STORE sheep rates at Wycheproof responded to recent falling prime prices on Friday, with softer values recorded on the day.
Landmark auctioneer Shan Coffey said while good quality sheep sold well in the 8000-strong yarding, most rates were back on recent store sales.
"Lamb and mutton have come back by about $10-$15 a head," Mr Coffey said.
"The weather is drying up too now, so those two things would have quite a bit to do with it."
Rodwells' Kevin Linehan agreed, and added that the better-bred sheep were firm.
"But those plainer sheep struggled to hold their value, and they did come off the boil," he said.
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Bruce and Kerrie James, Wychitella, were on deck at the sale to sell their last ever consignment of sheep at Wycheproof - and also marked the occasion by picking up the equal highest price for unjoined first-cross ewes at $181 a head.
The couple's pen of 125 first-cross, April/May 2014-drop, September-shorn, ex-classed Pooginook ewes by Black Gate rams sold to a repeat Western District buyer.
A second pen of 70 first-cross ewes, 2014-drop and September-shorn, made $152.
"I'm happy to see them go…especially when they are making so much money," Mr James said, who is giving up the sheep side of his enterprise to concentrate on cropping.
"Sheep are hard work."
He said the result was on par with his expectations.
James Doak, Watchem, south of Birchip, also attained $181/hd for his pen of 97 first-cross ewes, June/July 2013-drop, January-shorn, which had just had 110 per cent of lambs weaned. They were snapped up by TB White, Ballarat.
Willisden Green offloaded 195 first-cross ewes, 3.5 years-old, September-shorn, not station-mated (NSM) on a bid of $172 to Rodwells Leongatha.
Other results in the crossbreds, saw TP Nase sell 221 Merino-Coopworth-White Suffolk ewes, 2012-drop, October-shorn, and depastured to Poll Dorset rams at $140. A second pen offered by the same vendor saw 71 Border Leicester-Merino ewes, 4-5 years, September-shorn, and depastured to Poll Dorset rams at $94.
Another breeder cleared 240 BLM ewes, May-June 2014-drop, November-shorn, NSM, at $168, to Rodwells, Edenhope, SA, while BC&P Nihill sold 206 first-cross ewes, April/May 2014-drop, October-shorn and Gudair-vaccinated, to the same buyer at $162.
Other pens of first-cross 2014-drop ewe lambs made $110-$130.
In the Merino section, the Fox family sold the first pen of 263 ewes, June-July 2013-drop, March-shorn, and depastured to Poll Dorset rams starting last November for 10 weeks at $176. A second pen of 130 Merino ewes from the same vendor made $166.
Both of these pens were secured by Tim Lockhart, Wedderburn.
The breeder runs about 2000 Merino ewes and joins them to Dorset and White Suffolk rams, but needed a few replacements.
"I'll shear them, lamb them down and then rejoin them," he said.
"I was happy to pay that money; they are well grown for 1.5 year-olds and will grow good fat lambs."
Other results in the Merinos saw Ralph Stephenson, Fentons Creek, clear 239 Merino ewes, August 2011-drop, depastured to White Suffolk rams, December-shorn, Claypan-blood and mulesed, at $142 to Rodwells Boort.
"I bought them about two years ago from Western Australia," he said.
"I've just got more sheep than I can handle at the moment, and I need some cash flow, because harvest was poor."
He normally sells lambs over-the-hook, but needed to make a decision about selling ewes because of the dry season too.