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Joined Merino ewes sell to $417 on AuctionsPlus

Terry Sim, April 12, 2021

These three year-old early August shorn Wanganella blood Merino ewes sold for $417 on AuctionsPlus last week.

JOINED Merino ewes carrying plenty of wool sold to $417 and lambs of all types were popular at firm to dearer prices in reduced offering on AuctionsPlus last week.

With the Easter holiday-induced short trading week, the number of sheep and lambs offered exclusively through AuctionsPlus last week was 42,549 head – back on the 46,681 in the previous week and less than half of the throughput registered in the full selling week before that.

Overall lamb prices were largely steady to higher for all types, except for the shedding lines. Average prices for shedding breed lambs contracted $70 to $268, in the absence of selected future breeder ewe lambs. But it was the still the most expensive lamb category, with prices ranging from $145-$385 and average liveweight price of 675c/kg.

AuctionsPlus said given the second week of reduced supplies, overall demand was also steady, reflected in very high clearance rates across the main lamb categories. The exception was the first cross ewe lambs, that achieved a clearance rate of 45 percent at prices of $198-$300 and an average of $243, down $10, for the 3045 head offered.

The top price for commercial sheep last week of $417 was paid for 354 early August shorn classed three year-old Wanganella blood Merino ewes joined to Wanganella rams in the Larkings and Fisher flock dispersal at ‘Glenrovan’ Tottenham, NSW. The 266 four year-old ewes in the dispersal sold for $407.

Lambs achieve clearance rates of 90pc-plus

Crossbred lamb prices were steady this week, ranging from $100-$215 and averaging $168, with a 91pc clearance of the 3685 head offered.

Merino ewe lambs sold from registered robust clearance rates last week. Merino wether lambs made $111-$170 to average $146, up $6, for a 94pc clearance. Merino ewe lambs sold from $154-$203 to average $184, up $4, and 91pc were sold. A line of 390 late September shorn May-June 2020 drop Merino wether lambs weighing 41.6kgs at Methul, NSW, sold to $154.50 or 858.3c/kg carcase weight.

Prices drop for unjoined ewes

Across the sheep lines, prices contracted for the unjoined ewe categories, albeit with very thin numbers for some categories. Unjoined Merino ewes sold from $126-$210 to average $164, down $30 to average $164, with 73pc of the 2035 head offered sold. A line of 201 earl September shorn 6.5 year-old Merino ewes averaging 52.7kgs at Tamworth, NSW, sold for $180, or 947.4c/kg cwt.

Scanned Merino ewes sell to $365

The largest category last week was scanned in-lamb Merino ewes, and the 9552 head (63pc increase) offered sold from $161-$365, to average $265, up $2. The increased clearance rates – from 53pc to 76pc – indicated stronger demand for assessed and proven lines. The top-priced line of 365 21-22 month-old bare shorn Merino ewes at Coomandook, South Australia, were scanned 145pc in lamb to White Suffolk rams.

Scanned in-lamb first cross ewes sold from $240-$410 to average $343, down $12.

NOTE: Prices are as of 5 pm Thursday, 8th April 2021.

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