A COMPLETE clearance of first cross ewe lambs, Merino wethers and shedding breed lambs was achieved in AuctionsPlus online sales last week.

Buyers from the Riverina, central west New South Wales and Victoria continued to dominate the online bidding.

Sheep and lamb numbers totalled 84,610 head last week; including 4800 head in the ‘Lameroo Off Shears’ commercially interfaced sale.

Merino ewe lambs sell to $181

Merino ewe lambs sold from $109 to $181 and averaged $146, down $23 on the previous week. The top price was paid for 350 Leahcim blood lambs weighing 42kgs with a 5cm fleece at Goulburn, NSW. Merino ewe hoggets averaged $210, up $15 on last week and sold from $90 up to $310 for 155 recently shorn 15-16 month-old Charinga blood hoggets at Marnoo in Victoria that weighed 53kgs.

Merino ewes 2-4 yearsold averaged $181, a drop of $12 on the previous week and sold from $138 to $270. The top price was paid for a line of recently shorn North Ashrose blood ewes weighing 81kgs at Ungarie, NSW.

Proven Merino breeders (4 years-old-plus) sold from $71.50 to $213, to average $141, down $16 on last week. The top price was paid for a line of 5 year-old Yanko blood ewes at Jerilderie, NSW, that weighed 70kgs with a 5cm fleece. At Brewarrina, NSW, a line of 5 year-old Weealla blood SIL Merino ewes scanned in-lamb and weighing 65kgs with a 5cm fleece made $189.

Merino wether lambs make $143

Merino wether lambs sold from $82 to $143 and averaged $113, down $3 on the previous week. Returning was 820 Roseville Park and Charinga blood lambs weighing 40kgs with a 5cm fleece at Maldon, Victoria. Merino wethers sold steady last week, averaging $96 and selling from $75 to a top of $131 for a line of recently shorn Goolgumbla blood wethers at Euroa, Victoria that weighed 50kgs.

First cross ewe lamb price average lifts $18

The average price for first cross ewe lambs jumped by $18 to average $186, within a range of $156 to $224. The top prices was paid for 335 2019 drop lambs weighing 38kgs at Kingston, South Australia. First cross ewes averaged $195 and sold from to $155 up to $256 for a line of 15-16 months-old ewes weighing 58kgs at Dookie in Victoria.

Store lamb supply increases

An increase in supply of store lambs, saw clearance soften slightly to see 89pc clearance achieved across 28,414 head offered, with prices from 339-503c/kg live to average 430c/kg, up 4 cents on the previous week. Store lamb highlights include:

–              Jul/Aug ’19, 32kg Meatplus mixed sex suckers from Cootamundra, NSW sold for $128 or 503c live

–              Jul/Aug ’19, 32kg 2nd X Dorset mixed sex suckers from Warrock, VIC sold for $106 or 486c live

–              Jun/Jul ’19, 27kgs White Suffolk/Poll Merino mixed sex suckers from Avenue Range, SA sold for $127 or 458c live

–              Jul/Aug ’19, 31kg Primeline wether suckers from Harden, NSW sold for $140 or 453c

–              Apr/May ’19, 36kg 2nd X White Suffolk mixed sex lambs from Keith, SA sold for $137 or 378c live

–              May/Jun ’19, 38kg 2nd X Composite mixed sex suckers from Kingscote, SA sold for $144 or 375c live