These Merino ewe lambs at Nhill made $301 on AuctionsPlus last week.

MERINO ewe lamb prices surged on AuctionsPlus last week as  New South Wales and Victorian restockers competed for the online offerings across the nation.

Merino ewe lambs sold from $160 to $301, averaging $231, up $28 on the previous week, boosted by strong NSW and Victorian competition for Western Australian lines.

Producers offered 7881 ewe lambs, 2506 more, but the clearance rate fell slightly to 65 percent. The top price was paid for 355 12 month-old mid-November shorn Merino ewe lambs from Nhill, Victoria offered by R.J. & C.M. Eastick. The lambs weighed 58.4kg and were mostly score 4 in condition.

WA Merino ewe lambs dominate offering

Western Australia producers 7233 sheep and lambs last week, up 939, with 75pc selling and only one line staying in the state. The rest sold to Victorian and NSW buyers.

Merino ewe lambs were the largest stock category on offer in the WA sale and prices ranged from $200 to $241, averaging $230, up $24. The top price was paid for 560 12 month-old ewe lambs weighings 50kgs from W.H. and S. Henderson and from Kalgarin. The Eastville Park blood ewe lambs sold to a NSW buyer at Grenfell.

National online sheep and lamb offering up 5000

AuctionsPlus offered 68,035 sheep and lambs last week, just over 5000 more, but there was a slight decrease in clearance to 79pc. Tasmanian producers sold all they offered for the third consecutive week and sheep continued to move out of Western Australia to the eastern states. Producers in central western NSW (11,989) and the Riverina (8770) bought 30pc of the national offering.

Young Merino ewe sell to $327

Merino ewe hoggets sold from $111 to $327, averaging $234, down $32, and achieved a 96pc clearance. Amery Ag at Forbes, NSW, achieved the top price with three lines of 200 22-24 month-old Charinga and Langdene blood Merino ewe hoggets that hjad been joined to Border Leicester rams. The weighed 58kgs and carried a 4-5cm fleece. They were bought by a NSW buyer at Wagga Wagga and a Victorian operation at Euroa.

Older Merino ewes peak at $370

Prices for young Merino ewes, 2-4 years-old, were firm, at $202 to $310, averaging $264, up $4. The top price was paid for 440 2-3 year-old scanned in-lamb ewes weighing 54kgs from Butt Farms at Woottating, Western Australia. The ewes were scanned in-lamb to White Suffolk rams. Another highlight was a line of 2.6-3.6 year-old Thalabah and Bundaleer blood ewes weighing 58ks and with 4-5cm fleeces from ‘Carinya’ at Laggan, NSW, that made $307.

Proven Merino ewes, four years-old and older, sold from $181 to $370 and averaged $253, down $8. The clearance rate rose 17pc to 96pc. The top price was paid for 215 3.8-4.8 year-old Haddon REig blood poll Merino ewes from Brackmann Trading at Forbes, NSW. The ewes weighed 65kgs, had 6cm fleeces and were scanned in-lamb to Poll Dorset rams. Dunira Prime Lamb’s 135 3-6 year-old late January shorn Merino ewes at Manoora, SA, with 140 5-11 week-old White Suffolk and Poll Dorset cross lambs sold for $330. The Moorundie blood ewes weighed 64kgs and carried 2.5-3.5 cm fleeces.

Merino wether lamb prices average lower

Merino wether lamb numbers lifted to 16,011 head. They sold from $113 to $189 and averaged $158, down $4. The top price was paid for 95 Round Plain blood lambs weighing 49kgs and with 5-6.25cm fleeces from M.A.F. & K.L. Hedger at Cooma, NSW. Another highlight was 225 8-9 month-old Monaro blood lambs weighing 42kgs and with 5-6.25cm fleeces that made $181 for P & M. Sands at  Cooma.

Merino wethers sold from $150 to $181 and averaged firm at $167. The top price was paid for 395 rising 5 year-old Richmond blood wethers weighing 51kgs and with 2.5cm fleeces from Kiah Lake Pastoral Co at Cooma, NSW. They sold to a Cootamundra buyer.

Scanned first cross ewes sell to $431

First cross ewe lambs sold from $226 to $387 to average $313, up $13, and achieving a 79pc clearance. The top price was paid for 200 April-May 2019 drop lambs weighing 72kgs and with 4-5cm fleeces from A. & C. Cumming at Coolamon, NSW. They sold to a NSW buyer at Girral.

Buyers pushed the clearance rate for first cross ewes up to 93pc as prices ranged from $261 to $431 and averaged $376, up $11. The top price was paid for 235 19-21 month-old ewes weighing 74kgs from Gonlin Pty Ltd at Tatyoon, Victoria, that were scanned in-lamb to White Suffolk rams. Another highlight was $422 for 151 13-16 month-old ewes scanned in-lamb to Poll Dorset rams from D.B. & R.A. Munro at Daysdale, NSW. The ewes weighed 63kgs and carried 6-7.5cm fleeces.

Tasmania keeps top clearance record

Tasmanian producers offered 803 sheep and lambs online last week. The top price was paid for 225 7-8 month-old Cloven Hills weighing 43kgs from Wesley Dale Strowan Enterprises at Nile. They sold to a NSW buyer at Wallendbeen.

Store lamb numbers ease

Demand remained strong for the 2743 store lambs offered on AuctionsPlus last week and 87pc sold. Prices were up by 13c/kg liveweight, at 385-577c/kg and averaging 498c/kg. Some of the highlights included:

Poll Dorset cross, 30kgs, $172 or 577c/kg, Oct/Nov 2019 drop, Humula, NSW

White Suffolk crops, 30kgs, $170 or 559c/kg, January 2020 drop, Cootamundra, NSW

First cross mixed sexes, 28kgs, $155 or 552c.kg, Aug/Sep 2019 drop, Longreach, Queensland

Border Leicester cross, 36kgs, $196 or 543c/kg, Oct 2019 drop, Euchareena, NSW