JOINED crossbred ewes sold to $252 and ewe lambs to $230 at the Barellan first-cross ewe sale last week.

The strength of the market, given the tougher rates for first-cross ewes in recent sales, showed the reputation of the yards for producing quality breeders.

Agents yarded 5500 first-cross ewes which sold for an average of $190, which selling agent Mark Flagg said was down from last year.

"That was a phenomenal sale and I think to average $190 is still pretty good," he said. "They are making well above the kill job and they should be."

Mr Flagg said the best competition was for early drop, big-framed first-cross ewe lambs, which could be joined immediately.

These sold to $230 with half a dozen pens cracking the $200 mark, and most better and bigger lines making from $196-$220.

The next draft of ewes, lighter or slightly smaller, made $174-$190, with later drop ewe lambs, suitable for joining in spring, making $120-$160.

Buyers attended from a 300km radius of Barellan, with sheep sent to Cootamundra, Forbes, Molong, Temora, Ungarie, Ariah Park, Coleambally, Leeton, Wagga Wagga, Lake Cargelligo and Yerong Creek.

The sale's top price of $252 went to Delco Farming, for its pen of 175 first cross ewes, May-June 2010-drop, October shorn and scanned 133 per cent in lamb to White Suffolks.

These sold to Riverfront, Leeton.

The only other pen of joined ewes was a line of 179 head, August-September 2010-drop, November shorn and scanned 140 per cent in lamb to White Suffolks, which were sold by K and L Hague for $220. These went to a Lake Cargelligo buyer.

The top ewe lamb price went to the Overs Partnership, which sold 200 young breeders, April-May 2011-drop, November shorn.

These were bought by the Bradford family, acting through Delta Ag HLB at Cootamundra, who then bought the second run of lambs from the same vendor for $198.

The best presented pen of ewe lambs went to the Flagg Family Trust.

The line of 314 head, March-April 2011-drop, November shorn, sold for $228.

They were bought by Foylewood Farming Company of Ariah Park, who also bought the second run of 155 for $220 from the same vendor.