SHEEP and lamb prices eased for most categories online last week as the AuctionsPlus offering fell to 117,118 head, a drop of 5770 head.

Prices increased for first cross ewe lambs, mature Merino ewes and ewe lambs, but fell for all other categories, with an overall clearance rate for the week of 74 percent.

New South Wale’s Riverina was again the main buying region, purchasing 14,966 head, followed by north-west Victoria (19,711), south-west Victoria (10,445) and central western NSW (9735).

First cross ewes lambs to $251

First cross ewe lambs sold from $158 to $251 and averaged $203, up $48. The top price was paid by a Nhill buyer for 210 April/May 2019 drop ewe lambs weighing 44kgs from Telopea Downs in Victoria.

Unjoined first cross ewe hoggets made from $195 to $275 to average $242, down $35. The top price was paid for 190 15-16 month-old ewe hoggets at Warrak, Victoria.  Only four lines of unjoined first cross ewes sold online at $175-$310 and averaged $226. The top price was paid for 235 unjoined rising two year-olds weighing 65kgs at Beeac in south-west Victoria.

Merino ewe lambs sell to $152

The four lines of Merino ewe lambs sold last week made $100-$196 and, averaging $152, up $23 on last week. The top price line was paid for 260 September/October 2019 drop CentrePlus blood Merino ewe lambs At Young, NSW. The lambs weighed 44kgs.

Merino ewe hoggets averaged $200, down $16. They sold from $95 up to $255for a line of 13-17 month-old Glendemar blood ewes weighing 61 kg at Marnoo in Victoria.

Young Merino ewe prices drop $12

Young Merino ewes, 2-4 years-old, sold from $70 and $271 to average $179, down $12. The top price was paid by a Narromine buyer for a line of unjoined rising three year-old Pooginook blood ewes at Grenfell, NSW.

Proven Merino ewes, four years and older, sold from $90 to $227, and averaged $160, up $6. The top price was paid for 340 unjoined rising six year-old ewes at Cootamundra, NSW. The Willandra blood ewes weighed 82kgs and had a 7.5cm fleece.

Merino wether lambs sell to $152

Merino wether lambs sold from $64 to $152 and averaged $101, down $16. The top price was paid for 120 May 2019 drop store wether lambs at Trawalla in Victoria. The Coryule blood lambs weighed 40kgs and carried a 5cm fleece.

Merino wethers sold from $78 to $138 and averaged $114. The top price was paid for 880 two year-old The Mountain Dam blood wethers at Dergholm in Victoria, sold in two gate runs. The wethers weighed 50kgs.

Online store lamb offering increased

AuctionsPlus offered 50,731 store lambs last week, 9,249 more, and 76pc were sold. The larger offering followed the recent easing of the lamb market prices and the average price closed the week at 377c/kg liveweight, including skin value. The offering sold from 296c/kg-540c/kg. Highlights included:

–          First cross wethers, May/June 2019 drop, 51kg, $160/313c/kg lwt, Langkoop, Victoria

–          Poll Dorset cross, July/Sept 2019, 42kg$157/373c/kg, Serpentine, Victoria

–          First cross mixed sex, August/September 2019, 31kg, $157/505c/kg, Crookwell, NSW

–          Poll Dorset cross, May/June 2019, 45kg, $156/349c/kg, Cathkin, Victoria

–          White Suffolk cross, May/June 2019, 42kg, $155/365c/kg, Cathkin, Victoria