These 42kg lwt lambs at Cootamundra, NSW, sold for $131.50 on AuctionsPlus last week.

RAIN and dwindling supplies meant more sheep stayed in the north last week, as AuctionsPlus offered 32,466 sheep and lambs online, up 6300 on the previous week.

With post-sale negotiations, AuctionsPlus’ clearance increased to 76 percent clearance, as patches of rain and dwindling supply put a little spark back into the market.

The week’s largest lot sold was 1090 5-6 year-old late November shorn Merino wethers at Barcaldine, Queensland, weighing 48.8kg and mostly score 1 in condition, sold for $76 to a central QLD buyer.

However, in an indication of the still restricted demand for sheep, a line of 10.5-16.6 month-old late January shorn Merino ewes, 22.6kg lwt and score 1, sold for $74.50.

A line of 550 mid-April shorn 11-13 month-old Merino wether lambs at Broken Hill sold for $69 to a Queensland buyer at Longreach, almost 1600km away.

First cross ewe numbers were limited this week. At Reedy Creek in South Australia, a small line of 59 10-11 month old late March shorn ewe lambs, 50kg lwt and score 2, but scanned in-lamb 135pc to composite rams sold for $230. Older scanned first cross ewes sold to $234 for 61 18-month old early December shorn ewes at Jetsonville, Tasmania, that were 100pc scanned in-lamb to Southdown rams. The same vendor sold 95 scanned in-lamb 2.5-3.5 year-old first cross ewes for $230.

The scanned Merino ewes listed online last week were primarily aged ewes that made $91-$134. The top price of $152 for joined Merino ewes was paid for 160 late February shorn 1.5-2 year-old Merino ewes scanned in-lamb 100pc to Border Leicester rams at Bridgewater on Loddon in Victoria. The ewes weighed 48.2kg and were mostly score 2 in condition. Young unjoined Merino ewes sold from $74.50 to $95.

A line of 110 June-July drop early December shorn Poll Merino ewe lambs, 48.3kg lwt and score 3, sold for $153 at Jamestown in South Australia.

Merino lambs sell to $86

These Merino lambs at Broken Hill sold for $69 on AuctionsPlus last week.

Merino wether lambs made from $69-$86 to average $73. The top price was paid for 740 September/October drop unshorn Egelabra blood lambs at Parkes, NSW. The 30kg lambs sold to a local buyer.

Most crossbred lambs offered online last week were Dorpers and composites, with few traditional terminal breed lambs available. AuctionsPlus said the countdown is on for this season’s crop of suckers to start hitting the market and some offerings in store condition are expected within 4-6 weeks.

Store lamb highlights include:

520 Poll Dorset cross lambs, 42kg, $131.50, Cootamundra, NSW

320 Composite wether lambs, 38kg, $121.50, Chetwynd, Victoria

430 Poll Dorset cross lambs, 36kg, $110.50, Trangie, NSW

850 Dorper wether lambs, 35kg, $101.50, Broken Hill, NSW

Source: AuctionsPlus.