Merino ewes sold to a top of $206 a head and first-cross ewes hit $252 during the 76th Annual Breeders Sheep Sale at Dunedoo on Thursday.
About 12,000 sheep were offered and Milling Stuart agent Angus Stuart, Dunedoo, said it was an excellent quality yarding.
He said all the regular vendors presented their sheep in outstanding condition.
"The market was in and out a bit, some Merino ewes sold really, really well, and there was certainly value to be had on other ewes especially the one-and-a-half-year-old ewes.
"I think anything with a bit of skin on them sold really well.
"Any sheep with a bit of wool, the buyers competed pretty hard on them.
"Obviously they could see a bit of a rebate on their jackets."
He said the first-cross ewe market was flat with some of the sheep going to a processor and other lots to restockers.
"There was certainly a few bargains there if you wanted to buy some quality sheep," he said.
In summary, not-station-mated (NSM) Merino young ewes sold from $81 to $192, while older NSM Merino ewes ranged from $90 to $144.
The scanned-in-lamb (SIL) Merino ewes ranged from $138 to $206.
Only a couple of pens of Merino wethers were offered and they topped at $68.
First-cross NSM ewe lambs sold from $128 to $196, while older NSM first-cross ewes sold from $116 to $154.
One pen of first-cross SIL ewes were offered and they topped at $252.
The top SIL Merino ewes at $206 were sold by Ken and Brenda Rawling, Merrygoen, and bought by Peter and Katrina Yeo, Mendooran.
The pen of 229 head were four-and-a-half-year-old, Bella Lana- and Pencaw-blood, December-shorn and mulesed ewes SIL to Talbragar Border Leicester rams at 161 per cent to commence lambing on March 3 for six weeks.
The best of the young Merino ewes were 407 one-and-a-half-year-old Dunbogan-blood, July-shorn, mulesed, NSM ewes sold by NJ and EM Roberts, Elong Elong, for $192.
Mr Stuart said the best five-and-a-half-year-old ewes were sold by Pemcaw and Company, Dunedoo, for $144. The pen of 251 Merino ewes were Pemcaw blood, May shorn, mulesed and NSM.
The top pen of first-cross ewes were sold by the Portelli family, Portelli Pastoral, Dunedoo, and bought by Ben Whillock, Geurie.
The pen of 197 ewes were August/September 2022-drop, December-shorn, mulesed, by Bindaree and New Armatree Border Leicester rams and SIL to Narranmore Poll Dorset rams to commence lambing March 10 for five weeks.
First-cross ewe lambs topped at $196 for 116 April/May 2023-drop, October-shorn, mulesed and NSM lambs sold by Seton Croake, Spring Flat.
Matthew and Fleur Guan, Dunedoo, also sold two lovely pens of first-cross ewe lambs for $193. The NSM ewes were March/April 2023 drop, September shorn, mulesed and by Bindaree and Talbragar Border Leicester rams.
Mick and Wendy Inder, Wattle Grove Partnership, Dunedoo, sold 130 NSM June/July 2023-drop, December-shorn, first-cross ewe lambs by Bindaree and Talbragar Border Leicester rams for $190.
The sale was conducted by Milling Stuart, Dunedoo.
