These one year-old first cross ewes sold for $232 at Narromine on AuctionsPlus on Tuesday.

FIRST cross ewe lambs sold to $232 in the first fully online annual Narromine breeders sale this week.

Seven first cross breeders selling through Landmark Wilson Russ, Christie & Hood and Haretin Schute Bell sold 4425 ewe lambs on AuctionsPlus on Tuesday for an average of $199 and a gross of $882,520. `

The 1275 late-August shorn one-year-old scanned empty ewes sold from $226-$232 and averaged $229, and the remaining 3150 March-April 2016 drop lambs sold from $162-$209 to average $188.

President of the Narromine First Cross Ewe Breeders Association John Barber said, according to local stock agents, the ewes in the first 58th annual spring sale held exclusively online made about $50 above rates at the Narromine store sale a week earlier and $20 ahead of prices last year.

AuctionsPlus said the sale achieved a 100 percent clearance, with ewes exceeding their nominated reserve prices by up to $34.

“In previous years that would be a big sale for us, probably four years ago prices were above $200 and the last few years it has been a bit below that,” Mr Barber said.

The sale was held online for various reasons, including the wet weather conditions and the risk of animal health issues, the ease of online selling and delivery flexibility for buyers. The success of the sale meant it “definitely” be held online next year, he said.

Six lots totalling 1260 ewes were sold into Victoria around Mansfield and Yarrawonga, and 13 lines making up 3165 ewes stayed in New South Wales, mostly around Forbes, Blayney and Goulburn. Mr Barber said several lines were bought by repeat buyers.

The online sale attracted 112 registered bidders as well as 174 viewers and there were 28 active bidders.

The top-price line of 215 July-August 2015 late-August shorn ewes from RBN Trading, ‘Netherby’, Narromine, sold for R232 through Landmark Wilson Russ. They weighed 59.4kg lwt, were in score 4 condition, by Dunnield Border Leicester rams out of Haddon Rig Merino ewes and ready to join for an autumn lamb.

These six month-old first cross ewe lambs sold for $209 at Trangie on AuctionsPlus on Tuesday.

The top-price line of late August shorn March-April drop ewe lambs made $209 for the Heckendorf family’s Auburn Farming Co. at Trangie, NSW. The late-August shorn lambs weighed 49.5kg lwt and were mostly condition score 4. They were by Bindaree and Nundoon Border Leicester rams and out of Kerin Poll Merino blood ewes.

All the ewes offered in the sale were independently assessed and professionally photographed and videoed by Ben Hooper.

For full sale details click here.

Source: AuctionsPlus.