These Australian White ewe lambs sold for $458 on AuctionsPlus last week.

INCREASING young ewe prices were topped by $458 for Australian White lambs in a larger sheep and lamb offering on AuctionsPlus last week.

Online sheep and lamb numbers increased 7 percent to 134,122, boosted by 14,008 head offered in two commercial special sheep sales in Western Australia.

The Riverina region of New South Wales continued to dominate purchases, securing 17,070 head last week, followed closely by central west NSW, with 16,776 head.

Merino ewe lambs sell to $231

Merino ewe lambs sold from $141 to $231, averaging $179, up $11. The top price was paid for a line of May/June drop Karbullah blood ewe lambs weighing 25kg and with a 55mm fleeces at Longreach in Queensland. They sold to a NSW buyer at Armidale. A line of recently shorn June/July Nerstane and Trefusis blood ewe lambs weighing 48kg at Strathalbyn in South Australia made $200.

Merino ewe hoggets made $151 to $358 and averaged $267, up $29. The top price was paid for a line of 15-16 month old Woodpark blood ewes weighing 67kg and with 23mm fleece at Fernihurst in Victoria. A line of 17-18 month-old Moorundie Park hoggets weighing 66kgs and with a 35mm fleeces at Condingup in Western Australia sold for $242. They sold to a South Australian buyer at Port Augusta.

Young Merino ewes make $345

Young Merino breeders, 2-4 years-old, registered another strong clearance rate of 95 percent and sold from $197 to $345 to average $252. The top price was paid for a line of rising three year-old Woodpark blood ewes weighing 69kg and with 30mm fleece at Moulamein, NSW. An excellent line of rising four-year-old Hazeldean blood ewes weighing 64kg and with 30mm fleece at Wedderburn, VIC, sold for $267 to a NSW buyer at Wagga Wagga.

Proven Merino breeders, four years and older, sold from $131 to $322 and averaging $203, down $11. The top price was paid for a line of rising 5-6 year-old Merryville blood ewes weighing 50kg and with 20mm fleeces with 3-16 week-old lambs at Bendemeer, NSW. A line of freshly shorn rising five year-old Minta blood ewes weighing 78kg at Yorketown, SA, made $220.

Merino wether lambs peak at $175

AuctionsPlus cleared 84pc of its Merino wether lamb last week at $103 to $175, averaging $134, down $2. The top price was paid for a line of June/July 2020 drop Kullingrah blood wether lambs weighing 40kgs and with 37mm fleeces at Boorowa, NSW. A line of May/June 2020 drop Karbullah blood wether lambs weighing 28kg and with 52mm fleeces at Longreach, QLD, sold for $126 to a NSW buyer at Armidale.

Merino wethers sold from $118 to $160 and averaged $143, down $1. The top price was paid for a line of 12-13 month-old Merryville and Nerstane blood wethers weighing 52kg and with 30mm fleeces at Bendemeer, NSW.

First cross ewe hoggets sell to $427

These 17-18 month-old first cross ewes sold for $427 at Tarcombe, Victoria, on AuctionsPlus last week.

First cross ewe lambs sold from $176 to $408 to average $289, up $18. The top price was paid for a line of April 2020 drop ewe lambs weighing 59kgs at Minlaton, SA. A line of June/August 2020 drop ewe lambs weighing 54kg at Strath Creek in Victoria sold for $280.

First cross ewe hoggets sold from $240 to $427 and averaged $349, back $20. The top price was paid for a line of 17-18 month-old unjoined ewes weighing 77kg at Tarcombe, VIC. A line of 14-15 month-old scanned empty ewe hoggets weighing 55kgs at Walbundrie, NSW, sold for $329 to a Victorian buyer at Talgarno.

First cross ewes sold from $250 to $343 and averaging $301, up $5. The top price was paid for a line of rising three-year-old ewes weighing 71kgs at Douglas in Victoria. A line of rising four-year-old ewes weighing 94kgs at Minlaton, SA, sold for $305 to a Victorian buyer at Dingwall.

Australian White ewe lambs make $458

Other sale highlights include a line of July/August 2020 drop Australian White ewe lambs weighing 46kg make $458 at Marrar, NSW. A line of July/August 2020 drop Maternal/White Suffolk cross ewe lambs weighing 38kg in Wundowie, WA, sold for $257 to a South Australian buyer at Culburra.

All of the Tasmanian offering of 690 lambs sold last week in two lines. The August/September 2020 drop White Suffolk/Coopworth mixed sex store lambs made 468c/kg lwt and 458c/kg lwt, or $159/head.

Store lamb price lift slightly

AuctionsPlus offered 48,817 store lambs last week, up 15,500 head. Prices lifted 2c/kg lwt to average 419c/kg, or from 305-793c/kg. Highlights from the week included:

–              First cross mixed sex suckers, Aug/Sept 2020 drop, 23kg, $180 or 793c/kg lwt, Walgett, NSW

–              Dorset/Merino mixed sex suckers, Aug/Sept 2020 drop, 26kg, $138.50 or 561c/kg, Cootamundra, NSW

–              White Suffolk cross mixed sex suckers, Aug/Sept 2020 drop, 29kg, $140 or 488c/kg, Woorndoo, VIC

–              Primeline cross store wethers, August 2020 drop, 30kg, $139 or 481c/kg, Keppoch, SA

–             White Suffolk cross store wethers, June/Aug 2020 drop, 36kg, $141.50 or 397c kg, Kingscote, SA

–              Dorper & White/Dorper store wethers, April/June 2020 drop, 40kg, $155/head or 393c/kg, Mungallala, QLD