Narweena Station manager Rob Perkins keeps an eye on weaner prices but says fluctuations during the year don't really matter.

Mr Perkins says the only price that counts is on sale day each September and January.

He and his wife Angela run a split calving herd of about 900 breeders, mainly Angus, with some Hereford/Shorthorns and Charolais/Angus cows on 1100 hectares near Woodhouse.

As part of their risk management strategy, they sell about 200 weaners on the first Friday in September and another 500 on the last Friday in January.

This allows them to maintain a high stocking rate without damaging the permanent pastures, while also producing hay and Italian ryegrass for silage.

"I can't wean them early to sell them earlier [than January] because I haven't got any paddocks to put the calves in," he said.

"I've got to cut the hay and get the hay off before I've got paddocks to wean calves onto."

It's a juggling act, but one that's worked to their advantage.

"Prices have been quite good for the last couple of years," he said.

"The steers and heifers sold in September; they made 305 cents a kilogram and [heifers made] 289c/kg, and the overall average was over $1000 [a head].

"It was more than I was expecting because they had a tough autumn down here and they weren't as big as they normally are."

Most of the calves are sired by paddock bulls bought from Mt William Charolais, Willaura.

As an EU-accredited producer, Mr Perkins finds it almost impossible to buy good EU heifers, but concedes "nobody sells their best anyway, do they?".

So, he breeds his own replacements, using semen from top Angus bulls.

This year's sire of choice is Millah Murrah Klooney.

After two "pretty ordinary" years and a late autumn break, Mr Perkins is relishing the return to typical spring conditions.

"Last year we started feeding cows in December and didn't finish until the end of August," he said.

"We had to put out 80 bales a week right through, of hay or silage, it was very tough."

He's now gearing up to yard wean the next batch of calves in early December, get them used to being handled and prepare them for sale through AuctionsPlus on January 31.

Elders Pakenham branch manager Peter Rollason, who manages the southern zone for AuctionsPlus, introduced Mr Perkins to the concept of online selling a decade ago.

"We were thinking of having an on-farm sale, but it seemed an expensive way of doing it," Mr Perkins said.

"Then [Mr Rollason] mentioned AuctionsPlus to us and we haven't looked back, it's so much better for the cattle."

Narweena was among the first in Victoria to sell its entire drop on AuctionsPlus, after testing the waters in 2009.