Looking for positives at the annual November Wycheproof sheep sale was difficult as prices for most classes were back on the October sale result.
Heavy rain on sale morning left the Wycheproof yards a muddy mess and it was a credit to the vendors and agents that the sheep still presented "quite well", several buyers said.
Bidding from the start was slow as buyers struggled to convert positive price signals in the lamb and mutton markets to a willingness to bid up, as prices gave back much of the gains made at the October sale.
It comes as major selling centres in Victoria and NSW have shown significant rises in lamb and mutton prices with confidence rising for a quicker-than-expected recovery in the overall market.
Elders Wycheproof livestock manager Sam Crow said there was a good supply of vendor-bred Merino ewes.
"Everything presented really well even after 15 millimetres of rain overnight, although some sheep were a bit hollowed-out," he said.
"We thought the rain might bring a bit of confidence.
"There will be more confidence once the southerners have cleared out all their lambs, the job has a lot of upside."
The line-up was the "best we have had for a while", Mr Crow said, which followed the October sale which was also a good line-up.
He said most of the Merino wether lambs would be clicked or crutched and then put on stubbles and or feedlots.
The tops of the 2022-drop Border Leicester/Merino-cross ewes was $192 for a pen of 166 August-drop, October-shorn, sold by Watershed West.
A consignment of crossbred ewes sold by Pollington Farms sold in three lines with the tops comprising 190, June/July-drop, September-shorn, that made $150.
A second pen of 180, same description, made $102 and 112 thirds made $86.
BC & MJ Olive sold an annual draft of 170 Merino ewes, June 2022-drop, September-shorn, Pooginook-blood, Hillview-bred, for $150.
Elton Pastoral, Marnoo, sold 121 Merino ewes, April/May 2022-drop, August-shorn, Wallaloo Park-blood, that made $150.
AJ & TM Arbuckle, Saint Arnaud, sold 198 June/July 2022-drop Merino ewes, August-shorn, Willowbank-blood, that made $130.
The yarding was dominated by a consignment of more than 3000 head of Merino ewes and wethers sold by G, F & B Simpson, Winjallok.
Vendor Greg Simpson said the consignment presented as well as could be expected given the rain.
He said their program meant the sheep had to go to make way for young breeders coming through.
He said most of the sheep went to repeat buyers who had bought from the family for many years.
The tops of the 2022-drop Simpson Merino ewes was a pen of 347 May/June-drop, October-shorn, Winjallok-blood and bred, that made $86.
A highlight of the draft was a pen of 230 Merino ewes, 2019-drop, that made $92 and a second line at $60.
The tops of the Simpson's draft of June/July 2018-drop ewes was $82 for a pen of 372.
The Simpson wethers topped at $47 for a pen of 174, 2021-drop, September-shorn.
Two lines of unshorn wether lambs by Simpson sold to $36 for 264, with a second line of 413 making $35.
Regular vendors at the November sale, Patrick and Adrian O'Shannessy, Swanwater, sold 2023 crossbred ewe lambs, May/June-drop, October-shorn, Swanwater-bred, with 160 sheep making $148.
A second draft of 125 made $110 and a third pen of 100 made $78.
Mr Crow said all meat market indicators pointed towards good prices in the new year.
He said the lamb job needed a forward contract price that would give producers confidence.
"There are contracts around now at 560 cents a kilogram locally and 600c/kg to Tamworth, NSW," he said.
"I think 600c/kg will be the bottom of the job, so we need to shear lambs and get weight in them."
A pen of 186 Merino ewes, August 2022-drop, July-shorn, sold by account Karkoola made $128.
BT Coats & Sons offered a pen of 207 Merino ewes, April/May 2022-drop, March-shorn, Glenlea Park and Charinga-blood, sold for $128.
D & F Williams sold 228 Merino ewes, August/September 2022-drop, June-shorn, One Oak-blood, that sold for $105 .
A consignment from Buloke Downs included a pen of 191 Merino wethers, April/May 2022-drop, August-shorn, Woodpark-blood, that made $75.
JH & JJ Elliott consigned a draft of Merino wethers with the tops of the April/May 2023-drop wethers, August-shorn, Gwenap-blood, making $47 for 198.
A second pen of 235 made $33 and 195 sold for $27.
