NEW South Wales restockers buying ewes with lambs dominated purchases from the AuctionsPlus offering last week.

The online platform offered 59,706 sheep and lambs last week, 8895 more.

Central western New South Wales was again the largest buying region, with buyers securing 9467 head.

AuctionsPlus said restockers in NSW’s slopes and plains region purchased 2987 head. Positive seasonal conditions and a surplus of grass underpinned ewes with lambs making up 58 percent of the region’s purchases.

Prices were generally steady across most stock categories, except for highly sought-after first cross ewe lambs, where average prices lifted by $21.

Scanned Merino ewes sell to $410

Merino ewe lambs sold from $151 to $281, averaging $228, up $6. The top price was paid for a line of August/September 2019 drop ewes from A.J. & S.T. Ryan, at Tilpa, NSW. The ewes weighed 49kgs and carried 4.5cm fleeces.

Merino hoggets sold from $182 to $282 to average $207, down $46. The top price was paid for 235 unjoined 12-13 month-old Moorundie Park blood Poll Merino ewes offered by R.L., Z.G. & A.R. Wait at Jabuk, South Australia. The late April shorn ewes weighed 61kg and sold to a Keith buyer.

Young Merino breeders, 2-4 years-old, sold from $217 to $410 to average $288, down $10. The top price was paid for mixed age Merino ewes with 199pc Border Leicester cross lambs from W.K. & C.L. Habel at Condobolin, NSW. They sold to a NSW buyer at Goolgowi.

Proven Merino breeders four years and older averaged $202, down $78, and sold from $95 to $350. The top price was paid for 850 unjoined ewes with 940 Poll Dorset cross lambs from G.J. Izard at Mildura, Victoria. The y sold to a buyer at Merrinee.

Merino wether lambs sell to $135

Merino wether lambs sold from $116 to $135, averaging $123. The top price went to Canowie blood wether lambs from the Kinyerrie Partnership at Keith, SA. The March/April 2020 drop lambs weighed 43kgs with a 1.5” skin. Another highlight was $1131 for a line of wether lambs head from J.K. and D Dawson in western NSW that sold to a Queensland buyer at Goondiwindi.

Merino wethers sold from $142 to $122, to averaged $130, a $10 increase. The top price was paid for a line of 32kg Merino wethers with 6.25cm fleeces from Stuart Dick at Guyra, NSW, that sold to to a Canowinda buyer.

First cross ewe lambs sell to $324

First cross ewe lambs sold from $222 to $324, averaging $275, up $21. The top price went to a line of ewe lambs from C.L. & D.F. McKinnon at Ardlethan, NSW. They weighed 56kg.

Ewes with lambs at foot sold from $161 to $410, averaging $307, down $21. The top price was paid for 501 mixed age ewes with 119pc lambs from A. & D. Koop at Nhill in Victoria. with 501 ewes with Border Leicester lambs at foot. A highlight was 805 ewes with 1030 lambs in two lots from Roberts Pastoral Co at O’Connell, NSW, reaching $375.

Store lamb offering increases

The store lamb offering increased to 10,019 head and achieved a moderate clearance of 62pc. Prices were between 311-642c/k and averaged 408c/kg. Highlights included:

–              Apr/May ’20, 25kg, Border Leicester/ Merino mixed sex suckers from COWRA, New South Wales sold for 642c or $154

–              May/Jun ’20, 21kg, Merino/Poll Dorset mixed sex sucker from COOTAMUNDRA, New South Wales sold for 516c or $109

–              May/Jun ’20, 22kg, Poll Merino/ White Suffolk mixed sex suckers from KINGSCOTE, South Australia sold for 502c or $111

–              June ’20, 25kg, Poll Dorset/ Merino mixed sex lambs from TOOLEYBUC, New South Wales sold for 468c or $117

–              Mar/Apr ’20, 33kg, Poll Dorset/ Merino mixed sex suckers from YEOVAL, New South Wales sold for 437c or $153

–              Apr/May ’20, 26kg, Poll Dorset/ Merino mixed sex suckers from MARRABEL, South Australia sold for 437c or $115