CROSSBRED ewes sold above expectations at the Wycheproof store sheep sale on Friday, but Merino ewes proved more difficult to shift.
Elders' Tim Pattison said the market had been cheaper leading up to the sale, but he was pleased to see Border Leicester-Merino (BLM) ewe lambs make to $222 a head, with most making upwards of $166 to the top price.
"It was tougher to sell the Merino ewes today," Mr Pattison said.
"We've had a difficult season here, and we didn't have the local competition because people are battling to find feed."
Buyers mainly came from southern Victorian areas including Ballarat, Kilmore, Euroa, Hamilton, Ouyen and Boort, as well as Naracoorte, SA.
In the 7000-head yarding, the top pen of BLM ewe lambs were snapped up on a $222 bid by Rodwells Boort, and comprised 197 first-cross June-July 2014-drops, July-shorn, account JP Kelly & SM Rewha.
Volume vendors John and Zelma Warne, Culgoa, were also satisfied sellers, after clearing 680 BLM ewes, August-September 2014-drop, mulesed, and Gudair vaccinated, to a top of $214.
Their top pen of 216 ewe lambs went to Euroa, while their second highest pen of 160 BLM ewe reached $196 and went to Hamilton.
"I'm very happy with that price," Mr Warne said, who was apprehensive prior to the sale.
He bought in the line as lambs out of the Lismore region in January.
"It's something we do every year as a sideline business next to our cropping - and we always sell at this sale," Mr Warne said.
"We buy them in, grow them out for nine months, and then sell them."
The consignment were shorn twice, including once in January and once six weeks prior to the Wycheproof September sale last week.
"There's a couple of secrets to keep them in good condition; you've got to drench them, shear them and feed them well," he added.
"These ones have been run on pasture and stubble, and they've done very well. I've made a good profit."
In the Merino section, the top pen fetched $180 a head for a line of 252 June 2014-drop ewes, March-shorn, Ridgeway Advance-blood and mulesed, account JJ Hallam, Hopetoun.
In an interesting twist, the consignment was sold by Elders agent Aaron Zwar, of Warracknabeal, who also purchased the same ewes for a different client.
"The Hallams will be happy with the result," he said.
"My other client in Warracknabeal needed some replacement Merinos, and these are great large-framed, heavy-cutting ewes."
Mr Zwar said the line would be used for prime lamb production, and joined to a White Suffolk ram.
"In Warracknabeal, we are really on a knife's edge in terms of where we go with the crops," he added.
"But for those people with sheep, there is enough feed and they are hoping to carry them through."
Brothers Will and Scott Leslie, Gulthul Station, Euston, NSW, were on deck to see their line of 434 Merino 2014-drop ewes sold.
The tops were August-shorn ewes, which sold to Newmarket Euroa at $128. Their seconds sold to the same buyer at $122.
"It was in the vicinity of what we expected to get, but the market is a little bit down," Scott said.
The brothers, who run 5000 Merino sheep, own and manage a property at Wycheproof too - but said their NSW farm was travelling much better in terms of the season.
