These 14-15 month-old scanned-in-lamb White Dorper-Aussie White ewes at Forbes in NSW sold for $228 on AuctionsPlus last week.

INTEREST in sheep breeding stock — especially joined and scanned-in-lamb ewes — continued on AuctionsPlus last week.

AuctionsPlus said its sheep and lamb offering dropped 27 percent to 56,579 head, driven mainly by New South Wales.

The overall clearance was relatively flat on the previous week at 76pc. The average price paid for crossbred lambs eased 8pc or $9 to $105. Value over reserve was up, however, rising $3 to $15.

This time last year listings dropped by a similar percentage, and lambs were the driver once again. The crossbred lamb offering dropped 47pc to 11,540, and there were similar falls for first cross ewe lambs and shedding breeds.

NSW producers stepped out of the online market in a large way last week. There were more than 17,000 fewer head listed in the state than the previous week, and more than 14,000 fewer head purchased by NSW farmers.

However, AuctionsPlus said there was still plenty of demand for crossbred and Merino wether lambs, with full clearance in those categories, although prices dipped.

Joined ewes continued to be highly sought after, with most categories fully sold amid strong price gains. The average price for scanned-in-lamb first cross ewes jumped $75 to $257, while the average price for scanned-in-lamb shedding ewes rose $94.

The average price paid for crossbred lambs decreased $9 to $105 for a 99pc clearance. At Cookardinia in Victoria, 460 mixed sex June/July drop Poll Dorset cross lambs weighing 47kg lwt sold for $157 or 335c/kg to a buyer in Epsom, Victoria.

The Merino wether offering dropped 8pc to 9842 head, with average price paid decreasing $2 to $65. Clearance was 100pc. At Keith in South Australia, 554 April/May drop Merino wethers weighing 36kg lwt sold for $92 or 253c/kg to a buyer in Nhill, Victoria.

Joined ewes continued to be highly sought after. The average price paid for the 2136 scanned-in-lamb Merino ewes offered rose $15 to $177. AuctionsPlus cleared 83 of listed stock.

The scanned-in-lamb first cross ewes doubled to 1278 head, with the average price leaping $75 to $257. Buyers weren’t deterred by the higher prices and were sold. At Junee in NSW, 751 Border Leicester/Merino ewes in four lots sold to a buyer in Redan Victoria. The pick of the lots was 272 ewes, 3.5 years old and weighing 67kg, that made $298/head, or 446c/kg lwt.

Note: Prices as at 5pm Thursday, 1st February 2024

Source – AuctionsPlus.