These first cross ewes with lambs at Bordertown SA sold for $351.50 on AuctionsPlus last week.

SCANNED in-lamb ewes and ewe-lamb units topped the AuctionsPlus listings online last week – with first cross ewes with lambs selling for up to $351.50, first cross ewes selling to $324 and Merino ewes making $244.

AuctionsPlus sheep and lamb numbers fell 4246 last week to 41,011 and a clearance rate of 83 percent for commercial lots was achieved.

A line of 3.5-5.5 year-old late-March shorn Merino ewes scanned with 221 percent Border Leicester lambs in utero at Laggan in New South Wales sold for $244. The Currabungla bred Merino ewes weighed 57.4kg and were mostly score 3. The ewes cut $80 worth of wool in 2017.

Another stand-out line of 330 Early-May shorn 5 year-old Merino ewes at West Wyalong in NSW sold for $196.50 to a Victorian buyer. The ewes weighed 65.4kg, were score 3, and scanned 100pc in lamb to Poll Dorset lambs.

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A line of 400 20-21 month-old mid-April shorn Merino ewes at Talwood in Queensland sold for $165 last week. The ewes were station-mated to Border Leicester rams, weighed 48.4kg and were mostly score 1.

First cross ewes last week again made extreme prices online, with 222 12-13 month-old mid-January shorn ewes at Curramulka in South Australia making $324. The ewes were scanned in-lamb 100pc to Suffolk rams, weighed 71.8kg and were mostly score 4. A line of 387 3-7 year-old first cross ewes with 573 1-2 month-old Poll Dorset lambs from the same vendor made $351.50. The early-July shorn ewes weighed 78.3kg and were mostly score 2.

A line of 153 2-7 year-old Dorper ewes at Finley in NSW sold for $201 last week. The ewes were scanned in-lamb to Wiltipoll rams, weighed 70kg and were score 5 in condition. Two lines of mixed aged Suffolk ewes from Langkoop, South Australia, scanned in-lamb to Suffolk rams, made $180.

Store lambs last week sold for up to $139.50 for 600 August-September drop late-January shorn Poll Dorsets, 18.5kg cwt and score 2, at Cooma in NSW. Other 40-42kg lwt lambs made from $109 and averaged $124 or 297c/kg lwt.

The 24kg lambs made $77 or 322c/kg, the 27-29kg lambs sold from $95.50-$115 to average $106 or 322c/kg, and the 34-36kg lines made $104-$126.50 to average $118.50 or 338c/kg.

Solid demand for Merino wethers

AuctionsPlus said Merino and crossbred wether numbers were solid online last week. A top line of 110 mid-October shorn June-July drop Merino wether lambs weighing 16.4kg cwt and score 1 in condition at Forbes in NSW sold for $135. Merino wether lambs averaged $102 last week.

A line of 410 June-August drop Mid-March shorn first cross store wether lambs at Nyngan in NSW made $134.50. The lambs weighed 18.2kg cwt and were mostly score 2. First cross wether lambs averaged $130.

The Tasmanian Sheep Sale this week had a large listing of 4211 head and all were sold. A stand-out line of 400 August-September drop early-February shorn Corriedale wether lambs, 23.3kg cwt and score 3, made $153 at Oatlands. A line of 800 four year-old mid-March shorn Merino wethers at Fingal sold for $120 and 511 17.6kg wethers from the same vendor made $102.50. Both lots were sold to a mainland restocker.

The Alix Turner & Co Flock Dispersal was interfaced online via AuctionsPlus this week with 2161 head in seven lots of ewes and two lots of lambs. The top-priced lot was a line of 3.5-year-old Poll Merino ewes that are station mated to Poll Merino rams that made $145.

Source: AuctionsPlus.