These Merino ewe hoggets at Bowhill, SA, made $305 on AuctionsPlus last week.

MERINO ewe, lamb and wether prices lifted on AuctionsPlus last week, as the online offering dropped by 12,184 head to 70,903.

Central western New South Wales continued to be the dominant purchasing region, with producers securing 11,818 head, mainly comprising Merino wethers and wether lambs.

Merino ewe hoggets sell to $305

Merino ewe lambs sold from $161 to $260 and average $195, up $2 on the previous week. The top price was paid for a line of 12-13 month-old Narcoota blood ewe lambs from A.J. Prior at Eden Valley in South Australia. The lambs weighed 54kgs and carried 5-6cm fleeces.

Merino ewe hoggets sold from $225 to $305, averaging $202, down $48. The top price was paid for 369 14-15 month-old unjoined Kamora Netley blood hoggets in two lines, from K.P. & K.A. Krollig & Son at Bowhill, SA. The hoggets weighed 62.3kgs and had 4.5cm fleeces.

An offering 580 2-4 year-old Merino ewes sold from $165 to $229. The top price was paid for 97 empty Wanganella blood three year-old ewes from G.S. & R.J. Baker at Tullamore, New South Wales. The early June shorn Wanganella blood ewes weighed 49.6kgs and sold to a NSW buyer at Condobolin.

Merino breeders, four years and older, sold from $155 to $212 to average $180, down $6. The top price was paid for 375 scanned empty ewes from the Clare Partnership at Hay, NSW. The vendor bred ewes weighed 66kgs and carried 3cm fleeces. They were sold to a Dubbo buyer. A line of 120 rising five year-old unjoined ewes weighing 71kgs from C.J. and J.W. Hall at Parkes, NSW, sold for $190.

Merino wether lambs make $160

AuctionsPlus offered 12,108 Merino wether lamb last week and prices ranged from $105 to $160 to average $131, back $4. The top price was paid for a line of 9-10 month-old Hazeldean blood lambs from T.H. Cook at Braidwood, NSW, that weighed 42kgs. At Thargomindah in Queensland, the Picarilli Pastoral Co sold a line of 10-11 month-old Picarilli blood wethers weighing 51kgs for $155.

The online platform cleared 71pc of the Merino wethers offered last week at $120 to $160. They averaged $141, up $8. The top price was paid for a line of 12-13 month-old wethers offered by N.C. & D.S. Wiese at Mundulla, SA. The Andoma blood wethers weighed 52kgs and had 5.5cm fleeces. A line of 690 two year-old Bungulla blood wethers from the Caley Pastoral Co at Walgett, NSW, sold for $142. The wethers weighed 47kgs and carried 2.5cm fleeces.

First cross ewe lambs in strong demand

First cross ewe lambs were in high demand online last week, and 91pc of the 607-head offering was sold.

Lambs sold from $188 to $322, averaging $277, down $12. The top price was paid for M.A. & L.K. Ticehurst’s line of 9-10 month-old ewe lambs at Nyngan, NSW. The lambs weighed 53kgs and were sold to a NSW buyer at Forbes.  At Goondiwindi in Queensland, Rockybar Pty Ltd sold a line of 9-10 month-old ewe lambs weighing 48kgs and with 2.5-3cm fleeces for $220.

The offering of 1855 first cross ewes sold from $250 to $400, averaging $336, back $35. The top price as paid 51 22-23 month-old ewes scanned in-lamb to White Suffolk rams from the Mirnee Partnership at Hunter in Victoria. The ewes weighed 80kgs. At Canowindra in NSW, K.E. & M.R.A. Menzies sold a line of 15-16 month-old scanned in-lamb ewes for $383. The weighed 65kgs, were joined to Poll Dorset rams and had 7.5cm fleeces.

Tasmanian offering increased

In Tasmania last week, the AuctionsPlus offering rose by 312 to 884 head and 80pc were sold. Two lines of wether lambs totalling 310 from the Indigenous Land Company accounted for nearly 65pc of the catalogue, and sold for $111 and $135. The Leahcim blood lambs weighed 48kgs and carried 2.25cm fleeces. Another highlight was a line of 21-22-month-old Corriedale ewe hoggets weighing 42kgs offered by Lilliesleaf Farming at Oatlands that made $120.

Store lamb offering decreases

AuctionsPlus offered 5204 store lambs last week and the clearance rate lifted to 88pc. They sold from 319-661c/kg liveweight, averaging 453c/kg, a rise of 39 cents on last week. Highlights included:

–              May/Jun ’20 drop, 22kg, Poll Dorset/Merino mixed sex suckers from WAGGA WAGGA, New South Wales sold for 661c or $144

–              Mar/Apr ’20 drop, 31kg, Dohne/White Suffolk mixed sex suckers from PARUNA, South Australia sold for 465c or $152

–              Feb/Mar ’20 drop, 37kg, Dorper wether lambs from HILLSTON, New South Wales sold for 437c or $160

–              Mar/Apr ’20 drop, 36kg, Poll Dorset/Merino mixed sex suckers from CARWARP, Victoria sold for 423c or $152

–              Apr/May ’20 drop, 34kg, Poll Merino/White Suffolk mixed sex lambs from GEORGETOWN, South Australia sold for 409c or $141