News

Llanthro first cross ewes to $242, classed Merinos to $130

Terry Sim January 20, 2015
Llanthro flock first cross ewes Jan19-15 Pic- Sally Porter

The TDC Penola team sell first cross ewes at the Llanthro flock dispersal yesterday. Picture: Sally Porter.

Prime lamb producers dominated bidding at the Llanthro flock dispersal at Apsley yesterday, paying to $242 for joined first cross ewes, and to $130 for unjoined classed Merino ewes and lines joined to Border Leicester rams.

Buyers from throughout NSW, Victoria and SA attended the dispersal of the 10,000 head crossbred and 18 micron Nerstane-blood Merino flock, following the sale of the property near the Victoria-SA border.

Selling agent TDC Penola’s Rob Handbury said the first cross ewes and Merinos joined to Border Leicester rams sold about $30 above expectations, reflecting the strength of the lamb market, and the classed unjoined Merino ewes sold $10-$20 below what was hoped.

“It takes a specialised breeder who is concentrating on the Merino who is looking for classed ewes to pay premium money for them.

“To an extent yesterday we didn’t see those premiums for the unjoined classed Merino ewes,” he said.

“But we saw solid competition on the classed Merino ewes which represented fair value to both buyer and seller, and all the Merinos joined to Border Leicesters sold extremely well.”

TDC Penola auctioneer Darren Maney said all the smaller-framed Merino ewes classed out of the main flock and joined to Border Leicester rams, apart from the 5.5-year-olds, made as much as the classed-in unjoined ewes.

“This highlighted the lack of interest in the wool market and the level of interest in the meat market.”

Mr Handbury believed many of the unjoined classed Merino ewes sold in the sale will be joined with Border Leicester rams to supply the ongoing demand for first cross ewes for prime lamb production.

October-shorn first cross ewes to $242

Mr Maney said the top price of $242 was paid for a run of 382 1.5-year-old first cross ewes by a TDC Penola client and by a Miller Whan and John Mt Gambier client for 274 2.5-year-old first cross ewes.

An Elders Strathalbyn client paid $216 for 378 3.5-year-old first cross ewes and $172 for 176 4.5-year-old ewes. All the first cross ewes were October shorn and joined to Poll Dorsets in December.

Unjoined Merino ewes make to $130

The unjoined classed December shorn Merino ewes sold to $130 for 322 1.5-year-olds and $120 for another 594, both to SA Livestock Naracoorte clients. The first 248 2.5-year-old ewes were bought by a TDC Penola client for $125 and another 292 made $118 to Rodwells Horsham.

A line of 496 3.5-year-old Merino ewes were bought by an Arcadian Wool Hamilton client for $118 and another 202 made $112 and $120 in two runs. The remaining 486 4.5-year-old unjoined ewes sold to the Llanthro property purchaser, Growth Farms Australia, for $96.

Border Leicester joined ewes make to $130

The smaller-framed classed out Merino ewes joined to Border Leicester rams made to $130 for the 200 2.5-year-olds, to $102 for the 172 1.5-year-olds, from $120-$124 for the 399 3.5-year-olds and $96-$112 for 992 5.5-year-old ewes. The buyers were from Millicent, Keith, Ballarat, Naracoorte and Horsham.

Merino ewe lambs sold well

The top 865 unshorn July-August 2013 drop Merino ewe lambs sold for $80, with Rodwells Horsham taking 700 and a TDC client buying 165. The 554 seconds went to Henriks Rural at Bordertown for $62.

The first 500 1.5-year-old October shorn Merino wethers, estimated 19kg cwt, sold to PPH&S Naracoorte for $92. Midfield Meat paid $83 for a line of 227 wethers and $66 for 104 seconds. A SA Livestock Naracoorte client paid $86 for the 1033 woolly Merino wether lambs with 363 seconds making $61 to run on.

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