These station-mated 9-11 month-old Australian White ewes at West Wyalong, NSW, sold for a record $994 on AuctionsPlus yesterday.

A NEW South Wales Australian White sheep breeder has set a new price record of $994 for commercial ewes for the second consecutive week.

Just a week after being paid $988 for 41 Tattykeel Certified ewe lambs on AuctionsPlus, West Wyalong breeders Col and Rosemary Adler have struck again with a new record of $994 for 20 9-11 month-old station mated ewes on the online platform.

The Adler’s also sold another 40 of the station-mated ewes in two lots for $992 to a Victorian producer.

The Adler’s stock agent, Craig Pellow, said the latest batch of Adler sheep have been told to a producer who already has some Australian Whites and a Coopworth flock.

“They want to grow their Aussie Whits and they’ve actually also got 1500 Coopworth ewes that they want to put Aussie Whites over to take the wool off them.

“I reckon there is a real opening for people who are running composites now, who aren’t getting enough money to cover their shearing costs, to put their Aussie Whites over a Primeline, or something like that,” he said.

“After a couple of crosses you are going to have a sheep that is a very good shedder that is a productive sheep.”

Mr Pellow said there are a few composite breeders who are looking at using Aussie Whites. He said the current high price of AW ewes is an issue, but breeders were able to take advantage of modern embryo transfer and artificial insemination techniques, and the breed’s abaility to have three lambs in two years, to increase flock numbers.

The Adler’s $988 Australian White ewes sold last week went to the Glenowra AW stud at Condoblin in New South Wales.

Glenowra principal Peter Wiggins said the stud is one of the first to purchase ‘Tattykeel Certified’ Australian White ewes.

“With quality and consistency at the heart of the brand, the Glenowra Australian White Sheep Stud are planning to expand operations globally, producing the world’s finest lamb.

“Maintaining the integrity of the Australian White lineage is vital to ensuring the high-quality superiority of the lamb,” he said.

He said the stud has aligned with the newly launched ‘Tattykeel Certified’ program to assist and support the Gilmore family breeders of the Tattykeel Australian White stud in Oberon, to ensure clients have confidence in the genetic integrity and pure Aussie White bloodline.

“The Glenowra Australian White Sheep Stud stand behind and endorse the ‘Tattykeel Certified’ program to eradicate the confusion and dilution in the current marketplace.