MERINO ewes prices came back with a thud at Jerilderie, in southern NSW, last week.
Or at least the top prices were below vendor expectations.
Ross Wells' pen of 300 Willandra May-June 2009-drop, May shorn ewes topped the market at $202.
And while the price was a record for Jerilderie, Mr Wells thought he might have picked up another $20-$30 for the well-conditioned ewes.
Elders Jerilderie manager Kym Hannaford said while most vendors were happy with their prices, compared to those on offer during the drought of the past five or six years, there were expectations the better-quality Merino ewes might have made another $20.
The sale attracted a yarding of 16,500 head - down 6000 on last year.
Bidding opened slowly at $140 on the first pen of 145 woolly 2009-drop Merino ewes on account of Peter Robertson's Petarob from Jerilderie. They eventually sold for $177.
From then on bidding was hard going for Elders auctioneer Steve Grantham.
Most buyers were looking for ewes to join to either White Suffolks or Border Leicesters.
Coonong Pastoral's 1700 first-cross Dohne-Merino 2009-drop, bare-shorn ewes were the surprise of the sale, topping at $201, selling down to $140 and averaging $172.
Most of the 2009-drop Merino ewes sold for more than $150. Older Merino ewes topped at $146 for a pen of 391 Avondale 2006-drop, September-shorn ewes.
A limited offering of 2009-drop, first-cross Border Leicester-Merino ewes commanded $180-$190.
Merino wethers, 2009-drop, sold to $105 and averaged $95.
Sleigh Pastoral topped the sale at $103 for 453 unshorn, May-drop wethers.
Most other wether lambs sold from $65 to $89.
Macquarie Bank's Paraway Cooinbil sold 1500 May-June-drop lambs to a top of $89.
The heaviest of these lambs weighed 49kg on farm.
