These August-September drop Merino wether lambs at Bibbenluke, NSW, weighed at 31.1kg lwt and sold for $120 on AuctionsPlus.

MERINO ewe hoggets sold to $200 and first cross ewe lambs sold to $180 on AuctionsPlus last week.

Sheep and lamb numbers listed online last week fell by almost 25,000 to 58,254 head.

Lamb numbers are beginning to subside and were back 8500 head on the previous week, to 18,500.

Merino hoggets were well-supplied, but mixed in quality, and sold from $92 to $200, for an average of $146. The top-priced line of 192 16-17 month-old unjoined late August shorn ewes at Cooma in New South Wales weighed 50.6kgs and were mostly score 2. A line of 550 17-18 month-old Merino hoggets weighing 47kg at Inverell, NSW, sold for $152 to Victorian buyer at Bendigo.

A line of 9-10 month old Poll Merino ewe lambs weighing 31kg lwt at Orroroo in South Australia sold for $111.

Proven Merino breeders to $200

Numbers of proven Merino breeders were strong, with the best achieving $200 for an average of $139. The top-priced ewes at Yerong Creek, NSW, weighed 60kg and were scanned in-lamb to Poll Dorset and White Suffolk rams. A line of 2000 station-mated, rising 5 year-old Poll Merino ewes offered at Barcaldine, Queensland, sold in three lines for an average of $99.

Merino wether lamb numbers were reasonable, though quality was mixed with prices ranging from $63 to $120, to average $95. The top line were 31kg August-September drop wether lambs at Bibbenluke, NSW. At Inverell, NSW, 1300 August-September drop Merino wethers weighing 36kg averaged $111.50. The Merino wether hoggets offered last weel were similarly mixed in quality and made $59.50-$100. A line of 550 at Bombala, NSW, weighing 38kg sold for $80.50.

First cross ewe lambs sold to a top of $180 and averaged $158. Two lines received the top price; one at Holbrook, NSW and the other at Illabo, NSW. Young breeders at Shepparton in Victoria topped the listings at $250 for a line of two year-old scanned in-lamb ewes weighing 78kg. A line of 4-6 year-old station-mated ewes at Condobolin, NSW, sold for $182. A line of rising 5 year-old station- mated ewes weighing 72kg at Tungkillo, SA, sold for $170.50.

Notable lamb sales included a line of 790 mixed sex Merino lambs weighing 22kg at Hawker, SA, making $56.50. A line of 810 Poll Merino/Dohne lambs weighing 30kg at Longreach, QLD, sold for $73. A line of 2-3 year-old Dohne/Merino ewes weighing 65kg at Blackall, QLD, sold for $167. Numbers in Tasmania were limited, where a line of 4-7 year-old Corriedale cross ewes weighing 58kg sold for $74.

Source: AuctionsPlus.