MERINO ewes struggled to crack the $100-mark at today's sale of about 17,000 sheep at Hay.

A smaller than usual crowd attended the annual November sale of about 8000 ewes and 9000 wethers.

Lack of demand resulted in a $30-$50 drop in the price of young ewes since last month's sale.

Young Merino ewes made $69-$112, with just two pens topping $100, and five and six-year-old Merino ewes fetched $44-$79.

Merino wethers and lambs sold at $29-$65.50 and crossbred lambs fetched $40-$57.

A client of Landmark Echuca paid the day's top price for 503 June-July 2011-drop Tchelery blood, September shorn, ewes from Tchelery, at Moulamein.

Trade buyers were active on wethers and older ewes, helping to put a floor in the price for those classes of sheep.

Buyers came from Bendigo, Birchip, Deniliquin, Donald, Dubbo, Forbes, Gundagai, Hay, Holbrook, Jerilderie, Narrandera, Swan Hill, Warracknabeal and Yarrawonga.