LAST month's record sale may have scared some buyers away at the Hay store sheep sale in the Riverina last week, yet prices still topped at $167 for one-year-old Merino ewes.
A pen of 300 Merino ewes from Arcadia, May-June 2009-drop, Somerset bred, Rutherglen blood and June shorn, achieved the sale's top price.
The same vendor sold a second pen of 353 ewes the same age, but Glenburnie bred and Ronern blood, for $164.
Vendor Andrew Stalley, from ALW Partnership, watched on as his offering of 219 April-May 2009-drop Merino ewes sold for $160.
"We missed the Hillston (NSW) sale a few weeks ago because it was too wet," Mr Stalley said. "Comparable ewes were making $170 to $180 there, but the market has come off a little, so we're pleased with $160 today."
Daniel Dowling, from Merritop, was another happy vendor.
He sold 284 September-October 2009-drop Merino ewes, Sims Uardry and Caroonboon blood, and August shorn, for $140.
Mr Dowling described the prices as realistic for both buyers and vendors.
"It's back on the big sale here at Hay a few weeks ago, but we couldn't have sold then (as) it was too wet to get the truck in," Mr Dowling said.
"We've since got the wool off them, so I'm happy.
"We want people to be able to make money out of them."
Richard Cannon, of Hazeldean, quoted the market as $10 to $20 cheaper than Hay's September sale.
He sold mixed-age Merino ewes joined to a White Suffolk ram for $140 and one-year-old Merino ewes for $130 (all Hazeldean blood and breeding).
"I can easily remember selling young ewes for $70 last year though," he said.
Major buyer Mark Atkins, of West Wyalong, bought 2000 of the 13,000-head offering, paying an average of $142 for one-year-old to three-year-old ewes.
He will add these to 500 ewes, one to five-years-old, bought at West Wyalong the previous day for an average of $145.
"I bought 1000 more than I intended, but I don't think I'll see another opportunity like it," Mr Atkins said.
"You've got to buy them when you can."
Most one-year-old Merino ewes sold from $128, two and three-year-old Merino ewes from $110 to $142 and older Merino ewes from $90.
Merino ewe lambs often reached $90 while the exotics topped at $121 for a pen of 320 first-cross Dorper ewe lambs, April-May drop and September shorn, from Mountview.
