Geoff and Di Allan were happy with the $374 paid for their first cross ewe lambs at the Bendigo sale.

WELL-GROWN first cross ewe lambs have sold for up $374 at the Bendigo Blue Ribbon sale today, exceeding the top price for 1.5 year-old ewes at the annual breeder fixture.

Sheep Central store market specialist Murray Arnel said first cross ewe lambs topped at $374 at the sale today, in what is believed to be a record for Victoria.

The top price was paid for 400 ewe lambs from Geoff and Di Allan, Melrose, Mathoura, New South Wales. The March/April 2019 Drop October shorn, mulesed and Gudair-vaccinated lambs were part of a draft of about 1000 offered by the family. They were out of South Australian blood ewes by Retallack rams.

Mr Arnel said the strength of demand at the sale was exhibited by more than 30 lines in the ewe lamb offering making more than $300. He said all of these lines were joinable by early next year, possibly January.

“They may have sold ewe lambs at Naracoorte for higher money, but it has definitely never been paid in Victoria.

Bendigo first cross ewes sell to $370

Happy with their purchases at the Bendigo sale were, from left, T.B. White and Sons agents Michael and Gerard White, with Bungaree client Michael Frawley.

The top price in the 1.5 year-olds was $370 paid for 175 ewes from J. and L. Cartwright from Raywood. The September shorn April/May 2018 drop mulesed and Gudair-vaccinated ewes were out of classed Merino ewes by Bungaree rams. They were bought by T.B. White and Sons Ballarat client, the Frawley family from Bungaree. The ewes will run at their property Kelso at Windermere in Victoria.

The next highest price of $364 was also paid by the Frawley family for 170 June/July drop September shorn first cross ewes from B. & N. Broom from Bridgewater. Prices then came back to $354, $340, $334 and $328 in subsequent sales.

Mr Arnel attributed the prices to the strength of the lamb and mutton markets, and confidence in what the industry can deliver. He said the sale was attended by the biggest crowd he has seen for many years with spirited enquiry for the initial runs from mainly southern Victoria, but also the north-east ranges.

“Quite obviously the returns of the crossbred ewe industry – the mutton and the lamb markets – are beneficial, and a drop of recent rain has brought buyers from the south of the state.”

See Sheep Central for a full sale report and videos from Murray Arnel on Monday.