LMB Linke auctioneer Bernie Grant sold first cross ewes to $209 in Hamilton this week.

Unjoined first cross ewes sold to $209 at the Hamilton store ewe sale in Hamilton on Thursday.

LMB Linke auctioneer Bernie Grant said the offering swelled to about 5000 from the original 1900 advertised, with all Hamilton agents offering lines to mostly local and south-west Victorian bidders.

He said the ewes sold to rates comparable to other sales with most going to district buyers or restockers further south at Heywood, Hawkesdale and around Warrnambool.

A line of 130 unjoined 2013-drop October shorn first cross ewes from D. and K. Gorringe made the top price, going to an LMB Linke client. Other unjoined 2013-drop ewes from the same breeder sold for $184-$200.

Glenthompson producers WR and SJ Rogerson sold 190 1.5-year-old December shorn first cross ewes for $190 to a J. and J. Kelly client and other similar age and shearing joined ewes made to $149.

First cross ewe lambs made to $140 for a line of 74, with Rogersons’ 205 December shorn lambs, suitable for joining in about a month, making $122 and $126 in two lines. A lines of lighter first cross ewe lambs, too light to join, made $116.

Ewe lambs hard to find at right price

Hawkesdale prime lamb producer Lachlan Glare paid $128 for 128 Lambpro cross composite ewe lambs to join to Poll Dorset lambs this autumn. Lachlan and his agent SKB Rodwell’s Gary Webb said it was difficult to find joinable ewe lambs at this price.

Older unjoined first cross ewes made to 191 for Mountview’s 2.5-year-olds and other small lines up to 3.5-year-old sold from $132-$176.

Corriedales sold to $146 for Croydon’s small line of 50 unjoined ewes and young Coopworth cross ewes made to $140 for Kellana’s 82 2012-drop ewes. Inverarity sold 135 mixed aged December shorn Dohne ewes, joined to the White Suffolk, for $107.

Hawkesdale dispersal ewes to $176

Unjoined first cross ewes sold to $176 in the complete dispersal of the Minjah Pastoral Company’s prime lamb ewe flock at Hawkesdale, Victoria, on AuctionsPlus this week.

The offering of 8500 December shorn SA and NSW-bred ewes sold from $80-$92 for five and six-year-old ewes to up to $176 for 330 2.5-year-old ewes. The 3.5-year-old first cross ewes made $129-$153 and the 4.5-year-old ewes sold from $106-$134. Lines of 3.5-year-old composite ewes sold for $122-$141.