Fourth generation St Arnaud crossbred ewe breeders, brothers Peter and Pat O’Shannessy sold their annual draft of ‘Swanwater’ first cross ewe lambs at Wycheproof for up to $362.
YOUNG first cross ewes made to $395, ewe lambs to $376 and Merino ewes to $300 before a small pre-harvest crowd at the final 2021 Wycheproof store sheep sale on Friday.
There was subdued demand for the 13,000 sheep that lacked the usual end-of-Spring bloom and the sale relied heavily on agents with orders from clients in Victoria’s southern, western, north-east and Gippsland regions, and New South Wale’s Riverina.
Elders agent Jim Coffey said most pens were priced according to their quality.
“The yarding lacked its normal bloom November polish.
The weather hasn’t been kind,” Mr Coffey said.
“The Spring’s wet and milder weather has definitely left its mark and stock haven’t finished as they would normally,” he told Sheep Central in a post-sale interview.
“But for all of that, most lots did make their expected values,” Mr Coffey said.
Click the following link to watch Sheep Central’s post-sale interview with Jim Coffey where he contemplates his future as an active full-time agent.
https://www.facebook.com/SheepCentral/videos/903119167015649
With Mr Coffey’s four decade-long colleague, Kevin Thompson, out injured, the Elders selling team for the sale was spearheaded by Elders regional young gun auctioneers, Matthew O’Connor, Echuca, Aaron Zwar, Warracknabeal, and Matthew Rowlands, Swan Hill.
Sale starts with $386 first cross ewes
Regular seller at Wycheproof Greg McGurk, Charlton, with his agent Noel Bennett, Elders, sold young first cross ewes for the top price of $395.
The first pen offered, a one-mark line of 119 September shorn August-September 2020 drop first cross ewes, made $386. They were Gudair vaccinated and mulesed, and sold for breeders, B.A. and L.K. Thompson of Wycheproof to a Euroa buyer. G.J. and L.J. McGurk from Charlton sold two lines of 173 August-September 2020 drop, October shorn and Gudair vaccinated ewes for $395 and $388, to buyers from Ararat and Finley, NSW. Kaniera Holdings, Culgoa, sold two yards of October-shorn, July -August 2020 drop first cross ewes for $348 and $282.
The best sale of this season’s 2021 drop first cross ewe lambs, 240 October shorn May drop, mulesed and vaccinated ewes from A.D. and R.L. Gawne, Yando, sold for $376 to a Gippsland buyer from Leongatha. The same buyer snapped up the first draft of ewe lambs from O’Shannessy Brothers, Swanwater, near St Arnaud, for $362.
A second O’Shannessy line of May/June drop ewes by Blackgate Border Leicester rams made $270 and RC and M.J. Medland, Stuart Mill, also near St Arnaud, sold 800 October shorn April/May drop ewe lambs, in lots of 250 head at $285, $294 and $278, with two of these lots going to Euroa.
North-east Victorian buyers, Neil Search, left, and Max McBurney, from Longwood, purchased ewe lambs at Wycheproof.
Watch the live vision of these sales:
https://www.facebook.com/SheepCentral/videos/451157253024598
Merino ewe maidens make to $300
In the Merino ewe section, sales of young 2020 drop maiden ewes also ranged widely in price from $178 to $300, according to quality and size.
The top price was paid for 300 mulesed September shorn July/August 2020 drop Kolindale blood Western Australian-bred ewes, offered by B.A. and K.L. Thompson. Two lines of May/June drop ewes bred by R.L. and A.H. Rollinson, Mysia, made $295 and $290 with Nhill and Bendigo buyers.
Winjallok blood ewes drew repeat buyer interest
Elders St Arnaud agent Graeme Male and Greg Simpson, Paradise, sold the Simpson family’s annual draft of Winjallok blood young and proven ewes, and wether lambs at Wycheproof.
The annual clearance of the Winjallok blood young and mature aged ewes bred by G., F. and B. Simpson, Winjallock, drew repeat buyer interest.
The Simpson family’s May/June 2020 drop pens made $272 and $268 in lots of 385 and 287 head, and while their lines of 2017 drop and 2016 drop proven breeders made $224 and $200 respectively.
Bevan Olive, Yeungroon, has been on Pooginook Merino bloodlines for almost 50 years and sold five year-old ewes for $264 and wether lambs to $170.
In other proven breeder sales, B.C. and M.J. Olive, Yeungroon, sold their annual offering of February shorn 2017 drop Pooginook blood ewes for $264, and Peter Stewart, Tyrell View, Sea Lake, sold a line of September shorn Keri Keri blood four year-olds for $222.
Industry icon, Bob Rollinson, left, with Wayne Rassmussen from Elmore, sold Concordia blood young ewes and proven breeders at Wycheproof.
Merino wethers make to $192
The Merino wether sales commenced with a line of February shorn May/June 2020 Kolindale blood 1.5 year-olds from I.D. and P.M. Durie of Wycheproof that made $192. The Simpson family’s line of 620 October shorn Winjallok blood and bred 2021 drop wether lambs made $150 and $148 in two gate drafts.
Nutrien Ballarat client Barclay Dowling with Robert Fraser from Clunes, were repeat buyers of the Simpson family’s Merino ewes.
Two lines of B.C. and M.J. Olive’s unshorn 2021 drop Pooginook blood wether lambs sold for $170 and $142, and J. and J. Elliott, Rathscar South, sold two drafts of August shorn Gwenap Park blood wethers for $156 and $132.
DMD joint principal, Andrew McIllree, bought young Merino ewes for Nhill clients.
Other lines of 2021 drop wether lambs made $96-$158 and a single lot of November shorn first cross wether lambs made $155. The sale was conducted by Elders Wycheproof and branches.
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