These 16-18 month-old first cross ewes at Gulargambone in NSW sold for $444 on AuctionsPlus last week.

FIRST cross ewes sold to $444 and Merinos made to $352 on AuctionsPlus last week, but average prices dropped in several categories.

AuctionsPlus regular sales listed 68,698 sheep and lambs last week and the interfaced Deniliquin store sheep sale added another 17,842 head to the online offering.

The top purchasing regions continued to reflect the improved seasonal conditions, with central west New South Wales buyers securing 11,853 head, followed by the Riverina with 6861 head and the north-west slopes and plains of NSW with 5318 head.

Merino ewe hoggets peak at $261

Merino ewe lambs sold from $185 to $290 to average $250/head. From Hay NSW, two lots of May/June 2020 drop Merino ewe lambs topped the category. The Poll Collinsville blood ewes weighed 49kgs and had 45mm fleeces. They were purchased by local producers.

Merino ewe hoggets sold from $143 to $331 to average $261, down $42. The top price was achieved by a line of unjoined ewe hoggets weighing 67kgs with 80mm fleeces at Snowtown, South Australia. The ewe hoggets sold to a Victorian buyer at Kaniva.

Proven Merino ewes sell to $352

Young Merino ewes 2-4 years-old sold from $200 to $305 to average $244, down $17. The top price was paid for a line of scanned in-lamb ewes weighing 56kg with 70mm fleeces from Trangie NSW.

Proven Merino ewes four years and older made $136 to $352 to average $256, down $16. The top line of recently shorn unjoined Poll Merino ewes from Snowtown, SA, weighed 71kg and sold to a Tasmanian buyer at Bridgewater.

Merino wethers top at $144

Merino wether lambs sold from $108 to $175 to average $141. The top price as paid for a line of April/June 2020 drop wether lambs weighing 55kg with 30mm fleeces at Boorowa NSW. The Poll Merino lambs sold to a NSW buyer at Wagga Wagga.

Merino wethers sold from $139 to $148 to average $144. The top price was paid for a line of Redside and Mayfield blood wethers weighing 55kgs at Whitefoord, Tasmania. They sold to a Victorian buyer in Gippsland.

Scanned first cross ewe hoggets sell to $444

First cross ewe lambs sold from $224 to $363 to average $268 – down $3. The top price was paid for a line of April/May 2020 drop first cross ewe lambs weighing 61kgs with 50mm fleeces at Gulargambone NSW. The sold to a NSW buyer at Walgett.

First cross ewes sold from $338 to $444 to average $379. The top price was paid for a line of scanned in-lamb hoggets weighting 73kgs at Weethalle NSW by a Dubbo buyer.

Tasmania registered a total offering of 3954 head last week and 92pc were sold. The offering consisted predominately of crossbred lambs, with smaller listings of Merino wethers and Merino ewe hoggets. A line of unjoined ewes weighing 77kgs at Ouse sold for $274 to a Western Junction buyer. A line of Aug/Sep 2020 drop Cashmore-Oaklea blood composite ewe lambs weighing 46kgs at Hillwood sold for $255 to a buyer at Quamby Bend.

Store lambs sell to 550c/kg liveweight

The store lamb offering totaled 14,591 head this week.  Prices ranged from 346c/kg to 588c/kg lwt, to average 443c/kg. Highlights included:

–          Aug/Sep 20’ drop, 26kg, Composite/Composite mixed sex store lambs from COORIEMUNGLE, VIC sold for $142/head, or 550c/kg.

–          Jul/Aug 20’ drop, 33kg, Primeline/Primeline store wether lambs from TATYOON, VIC sold for $146/head, or 451c/kg.

–          Jul/Aug 20’ drop, 27kg, Composite/Composite mixed sex store lambs from TAHARA, VIC sold for $144/head, or 531c/kg.

–          Jul/Aug 20’ drop, 31kg, Merino/Poll Dorset mixed sex suckers from DUBBO, NSW sold for $160/head, or 514c/kg.

–          Aug/Sep 20’ drop, 37kg, Border Leicester/Merino/Dorset mixed sex store lambs from BLACK MOUNTAIN, NSW sold for $174 or 466c/kg.

–          Sep/Oct 20’ drop, 34kg, Dorper/Dorper wether lambs from ST GEORGE, QLD sold for $157/head, or 457c/kg.