These first cross ewes at Nhill sold for $225 on AuctionsPlus last week.

SHEEP and lamb numbers increased last week and clearance rates improved with a successful forward lamb sale in Western Australia.

Agents offered 65,713 head, up about 5000 on the previous week, despite new season lamb listings falling to 11,212 head, down about 8000 on the week before.

AuctionsPlus technical operations officer Matt Cotton said clearance rates jumped to 67 percent, a lift of 12pc, reflecting a potential swing in market sentiment and seasonal conditions in some areas.

Merino ewe lambs sell to $204, ewes to $255

Merino ewe lambs averaged $136 and sold from $66 to $204. The top price was paid for 160 June-July drop mid-November ewe lambs at Jamestown, South Australia. The Moorundie Park blood lambs weighed 39.8 kg, were mostly score 2 in condition and found a buyer in Mundulla, SA.

Merino ewes averaged $147 and sold from $48 to $255. Merino ewe hoggets were in tight supply this week, with 877 head offered.

The top Merino ewe price of $255 was paid for 354 13-15 month-old unjoined ewes at Pinkawillinie, SA. The Leachim blood ewes were early April shorn, weighed 64.8kg, score 3 and were bought by a Naracoorte, SA, buyer. A line of 217 unjoined 15-18 month-old mid-October shorn ewes at Trundle in New South Wales sold for $201. The ewes weighed 46.4kg and were mostly score 2.

Merino wether lambs sell to $108

Merino wether lambs averaged $69, and ranged from $50 to $108.44 on AuctionsPlus last week. The top price of $108.44 or 275c/kg live was paid for 720 April-May drop Nepowie blood Merino lambs at Normans, in Upper Great Southern WA. The lambs averaged 39.4kg lwt, were score 2, and were bought by a York, WA, buyer.

Strong interest for first cross ewe lambs

There was strong interest around all first cross ewe lambs, with all lots receiving bids and a clearance of 72pc. Prices ranged from $135.50 to $226 and averaged $184. This top price was paid for 300 July-August drop ewes at Tullamore, NSW. The mid-May shorn lambs weighed 50.2 kg, were score 3, and were bought by a Wagga Wagga, NSW, buyer. First cross ewes averaged $197. A line  198 mid-November shorn 10-12 month-old first cross ewes joined to White Suffolk rams at Nhill in Victoria sold for 225. The 59.7kg score 3 ewes found a buyer in Naracoorte, SA.

Other highlights included a line of Dorper ewes and lambs at Canowindra, NSW, that sold for $149. They 2 year-old ewes weighed 55kg and were bought by a Cowra, NSW, buyer. A line of unjoined 4 year-old late April shorn Dohne ewes at Nurioopta, SA, sold for $146 to a buyer in Crystal Brook, SA.

On Monday Dean Hubbard of Elders WA pulled off a first for the state with the successful running of the Elders WA Forward Lamb Sale. There was an 84pc clearance rate of the 9260 head listed. The sale featured Merino, Dohne and crossbred store mixed sex and wether lambs. Lambs sold from 260-290c/kg lwt, averaging 274c/kg. Top price went to a line of 480 Dohne wether suckers with a weight range of 33-40kg sold on behalf of CJ South & Co. Congratulations to Dean and all of the listing agents on a tremendous sale, off the back of a hell of a lot of work.

Source: AuctionsPlus.