Hot weather is creating a premium for shorn lambs over woolly types as processors continue to search for quality in eastern Australia.
A bigger percentage of woolly lambs are presenting dry and are being discounted at sales compared to the shorn lines.
Grain-fed lambs are holding up well in the heat, with yields reported by buyers to be very good.
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The hunt for shorn lambs was evident at Wagga Wagga, NSW, on Thursday where young woolly lambs were cheaper in comparison when compared to similar weight lines that were shorn.
These factors contributed to dearer prices across the board as domestic and export processors competed strongly for shorter-skinned lambs, particularly those lambs weighing above 24 kilograms carcase weight.
Extra-heavy export lambs sold like hot cakes when processors repeatedly locked horns, driving prices up by as much as $20 a head to record a top price of $314.
Extra heavy lambs regularly sold for more than $240, averaging 735 cents a kilogram cwt.
Similarly, trade lambs sold to dearer trends, aided by stronger supermarket competition.
The best of the heavy trades lifted $12, selling at $180-$196 to average 780c/kg cwt.
Lighter trade weights fetched $138-$158.
Falling quality and demand across lighter-weight categories is seen as the biggest influence in cheaper rates paid by processors, with prices struggling to hold firm.
Restockers took up the reins with good numbers of lambs suitable to turnout.
The better-bred lines jumped $10-$15 making from $110-$150.
Tightening supplies of lambs at Bendigo on Monday and stronger export demand helped keep prices up while processors scrambled to secure supply.
The National Livestock Reporting Service said lamb numbers declined by 15 per cent with limited extra heavy lambs lifting $8-$15 to average 825c/kg cwt.
The seasonal shortage of top-quality domestic slaughter lambs gave the market greater momentum, with prices improving $10.
The better prices rates, however, were for select pens which suited supermarket orders.
The best medium and heavy trade weights averaged 825c/kg cwt.
The mutton offering of 7300 meant plainer sheep sold $8-$11 cheaper, making $59-$110 to average 303-357c/kg.
Heavy sheep sold to subdued bidding, making from $110-$137.
Ballarat's offering was down 934 and still 36,398 lambs sold to mostly stronger competition.
The sale top of $298 was paid for extra heavy lambs with a skin value of $2, while most sales averaged 859c/kg cwt.
The best trade lambs gained $5-$11 and sold from $178-$205.
- Leann Dax is an NLRS market reporter.
