The total yarding of 6000 was down by 3000 from last sale, and consisted of 4500 lambs.
It was back to the core buying group and demand was selective and lacking enthusiasm at times.
Plainer quality and a lack of lambs with weight and carcase finish also kept a cap on the market.
Dearer trends were evident for any hoggetts that showed weight and fat cover, with mutton also improving off the low levels of a fortnight ago.
One small pen lot of heavy young lambs reached $135, while some heavier shorn lambs topped at $146.
There were only five pens of young lambs which sold above $120, reflecting the lack of weight and freshness in the offering.
Most trade weight crossbred young lambs to processors sold from $90 to $118/head, putting most in an estimated range of 420c to a peak of 500c/kg carcase weight.
Any well presented shorn lambs sold in a similar cents per kilogram price range to the woolly young lambs.
The lighter weight lambs were mixed for breed type and quality, with most sales from $30 to $70/head.
There was some southern restocking support alongside locals.
Competition lifted for hoggetts which sold to $96 for shorn Merinos.
The sheep offering also recorded dearer results, albeit coming off a very low base.
Most sheep from $20 to $40/head, with the majority of sales trending above 100c/kg carcase weight.
~ Contributed by Meat Livestock Australia market reporter Jenny Kelly, on behalf of the Deniliquin Associated Agents.
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