These mid-May shorn Merino ewe lambs sold for $300 at Rylstone, NSW, on AuctionsPlus last week.

CLEARANCE rates remained strong in AuctionsPlus sheep and lamb sales last week, for a national offering of 125,761 head, 4267 fewer.

The National Lamb Sale clearance peaked at 95 percent, 74pc of lines in the Tuesday National Sheep Sale were sold and 66pc of Thursday National Sheep Sale lots found a new home.

Merino ewe hoggets sell to $320

These mid-August shorn 1.5 year-old Merino hoggets sold for $320 at Karoonda, SA, on AuctionsPlus last week.

Merino ewe lamb numbers were low, but prices ranged from $198.50 to $300, to average $239. The top price was paid for 357 unjoined mid-May shorn August/September 2019 lambs weighing 59.9kgs and with 67mm fleeces from W.R. Mann at Rylstone in central western New South Wales.

Merino ewe hoggets sold from $162 to $320, to average $249. The top price was paid for two lines of 347 unjoined mid-August shorn 1.5 year-old ewe hoggets weighing 65.1kgs liveweight offered by Wegner Brothers at Karoonda in South Australia.

Young Merino ewes 2-4 years-old ranged from $165 to $301, to average $214. The top price was paid for a line of 2-4 year-old unjoined ewes from Swag Ag at Wellington, NSW. They sold to a South Australian buyer.

More Merino breeders 4 years and older were offered and sold from $137 to $247, to average $182. The top price was paid for a line of unjoined 5-5.5 year-old ewes with 76mm fleeces from D.D. & A.L. Bull at Congargo, NSW. They sold to NSW buyer.

Merino ewes with lambs make $322

Fewer Merino ewes with lambs were offered and they made from $249 to $322, to average $290. The top price was paid a line of freshly shorn 4.5-5.5 year-old ewes with 3-4 month-old Merino lambs from A.C. & T.R. Greenshields at Wilcannia, NSW.

More Merino wether lambs were offered online last week and they sold from $106 to $159, to average $135. The top prices was paid for a line of recently shorn March/April drop lambs weighing 47.6kgs from Maratala Props at Soomandook, SA. They were sold to a Victorian buyer.

First cross ewes sell to $353

First cross ewe lambs sold from $247 to $342 last week, to average $306. The top price was paid for two lines of 186 unjoined unshorn May/June drop lambs weighing 47.4kgs with 50mm fleeces from Bright Futures Livestock at Lake Charm in Victoria.

First cross ewe hoggets sold from $325 to $353, to average $341. The top prices was paid for a line of recently shorn scanned empty 12-13 month-old hoggets from D.J. and R.M. Rhodes at Dunedoo, NSW. They sold to a Victorian buyer at Kaniva.

White Dorper ewes sell to $388

These scanned in-lamb White Dorper ewes sold for $388 at Trundle, NSW, on AuctionsPlus last week.

Other stand-out lines included 14-15 month-old White Dorper ewes scanned in-lamb to White Dorpoer and Dorper rams from the Kerin Partnership at Trundle, NSW making $388. A line of July/August Australian White ewe suckers from M. & J. Attard at Trangie, NSW, sold for $375.

Store lambs top 600c/kg liveweight

Dorper/Damara cross, May/Aug 2020 drop, 22.4kg lwt, 607c/kg lwt or $136, Mungindi, NSW

Poll Dorset cross, May/Aug 2020 drop, 28.7kg, 488c/kg or $140, Inverell, NSW

Poll Dorset cross, June/July 2020 drop, 36.9kg, 439c/kg or $162, Cootamundra, NSW

Poll Dorset cross, May/June 2020 drop, 35.5kg, 423c/kg or $150, Padthaway, SA

White Suffolk cross, June/July 2020 drop, 32.9kg, 432c/kg or $142, Kingscote, SA

Suffolk cross, June/July 2020 drop, 39.8kg, 362c/kg or $144, Auburn, SA