The physical saleyard proved it was the place to sell and buy sheep as the annual September store sheep sale at Wycheproof recorded a total clearance of more than 5000 sheep on Friday.
With online sales experiencing high passed-in rates, the Wycheproof result, albeit at reduced prices, had sellers prepared to meet the market and buyers receiving some good buying opportunities.
Buyers generally shrugged off the negativity around the state of the lamb, and in particular the mutton market, as well as concerns about the direction the season might take.
First-cross ewe lambs, 2022-drop, sold generally from $100 a head to a top of $135, while the small selection of 2021-drop made to $90.
Of the Merino ewes on offer, 2022-drop, June-shorn ewes mainly sold from $90-$110.
A pen of 2023-drop Merino wether lambs, unshorn, made $36, while White Suffolk-Merino-cross, mixed sex lambs, made $47.
While prices were much reduced from the most recent sale at Wycheproof in February, agents described the sale result as in line with the prime sheep market trends.
The negative sentiment and predictions of drought and the consequences of the El Nino were "called out" as scaremongering and not reflective of the excellent seasonal conditions in many areas.
Top of the unjoined Border Leicester/Merino cross ewes was $135 for a pen of 219, June/July 2022-drop, September shorn, sold account Myola.
They were purchased for an Elders Warracknabeal account.
A second pen of 163 of the same description sold for $120, to HFR account Gary Wardlaw, Avoca.
Mr Wardlaw said the ewes would be joined to Poll Dorsets.
AB & RW Hinkley had the opening pen of the sale with their June/July 2022-drop first-cross ewes, August shorn, selling to Elders Bendigo, for $128.
GJ & LJ McGurk forwarded a large consignment that included a pen of 250, first-cross ewes, August/September 2022-drop, March=shorn, by Blackgate rams, that made $116.
A second line of 214 sold for $104 and a third comprising 214 made $94.
Tops of the Kaniera Holdings consignment was a pen of 300, September/October 2022-drop, August-shorn, making $112, to a TB White& Sons, Ballarat account.
A second pen account Kaniera comprised 245, same description that sold for $101, same buyer, while Elders Bendigo paid $74 for a third draft of 119.
Brenco Farming sold a pen of 165 first-cross ewes, May/June 2022-drop, August shorn, for $107 and 204 for $90.
H Rodda sold a line of 240 first-cross ewes, June/July 2021-drop, February-shorn, that made $90, to Elders Boort.
A pen of 267 first-cross ewes, June/July 2021-drop, March-shorn, sold account J & M Muller, made $50.
The Merino section of the McGurk sheep included a line of 347 May/June 2022-drops, June-shorn, that made $110 and two more drafts, same description, for $110 and $109.
The Brenco Farming Merino ewes included a pen of 308, May/June 2022-drop, August shorn, that made $100, while a second draft of 285 sold for $92.
Stirling Park forwarded a pen of 222 Merino ewes, June/July 2022-drop, September-shorn, that sold for $90.
One buyer who saw opportunity in the market was Elders Bendigo livestock manager Nigel Starick who put together a number of pens for his clients.
Mr Starick said he was able to maintain the same changeover price - old sheep for young sheep - at this sale as he could at sales last year - just at a lower level.
He said he was just operating "in a different space" and noted here was no need for producers to change what they were doing and what was working.
Elders Wycheproof livestock manager Sam Crow said it was a "tough day at the office" with reduced rates.
He said as one of the early store sales, and with little activity online, people were hanging back a bit to see where the market settled.
He said the season was unbelievable with local producers saying this year's spring was potentially the best in 50 years.
"If we can cop around 25 millimetres as predicted next week, then we're looking at record crops at probably record prices," he said.
He said the mutton job needed time to find space to get rid of old stock.
"The lamb job is the old story, get weight into your lambs - weight pays," Mr Crow said.
"You can pay $120, $130 or $140 at Wycheproof and your first lamb is probably going to pay that and you might get 130 per cent lambing."
Mr Crow said there was a great opportunity to purchase a young ewe with its life ahead of it and make a good dollar.
He said the wool job was not too bad for clips around 19 to 20 micron making more than 1000 cents a kilogram.
"If you can get a lamb and shear five or six kilos, you're definitely in front," he said.
A pen of 290 Merino wether lambs sold account Merrylees & Co, May/June 2023-drop, unshorn, made $36.
From the same vendor was a pen of 214 White Suffolk/Merino cross, mixed-sex lambs, May/June 2023-drop, September shorn, that made $47 and 102 that sold for $34.
Most sheep went to areas around the Wimmera and south through St Arnaud, Lexton, Ballarat, Avoca, Mininera, Laanacoorie and north to Swan Hill, Cohuna and Young, NSW.
Mr Crow said the total clearance was a highlight.
He said a few lots were withdrawn prior to the sale mainly through lack of bloom.
"Give those sheep an extra month with a bit of warm weather and hard feed come October they should present pretty well," he said.
