OLDER ewes with a breeding history were the best sellers at the Bendigo annual Merino sale today.

The much-reduced yarding of only 8000 head included several pens of Dohne and Samm crossbred ewes.

Elders' Will Turner said it appeared buyers were more interested in the older ewes with a proven breeding record.

The sale began with a bid of $205 for a pen of 74 two-and-a-half-year-old  September-shorn Merino ewes with 80 two-month-old White Suffolk cross lambs.

"If you value the lambs at $80, the ewes were good value" said Elders John Sutherland, who bought them for a Kilmore client.

A similar pen of 100 Dohne ewes with 113 lambs sold for $202.

Bidding was slow for the 2009-drop Merino ewes, particularly on the Harrison family's 447 Concordia blood ewes from Durham Ox.

They sold in two runs at $156 and $154.

Local transport operator Brian Comer, who paid $156 for 224 of the ewes, said he it was too good an opportunity to miss.

Jimmy Long, from Knowsley, topped the young ewe pens  at $172 for 132 May-June drop October-shorn Wallaloo Park blood ewes.

Most of the 2009-drop Merino ewes sold upwards of $140.

Grant Sims,from Pine Grove, who was replacing his Merino with first-cross ewes, topped the pens of older ewes at $147 with 274 four-and-a-half-year-old August shorn, Collinsville blood, August shorn.

A limited offering of Merino wether lambs sold to a top of $87.

In a sign of the times 10 Border Leicester rams sold for $700.

"That would have to be one of the best prices ever paid for rams at a saleyard," Elders' Mr Turner said.