It included the opening runs of new season young lambs, and Merino and crossbred ewes being sold post weaning and shearing.
Quality also dramatically improved on the plain winter yardings of recent weeks.
Combined with the bigger supply, the sale attracted 12 processing orders. This included both major supermarkets.
As a result, lamb prices were noticeably dearer than a fortnight ago, and also slightly stronger than more recent sales held in the past five days.
All agents led with young lambs, which were mostly estimated in a range of 21kg-26kg.
They sold from $188 to $215/head, at 800c to 850c for a ballpark average of 830c/kg carcase weight.
There was more weight and quality in the shorn lambs, and the well presented lines in short skins sold from $190 to a top of $240/head.
Some of the best shorn trade lambs, 22kg-24kg carcase weight, averaged just over 800c/kg carcase weight.
Bidding still remained selective over smaller pen lots of old season lambs, or those in rough skins, and the general run of crossbreds varied from 700c to 780c/kg carcase weight.
Trade Merino lambs in good skins sold from $148 to $166/head, and lighter types from $125 to $144/head.
The supply of light lambs under 20kg carcase weight was limited.
The sheep run included some quality heavy and trade Merinos, plus a few lines of big crossbred ewes.
The mutton market remained under pressure, with demand coming from just a few buyers who weren't prepared to chase the market.
Extra heavy Merino ewes sold between $164 to $188 and crossbreds to $180/head.
The main run of trade weight Merino ewes sold between $128 to $166/head.
The sale showed a spread of 450c to 550c/kg carcase weight for averages of 500c
to 520c/kg on the key Merino ewe categories.
Top sales:
New season lambs — L Whyborn, $215; Pisasale Farms, $215; Athel Park Ag, $210.
Old lambs — M & J Dunmore, $240; P & D Caruso, $228; J & J Bradford, $227.60.
Hoggetts — D & N Jansen, $200; Cassar & Edwards, $189; D Hurst, $185.
Sheep — Athel Park Ag, $188; L Whyborn, $180; Dhuramean Nominees, $174.60.
Rams — Millabong Pastoral, $90; Dasham Farms, $88; Australian Food & Agriculture, $66.
• Contributed by Meat Livestock Australia market reporter Jenny Kelly and Elders Rural Deniliquin, on behalf of the Deniliquin Associated Agents.
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