NSW farmers are being forced to send tens of thousands of sheep to market each week as they struggle to carry their livestock through severe drought.
And while it will bring short-term relief for some, its impact will be felt for years after the long dry is over.
More than 40,000 sheep were offloaded at the Central West Livestock Exchange sale yards near Forbes on Tuesday morning - about 10,000 more than usual, according to Geoff Rice.
"We don't usually see these larger numbers until spring, it has sort of come out of the blue a little bit," the 47-year-old farmer, agent and livestock auctioneer told AAP.
"As people work out the feed isn't there and they're struggling to get it, they're just continuing to sell off."
Most, if not all, will be sent to slaughter, Mr Rice said.
Groups of agents, who facilitate the sheep sales, are seen weaving through the sprawling outdoor maze of metal barriers and gates that separate thousands of vocal sheep.
Following them are buyers from around the state, bidding on individual lots of animals as farmers huddle around the auction to learn the price.
Luke Whitty, an agent from KMWL Forbes, said there is a big disparity in animal quality, with some lamb fetching high prices and other drought-affected sheep selling for very little.
"There are big numbers of sheep coming in based on the severe dry weather," Mr Whitty said from the exchange floor.
"That's bringing in a big mixture of quality."
Desperate farmers are being forced to "draw a line in the sand", he said, and sell what would usually be held for breeding.
"We're selling stock now that we shouldn't really sell for at least another two to three months."
By offloading so much livestock, farmers are escaping the immediate stress of sourcing expensive hay and fodder from interstate.
But when the drought breaks, graziers will have next to no stock to regenerate their numbers, Mr Rice said.
"That will be a huge issue when it does rain - and it will rain - trying to get back up and going."
"Once it rains it doesn't all get better, it can take a couple of years."
Mr Rice doesn't expect the sales to slow either, as farmers prepare for dryer weather.
"Decisions are being made as we get closer to September, which is notoriously a warm, windy month," he says.
"Without significant rain, that little bit of green that you see about will burn straight off."
