These first cross ewe lambs, 30kg, from Cooma, NSW sold for $183.
First cross ewe lambs registered the largest price rise across the lamb categories last week – up $28 to average $202/head. The offering of 3,184 head reached a clearance of 85%.
Composite/other breed lambs averaged $154/head – easing back $1 week-on-week across the 5,678 head offered. Clearance rates for the category were robust, reaching 95%.
A highlight for the category included three even lines of composite mixed sex store lambs from Branxholme, Victoria, with the 2,250 head strong listing averaging 29.5kg lwt and returning $145/head.
Crossbred lambs averaged $150/head last week – easing $16, with clearance rates reaching 87% across the 5,017 head offered. From Boorowa NSW, a line of 260 White Suffolk mixed sex store wether lambs weighing 43kg lwt returned $173/head.
Merino wether lambs had a total of 5,508 head offered, which met selective buying, as clearance rates following the immediate close of the auction reached 39%. However post sale negotiations forced clearance rates higher, rounding out the week at 60%. Prices for the category slipped back $12 on last week to average $121, with prices ranging from $98-$150/head.
The National Sheep Sale consisted of 206 lots, with a total of 33,524 head listed. The NSW Central West had the largest throughput for the sale, with 6,693 head offered. Joined ewes accounted for 44% of the weekly offering, with 23,202 head.
SIL Merino ewes averaged $228/head – up $24 from last week. Initial clearance following the close of the Tuesday sheep sale reached 39%, however post sale negotiations saw this figure rise to 62% across the 7,476 head offered. Station mated Merino ewes followed a similar trajectory for the week, with prices increasing $44, to average $177/head. Clearance rates reached 65% post auction, with negotiations in the following 48 hours raising the figure to 83% across the 4,405 head offered.
SIL composite/other breed ewes accounted for 10% of the total offering, with 5,332 head. Demand for the category was robust, with the category reaching a clearance of 97% as prices averaged $284/head – up $6. From Chiltern Victoria, a line of 100 composite SIL ewes aged 20 months, weighing 82kg lwt, returned $360/head.
Unjoined ewe categories accounted for 18% of listings, with 10,226 head. NSM Merino ewe hoggets and ewes both registered a drop in demand and price this week, as selective buying was prominent across the offering with both categories registering a clearance of 26% and 46%, respectively. Merino ewe hoggets eased $4, to average $178/head, while Merino ewes eased $61 to average $121/head.
Composite/other breed ewes had the largest offering across the unjoined ewe categories, with 3,265 head offered. Prices rose $12 on last week to average $167/head, with clearance reaching 28%.
-AuctionsPlus