All of the nearly 4500 lambs sold at the annual on-farm auctions last week.
PGG Wrightson auctioneer Mark Yeates, of North Otago, said the amount bid on lambs at the four sales were back on past sales due to a fall in the slaughter price.
However, demand for the lambs was strong.
The crowd was the biggest he could recall at the sales.
"There were people who came here to buy lambs who went away empty-handed today."
Fewer lambs were available for sale due to a change of land-use from sheep farming, such as forestry.
"Compared to two years ago, there’s just not the lambs available for sale."
The quality of the lambs on offer was high.
"This is the best lineup of lambs I’ve seen."
At the first sale, John Tweed sold 1200 lambs in Waitahuna West.
His blackface lambs sold for between $80.50 and $91.50.
Romdale crypt lambs fetched between $82 and $88.
Suffolk cross lambs sold for between $82.50 and $110.50.
Romney Texel wethers fetched between $80.50 and $113.50.
On the Howie’s property, Rory and Gemma Purvis sold about 440 Charollais cross lambs.
The two lines of lambs sold for $86 and $75.
The final sale of 1700 lambs was on the family farm leased by Callum Stammers and Essie Chitty in Circle Hill.
Blackface lambs sold for between $83.50 and $91.50.
Smaller blackface lambs fetched $70.
Romney wethers sold for between $83 to $92 and Romney ewe lambs fetched $72.
Miss Chitty said the average lamb price at the sale was about $20 down on last year.
"It is quite a big jump but considering what the schedule is doing, I was going in thinking we would average $75 at the most, so I was happy with $80."
They had been selling lambs at the annual sale for the past five years and the prices at the first three were "unreal".
She was surprised by the demand for their smaller lambs and believed the buyers would take them through to winter when the slaughter price was higher.
The series of sales once included more sheep farms but they were no longer part of it due to being covered in trees, she said.
"It is so depressing."
The engaged couple would stick with sheep farming, she said.
"We love it — it is a good lifestyle."
Mr Stammers agreed.
"You don’t do it for the money."
They lease the 440ha farm from his parents Alistair and Raylene Stammers and forestry was part of their operation.
His parents had planted 50ha in production forestry and they planted another 20ha last year.
A plan was to lease-to-buy some neighbouring land better for farming sheep and plant about 100ha more forestry across steep terrain on the family farm.
If the plan becomes a reality they could fatten lambs on the new block, which would mean they would no longer need to sell store lambs and be part of the annual sale.
