Tarata Hills stud held its annual Wiltshire ram, ewe and lamb sale in South Hillend last week.
Stud owner Tom Day sold ram 117/23 for $9500 to a buyer in Canterbury on online auction platform Bidr.
"It was quite exciting to see that boy get bid up," Mr Day said.
The ram had an outstanding composition and was way thicker than the rest, Mr Day said.
"He was a bloody good ram."
Another Central Southland shedding sheep stud Enfield Genetics sold a ram for $24,500 in Gore on January 28.
"There must be something in the water," Mr Day laughed.
The Tarata Hills sale was on his family’s home farm between Winton and Dipton.
His parents and former stud owners, Malcolm and Sue Day, bought Wiltshire sheep in 2002 when they owned a high country block near the Tākitimu Mountains, which had no woolshed.
People laughed at his parents for buying Wiltshire sheep then, so it was "quite cool" there was strong demand for the breed now.
Strong wool prices would need a significant rise to soften demand for shedding sheep, he said.
If wool prices did lift, farmers would still want to breed a sheep which does not grow wool around its crutch and belly as "trying to keep those areas clean is where all your money is spent".
His parents also offered Wiltshire sheep at the sale.
About 50 of the 56 lots sold.
The top price for the ewes was $300 per head and lambs was $176 per head.
Most of the sheep bought at the sale were being trucked across the South Island and some were going further afield, Mr Day said.
"I've got a truck coming soon to grab eight rams and a lot of two-tooths to take up to the North Island."
PGG Wrightson agent David Morrison, of Gore, said about 3500 high-country store lambs were on offer at the annual Cattle Flat Station in Northern Southland last week.
Lamb prices ranged between $102 and $160 and averaged $120.
The sale had a full clearance, he said.
Most of the lamb were sold to buyers in Canterbury.
The store lamb price was up more than $30 per head on last year.
"Things are looking quite bright at the moment."
Rural Livestock agent Jimmy Kenny, of Lawrence, said there was a full clearance of about 3500 Romney wether lambs and 1500 Down cross lambs at the Kanuka Hill on-farm sale in Tuapeka West last week.
The lambs sold for an average $145.
"It is good to see the breeders getting well paid for lambs, as they haven’t been for the last couple of years, so it’s good to see."
