Only 12,500 head arrived, the others booked were still in their paddocks following upwards of 40-plus millimetres of rain in the sourrounding intake area.

Even the normal bigger crowd of buyers and lookers was back in numbers.

There were only two pens of first-cross ewes, totalling 450 head, indicating woolgrowers' commitment to maintaining breeding stock where possible.

These sold at $92/head and $90/head, while 1814 crossbred store lambs topped at $65/head.

Some 8500 Merino ewes topped at $66/head for one and two year-old unjoined.

Ewes of the same age having had lambs, made to $68.

Merino wether lambs, many of which had come out of a tight season in western areas, reached $31.

Overall, a major portion of the yarding lacked quality and conditioning.

* A sale report will be published in The Land, NSW, November 27.