WITH the promise of another wet weekend on the way, and many headers sitting idly in the paddock, all eyes were on the Wycheproof sheep sale last week.
Rates for 1 1/2-year-old crossbred ewes were firm while the tops of first-cross ewe lambs were $8 cheaper, but firm overall.
Older Merino ewes attracted rates equal to a month ago but bidding for older Merino wethers and Merino wether lambs lifted up to $5.
The handful of 1 1/2-year-old first-cross ewes, May to June-drop, mostly sold from $220 to $238 for a pen of 138 from Addlem Farms at Boort. The second pen from this draft, comprising 150 head, returned $234.
Prices were firm compared to a top of $230 paid for ewes of the same description at Elders' Wycheproof sale a month ago.
First-cross ewe lambs, April to June-drop, sold from $131 to $198 for pens from Andshara Pty Ltd at Wychitella, and PM and AG O'Shannessy of Swan Water.
Elders' Kevin Thompson said prices for ewe lambs were firm to a few dollars cheaper on the last sale, where bidding topped at $204.
"We're pretty happy ... a lot of people were expecting sheep to make the big prices we've all been reading about," Mr Thompson said. "But the big money has been for ewe lambs from South East South Australia that are ready to join; these are much younger, May-June drop."
Extra competition underpinned gains of up to $5 for Merino wether lambs and 1 1/2-year-old Merino wethers, with the latter selling to $116 for a pen from T and G Simpson from Winjallock, near St Arnaud.
The offering of Merino ewes also included some 2009-drop pens, which sold from $168 to $174 for a draft from Crookson Pty Ltd.
The balance was dominated by 2005-drop pens, which returned from $107 to $119, again from the Simpson family.
The small offering of White Suffolk crossbred lambs sold from $99 to $111.
Buyers from Ballarat and Bendigo were strong with additional support from Horsham, Euroa and even Leongatha across the 12,000-head yarding.
