Some of the non-mulesed Merino ewes in the SA Performance Non-Mulesed Sale.

AUCTIONSPLUS will hold its first dedicated multi-vendor non-mulesed Merino ewe sale for South Australian vendors on 14 October.

Co-ordinator and Platinum Livestock agent Nick van den Berg expected more than 3500 ewes to be offered in the twilight SA Performance Non-mulesed Ewe Sale from 7pm South Australian time.

He said the sale was called because he had a number of clients seeking to sell non-mulesed ewes, other clients were looking to lift numbers or start new flocks that could be Responsible Wool Standard accredited.

Mr van den Berg said some producers were also seeking ewes that have been bred with the use of Australian Sheep Breeding Values.

He said the sale this year was focused on sourcing ewes in South Australia, but if it continued it could become a southern sale with lines from other states.

Ewes in the sale are coming from notable modern Merino breeders, including flocks that placed IN the first Lambex carcase competition last year.

Mr van den Berg said the price premiums for RWS has played a part in the growing interest in non-mulesed sheep, but he said some of his client had already been producing modern Merinos sired by rams with ASBVs for post-weaning weight, growth, fat, eye muscle area, clean fleece weight, breech wrinkle score and weaning weight (reproduction).

He expected the sale would become an annual event.

Mr van den Berg said the modern Merino was a medium framed sheep that appeared shorter when compared to other Merinos in physical sales and were sometimes discounted. However, he said demand was growing and it has been difficult for buyers to filter through traditional online sale catalogues to find suitable non-mulesed Merino ewes.

“It is a win for us to just put these sheep up on their own platform and to be assessed in their own platform.

“It’s more about putting them where they can be found and assessed on their own merits.”

He didn’t expect the ewes would be discounted in the current restocking market and with the RWS wool price premiums being paid.