MERINO and crossbred lines of young ewes sold to a sale topping $300 a head at Wycheproof on Friday.

The market-topping young crossbreds were a line purchased and grown out JG Warne P/L of Culgoa, while the Merino sale toppers were the annual draft of the JJ Hallam, Hopetoun: these being Ridgway Advance-blood lot of young Merino that were delivered to market as March-shorn.

Speaking on behalf of the selling agents, Sam Crow, Elders (see video above) said successful buyers from across a broad area of Victoria, and also South Australia had attended the sale including a much larger following from the deeper southern areas of the state.

“It was a well-balanced and fair sale” Mr Crow said.  “The buyers should have been happy with the quality of the sheep that were offered and also with the prices they have paid.

NSW Merino breeders, David Ettershank, Murrabit and John Standan, Kyalite we’re happy sellers at Wycheproof

Öpening the sale of 10,000, Nullawil producers, DM & KP Barker sold a joined one-mark line of 457 Border Leicester Merino-cross young ewes, June/July 18-drop.

Depastured to Poll Dorset rams from May-19 and scanned for an October-November lambing these were sold over three drafted yards selling from $240 to $270 a head to buyers at Kyneton, Bendigo and Boort.

Other sales of unjoined crossbred young ewes were made from $275 to $294 a head, with the best of these being September/October drop and September-shorn belonging to J&B Randell and selling to Elders at Hamilton.

A feature of this Wycheproof September sale was the state’s first offering of new season crossbred ewe lambs.

Jo Bear, Loddon Vale with her family’s draft of Border Leicester Merino ewe lambs sold unshorn to $246 a head. Click on images to enlarge.

Bred on an agistment property near Lake Boga by the Bear family, Loddon Vale, their “Bright Futures” line of unshorn May/June 19-drop, Border Leicester-Merino-cross made $246 and $236 for two pens of 293 and 292, and $194 and $188 for two yards of 235 and 197 head.

Jo Bear said the family’s decision to offer their ewe lambs as an unshorn line had worked well for them in recent years with repeat buyers from the south returning to support their purchase.

Other sales of young ewes offered in the Merino section also met steady demand with most late-winter//early spring shorn 18-drop lots sold from $195 to a best of $266 a head.

Among these leading sales were a pen of August-shorn, Charinga-blood ewes from B & I Mortlock sold at $266 while HG & AH Pevitt, Glenloth sold a Woodpark Poll-blood, June-shorn lot at $248 a head.

Two yards of 16-drop, three-year-old ewes saw prices vary from $198 to $230 a head while two yards of 14-drop five-year-olds made $144 and $150 a head.

Andrew Pevitt, Glenloth with his line of Woodpark Poll line of young ewes sold at $248 a head.

Sales of 2019-drop unshorn Merino wether lambs met a demand that was steady to easier of recent late rates.

A yard of 249 Gulthul Station, Euston, bred lambs, Tamaleuca-blood topped this section of the auction at $150 a head with the lot’s second-draft sold at $122 a head.

JM Standon, Kyalite sold Alma-blood wether lambs, unshorn at $130 while MG & M Filmer, Moulamein sold Terrick West-blood wether lambs, unshorn, at $128.

Two yards of unshorn 1^st BLM-cross wether lambs completed the sale selling at $128 and $155 a head as part of the Bear family’s Bright Futures consignment.