IT may have been the wet weather or it may have been the reluctant demand, but Merino ewe prices were subdued at Deniliquin in NSW last week.

In a yarding of 14,500 head, which was considerably less than the advertised 20,000 head, 2009-drop Merino ewes sold to a top of $180, with most selling for $140 to $150.

Rodwells Deniliquin auctioneer Jason Andrews  had hoped for a little more money, but accepted that the market had become more realistic in recent weeks.

It was one of those sales where buyers were prepared to hold back on the first pens to test the market.

It was a view endorsed by Rodwells Stawell manager Damien Harrington who was involved in buying 1900 2009-drop ewes for three local restockers.

He said his clients had budgeted $140-$150 for ewes to join to Border Leicesters.

"Deniliquin certainly provided the opportunity here today," Mr Harrington said.

Topping the Merinos at $180 were Moratai's 170 January-shorn, June-July 2009-drop ewes of Windouran blood.

The second top price at $166 was paid for the 204 Jungle Lane February-shorn ewes of Collinsville blood from Bunnaloo. Older Merino ewes sold to a top of $133.

But while prices were subdued in the Merino pens, it wasn't the case in the crossbreds, where a pen of 144 Gillenbah ewes, June-July 2009-drop, sold for $224.

Most of the other 2009-drop first-cross ewes sold for $160 or more.

"There were some top prices, considering we are not traditionally known as a crossbred sale," Mr Andrews said.

The wet weather around Deniliquin robbed the sale of most of the advertised yardings of Merino wether lambs.

While 5500 head had been advertised, fewer than 800 were yarded. Fairfield Park topped the sale at $96 for 170 unshorn June-July-drop ewe lambs.

Tony Jones, buying for processor Midfields, paid $76 for the second pen of Fairfield wethers.

Midfields was also the successful bidder on only one pen of older Merino ewes, which sold for $78.

In a yarding of 14,500 which was considerably less than the advertised 20,000 head, 2009-drop Merino ewes sold to a top of $180, but with most selling between $140-$150.