Year-on-year returns for first-cross ewe producers were cut in half at Naracoorte on Thursday, though the damage on medium to lighter types was not as bad as anticipated.
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In the annual showpiece sale, the run of close to 16,000 Border Leicester/Merino ewes topped at $228 and averaged $163, grossing $2.55 million.
Those benchmarks were well back on a top of $426 and average of $350 in 2022, and the national record of $538 and average of $379 in 2021.
Prices generally hovered in the $140 to $180 range this year, with lines from renowned long-term breeders pushing to $180 to $210.
Very few lighter lines made below $100.
There was a consensus among agents and vendors that the top ewes were $20-$30 below pre-sale expectations, but returns didn't fall away as badly as anticipated on secondary types.
Leading the way again in the price stakes were the James family, Coolawang Pastoral Co, Mundulla West, who received $228 for a line of 107 vendor-bred ewes from repeat buyer Guthrie Farms, Dean, Vic.
The James' also added another blue ribbon to their ever-growing collection, awarded best presented pen from judge George Millington, owner of Collinsville Merino and Poll Merino stud, Hallett.
Pens from Mentara Park, Malinong, Deepwater Trust, Lochaber, and Clover Ridge Pastoral, Marcollat, also received high praise.
Mr Millington said uniformity across the entire pen was his top criteria used, while presentation, confirmation of the feet and overall structure also played into his decision.
"I was looking for plenty of depth, plenty of production, fertility and width across the shoulders and across the back," he said.
Coolawang's secondary run attracted $224 from T Widdison, Tarpeena, and their 675 head offering averaged $213.
Lachie James said it was rewarding to be recognised, with the blue ribbon, for the lengths they go to to present them in such good condition.
"They're in warm healthy grazing country on lucerne-based pastures, so that combined with quality of shearing and classing them well gives us an edge," he said.
"Getting those big ewes empty and transporting them properly is a challenge, we put them on two deck trucks as opposed to four deck trucks.
"Shearing is very important and while its not worth much at the moment, it's important not to drop the ball on wool and skin quality."
PPHS vendors to crack the $200 mark included Mentara Park for their May/June 2022-drop Deepwater Super Borders and Deepwater Trust for their 93 Paxton and Gum Hill-blood June/July 2022-drops.
Both received $208 for their third runs as buyers scrambled not to miss out.
Mentara also made $204 for their seconds, with both pens - 300 head in total - sold to RD&MA Smith, through Nutrien Naracoorte.
The best of the lines bought as ewe lambs last year included 215 ex Cooranga lambs from Scullion Farming, Hynam, that made $196 to Donald Brown & Co, while 335 ex-Pocock Pastoral ewes from Amherst, Willalooka, returned $182.
PPHS's Ashley Braun said considering the weight, style and excellent presentation of their top end ewes, prices were $20-$30 down on what was expected, but he thought the middle and lighter runs sold well.
"There's so many people that haven't got confidence at the minute and wanted to be more reserved, than lashing out like they have in the last few years," he said.
Mr Braun said there was plenty of upside to come for traders who had taken a hit this year.
"Those traders, if you look back four years ago they were buying them (ewe lambs) for $70 then selling them (as 1.5yo ewes) for $160, then buying for $200 and selling for $350 so it rolls on," he said.
"Yes, they took a hit here but they're going to be able to come back next week to buy ewe lambs to go again."
SAL Livestock had the lead run and topped at $170 for Bordertown vendor GN&DL Jarrett's 87 Johno's Super Border and Andoma-bld ewes which went to PG&AJ Gordan, through Creek Livestock.
TDC's lineup hit $164 for 143 Johno's Border Leicester and Gum Hill-bld ewes from Arnold Pfitzner & Son, Cadnite, Naracoorte.
The 205 seconds - Inverbrackie and Lines Gumhill-bld - of Rushmore Run, Strathalbyn, were the high note for Nutrien at $160, selling to Kerr & Co, account Gow.
Following the Coolawang offering in the Elders run, Clover Ridge Pastoral, Marcollat, cracked $200 twice for their Coolawang and Moorundie-bld ewes - $206 for 160 to Creek Livestock and $200 for 172 to PPHS, account DiGiorgio.
Ian Farley, Marmon Hill, Jabuk, received $186 for his lead run of 165 ewes, sired by Coolawang and Inverbrackie rams and out of Mallee ewes, from LS Johnson & Son, Naracoorte, and $184 for 278 to LMB Linke, account McNorton.
Making $180 were 150 Coolawang and Radnor-bld ewes from Stewartdale, Naracoorte, while Vorwerk Produce Family Trust made $178 for 221 Morton and Moorundie-bld ewes.
Elders' Tom Dennis rated his agency's offering as the best in his 17 years and thought they were seven to eight kilograms heavier across the board than last year.
"Market conditions mean we didn't achieve record prices or anything like that, but I thought our run sold better than expectations," he said.
"The old adage is you buy on a combination of your old ewe, her last lamb and the wool, so the old ewe is worth about $30, the lamb about $130 and the wool nothing so $160 is about the mark."
Looking ahead to next week's first-cross ewe lamb sale - where 33,000 are advertised but some may be withdrawn - Mr Dennis said due to the season and feed situation, it may be a "sticky" sale.
"The big mateable Mallee ewe lambs will make similar money to the better 1.5yos, but once we get into those restocker ewe lambs it's going to be tough," he said.
