347.
Sandy Camp forwarded a consignment that included a pen of 29 at 341kg that made 504c/kg or $1722.
A second line of seven at 368kg made 464c/kg or $1710 and 13 at 371kg made 462c/kg or $1716.
Highest price on a per head basis was a pen of 16 sold account Heatherbrae South that weighed 361kg and made $1786 or 494c/kg.
Carinya sold 15 Angus at 329kg for 508c/kg or $1673 and a pen of 16 at 290kg for 514c/kg or $1493.