ONLINE livestock marketer AuctionsPlus sold its first lambs on a forward contract basis today as saleyard lamb prices improved further mid-week.

AuctionsPlus sold 2420 of the 8090 lambs offered in the sale, realising up to $151.90, or 620c/kg cwt including skin value, for 1000 April-May drop Poll Dorset new season lambs from the Bertangles Partnership at Hay. The lambs consigned from Hay Plains Livestock’s Ed Lilburne were estimated to weigh 24.5kg cwt on delivery on August 29 within a range of 18-32kg cwt.

A line of 1000 mixed sex March-April White Dorper lambs from AJ & HA Mclean Greenvale, Booligal via Hay — estimated to weigh 21.6kg cwt at delivery on September 1 within a range of 18-25kg — sold for $129.60, or 600c/kg cwt including skin value.

Parkdale Merinos at Dubbo sold 420 August-September 2015-drop early July shorn Merino wether lambs — estimated to weigh 22.2kg cwt on delivery on September 4 — for $111, or 500c/kg cwt.

A further 5670 2015 drop Merino lambs from Louth, Collie and Dubbo in New South Wales, sold from 500-530c/kg in post-sale negotations, exclusive of skin value (skins to be tendered post slaughter). These lambs are to be delivered at 18-32kg cwt (most 20-24kg), between mid-August and mid-September. All lambs were sold to Victorian processors, with the lambs from Louth having an additional freight component of about 40 cents.

Saleyard prices driven by domestic demand

In saleyards mid-week, trade and heavy lamb prices continue to be driven by strong domestic demand with restockers competing for light and light trade lambs in the new season offerings.

In New South Wales saleyards, light 12.1-18kg cwt new season lambs with $1-$5 skins sold from $77-$115, or 487-737c/kg, over the past two days. The light trade young lambs with skins valued at up to $6 made $125-$168.20, or 620-746 c/kg. New season lines over 22.1 kg with $5-$6 skins made $165-$175, or 654-731c/kg at Wagga.

In Victoria at Horsham, light new season lambs with $3-$4 skins made $84-$115, or 606-629c/kg. The light trade young lines with $5-$6 skins sold from $115-$150, or 629-655c/kg.

In Western Australia at Katanning, 12.1-18kg new season lambs with $1-$6 skins sold for $61-$98, or 400-511c/kg. The 18.1-22kg young trade lambs with skins valued at up to $6 made $101-$126, or 500-511c/kg.

NLRS restocker lamb indicator drops sharply

After Thursday’s saleyard sales, the National Livestock Reporting Service’s Eastern States Daily Indicators for lambs were all up, except for the restocker category, which suffered a big drop of 83 cents to 542c/kg yesterday.

The other NLRS ESDIs for lamb are: Merino 552c/kg, up 3c; light 578c/kg, up 7c; trade 644c/kg, up 5c; heavy 645c/kg, up 2c. The national trade lamb indicator rose 6 cents to 645c/kg and the heavy indice is 2 cents up at 646c/kg.

The ESDI for mutton lifted 7 cents to 394c/kg on Thursday and the national indice rose 7 cents to 391c/kg.

Carcoar’s light lambs lift $8

In New South Wales at the Central Tablelands Livestock Exchange at Carcoar, the agents yarded 4100 lambs, 500 more than last week, and 1650 sheep, 400 more.

The NLRS said following 50mm of rain over the past 24 hours, the yarding was back on the expected draw. It was a mostly plainer quality yarding with only a few pens of neat trade and heavy weight lambs.

Light weight lambs sold $8 dearer to processors, with the 12-18kg cwt 2 scores selling from $61-$116. Trade lambs were firm to $2 cheaper, mostly due to quality. The 18-23kg 3 scores sold from $108-$170 to average around 645c/kg cwt. A single pen of trade weight new season lambs sold for $141. Heavy weight lambs sold firm, with the over 22kg 4 scores making $150-$220. The best of the hoggets sold for $116.

It was a mixed quality yarding of sheep, with most grades selling at similar rates. The 2 score ewes sold from $40-$80. The better 3 and 4 score Merinos sold from $74-$98 and the crossbreds made to $125. Prime Merino wethers sold from $100-$115.

Wagga’s best trade and heavy lamb lift $3

At the Wagga saleyards on Thursday, the agents yarded 29,500 lambs, 1700 more than last week, and 6030 sheep, 750 more.

The NLRS said the yarding included 2800 new season lambs. Quality was mixed in the trade and heavy categories. The old lambs showed the effects of the wet and cold conditions of the past fortnight. Not all export buyers attended or operated fully across the heavy export categories, but all domestic buyers participated strongly. Old trade lambs benefited from strong demand from major domestic processors, who pushed values of well-finished trade and heavy lambs up by $3. Supplementary-fed and shorter skinned trade lambs again attracted the strongest bidding and full wool types lacked fat cover.

New season lambs ignited the bidding, with the 20-22kg lines selling at $150-$168.20 and averaging 714c/kg. Heavy lambs sold to weaker export competition, with not all buyers attending. Generally prices were unchanged to $2 cheaper, averaging 667c/kg. Extra heavy lambs made $174-$222.

It was a better quality offering of sheep, with more heavy lines. Heavy crossbred ewes averaged 340c/kg cwt. Trade sheep sold $7-$10 dearer at 377-417c/kg. Plain light weight sheep made from $55-$72.

Hamilton’s light lambs lift $10

In Victoria at the Hamilton saleyards on Wednesday, the agents yarded 1233 lambs, 979 fewer than last week, and 334 sheep, 607 less.

The NLRS said it was a typical low Sheepvention week offering of lambs and sheep with fewer buyers. There was also a drop in quality in the very mixed yarding, with more plainer light weight lambs and sheep.

Demand was steady for better quality medium trade and light trade weight lambs which sold $2-$5 dearer. Heavy lambs sold firm.

Light 2 score lambs were $1-$4 cheaper. Restockers paid $12-$47 for light 1 score store lambs and also competed unsuccessfully at times against processors, pushing the very light lamb prices up by $10 in places. Light weight 2 score lambs sold from $70-$94, averaging 515c/kg. Light trade weight lambs made $102-$118 and the medium trade weight 3 score old lambs sold from $140-$152, or 582-674c/kg and averaging 655c/kg. The few pens of heavy trade weight lambs 3 and 4 scores generally sold from $155-$160 and up to $170, averaging 667c/kg.

Sheep prices were generally unchanged. Light weight 1 and 2 score sheep sold from $24-$76 and medium trade weight 2-3 scores sold from $70-$95. Merino mutton averaged close to 400c/kg. Heavy and extra heavy 3-5 score crossbred sheep made $100-$129, or an estimated 340c/kg. Hoggets sold from $70-$123 and light rams made $35-$63. Heavier rams sold from $98-$117.

Horsham lambs sell to $193

At the Horsham saleyards on Wednesday, the agents yarded 1200 lambs, 1155 fewer than last week, and 2124 sheep, 185 less.

The NLRS said lamb quality was mixed. Most of the regular buyers attended, but not all operated fully on the limited number of lambs.

Heavy lambs sold to $193 and trade weights made $134-$155, similar to last week. Restockers paid up to $77 for lambs. A few pens of younger lambs sold to $150, with the lighter lots making $102-$115.

Light weight 2 score lambs sold from $85-$105. Light trade 2 and 3 score lambs made $102-$140 and averaged around 630c/kg. Trade weight 3 and 4 score lambs sold from $134-$155, or 630-680c/kg to average around 650c/kg. Heavy lambs sold from $168-$193. Heavy hoggets made $118-$120.

Sheep quality was good and they were mostly $5 dearer. Restockers paid from $83-$116 for Merino wethers and to $111 for young Merino ewes. Some quality runs of full wool Merino wethers sold to $122.50.

Light weight 1 and 2 score sheep sold from $60-$78. Medium weight 2 and 3 score sheep made $75-$96, or 370-450c/kg. Merino mutton averaged around 400-410c/kg. Heavy 3-4 score crossbred sheep sold from $95-$115 and heavy Merino ewes made $99-$110. Heavy Merino wethers sold from $100-$122.50 and medium weights made $93-$113, averaging around 400c/kg.

Katanning lamb prices firm

In Western Australia at the Katanning saleyards on Wednesday, the agents yarded 2311 lambs, 3163 fewer than last week, and 6100 sheep, 2100 more.

The NLRS said lamb prices remained firm on last week. All the regular buyers attended and there was some strong competition from graziers on the young and store ewe lines. New season light lambs made $61-$98 and trade weights sold for $101-$126. Old light weight crossbred lambs sold from $60-$75. Trade weight lambs made $81-$120. Heavy weight lambs sold from $120-$126. Lambs suitable for air freight sold from $70-$100. Crossbred lambs sold to feeders for $50-$98. Merino store lambs sold from $35 and the better frame light weights made to $82.

Sheep quality was mixed. Light ewes with a full fleece sold from $45-$82. Prime 3 score sheep made $70-$100. Young Merino red and blue tag ewes sold from $59-$89. Wethers sold for $40-$125 to processors, depending on weight. Feeder buyers paid $40-$106 for wethers, depending on frame and quality. Live exporters bought wethers for $85-$121. Ram lambs sold for $45-$110, depending on size. Older rams made $5-$83, depending on quality and weight.

Warwick’s lambs firm to cheaper

In Queensland at the Warwick saleyards on Wednesday, the agents yarded 1695 lambs and hoggets, and 560 sheep.

Prices for the larger yarding of sheep and lambs were quoted as firm to a shade cheaper. The to-priced lambs made $160 for the Marshall family of ‘Heather Brae’, Greymare.

Crossbred lambs 51-55kg lwt sold from $146-$160, the 46-50kg lambs made $136-$149, 41-45kg lambs sold for $132-$145 and 35-40kg lines made $114-$129.

Shorn crossbred hoggets 47.5kg lwt sold to $110. Trade wethers with $16 skins sold to $116, or 355c/kg cwt, and light wethers with $16 skins made to $76, 310c/kg. Heavy crossbred ewes with $15 skins made to $133, or 355c/kg, and the light ewes with $10 skins sold to $57, or 280c/kg.

Tasmania’s export lambs $2-$5 cheaper

In Tasmania at Powranna and Killafaddy saleyards on Tuesday, the agents yarded 1650 lambs, 850 more than last week, and 650 sheep, 150 less.

The NLRS said there were more store lambs and a good run of heavy lambs. One regular exporter was not active due to a two-week maintenance break and heavy export lambs sold $2-$5 cheaper. Most light export lambs were also $4-$6 cheaper. Exporters bought light lambs for $70-$90 and light trade lambs made $100-$106. Restockers were strong and paid $88-$121 for well-bred lambs. Trade lambs made $122-$136, heavy line sold from $138-$145 and extra heavy $143-$163.

Most sheep sold $5-$7 cheaper, with light lines making $53-$70, medium weights $72-$91 and heavy ewes and wethers $86-$95.

Sources: MLA, NLRS, AuctionsPlus.