These mid-February shorn Severn Park blood Mreino ewes sold for $267 on AuctionsPlus last week.

MOST Merino ewe categories posted price increases in a larger AuctionsPlus offering last week.

The offering 81,000 sheep and lambs was 13,500 head up on the previous week and the platform achieved an overall 87 percent clearance rate.

Just under 40,000 lambs were offered and these were mainly Merino wether (21,630) and crossbred lambs (10,750).

The central western and Riverina regions of New South Wales each secured more than 11,000 head from the week’s catalogue.

Merino ewe lambs sell to $267

Merino ewe lambs sold from $85 to $267 and averaged $207, up $27.  The top price was paid for a line of July/August 2019 drop Severn Park blood lambs with 7cm fleeces and weighing 49kgs from Martin Bros Pastoral at Cassilis, NSW. They sold to a NSW buyer at Bethungra.

Merino ewe hoggets sold from $156 to $301, to average $221, down $23. The top price went to a line of 17-18 month-old Poll Boonoke blood Poll Merino hoggets weighing 64kgs and with 1.5cm fleeces from K.J. Hall at Narrandera, NSW.

Young Merino ewes 2-4 years-old sold from $130 and $245 and averaged $216, up $14.   a dearer price trend this week, up $14. The top price was paid for 190 unjoined 3.5 year-old Poll Boonoke blood ewes weighing 73kgs and with 1.5cm fleeces from K.J. Hall at Narrandera. AuctionsPlus achieved a 91pc clearance rate for the category.

Older Merino ewe price average lifts $14

Proven Merino ewes 4 years and older followed a similar trend, selling from $121 to $251, to average $192, up $14. Thje top price was paid for a line of mixed age ewes, scanned in-lamb to White Suffolk rams, with 9.5cm fleeces and weighing 75kgs, from Broadlands at Jabuk, South Australia. AuctionsPlus sold 96pc of the offering.

Merino wether lambs are in demand

Merino wether lambs were in high demand online last week and sold from $76 to $147 to average $119, firm on the previous week. The top price was a paid for a line of September/October 2019 drop Bundilla blood lambs weighing 56kgs and with 7.5cm fleeces from Consulting and Labouring Solutions in Yass, NSW. AuctionsPlus achieved a 98pc clearance rate.

The Merino wether offering was cleared at $90 to $134 for an average of $116, $15 down. The top price went to a line of recently shorn 14-15 month-old Carmel Lorlea blood wethers weighing 51`kgs   from D.R.J. & K.L. Slorach at Navarre, Victoria. They were sold to a Kilmore buyer.

First cross ewe lamb price average drops $20

First cross ewe lambs sold from $202 to $325, averaging $269, back $20. The top price was paid for a line of unjoined October 2019 drop lambs weighing 67kg and with 4cm fleeces offered by the Llanver Trust at Narromine, NSW. AuctionsPlus achieved an 81pc clearance for the category.

AuctionsPlus sold a small offering of 730 first cross ewes from $227 to $319 to averaging $308, up $60. The top price was paid by a run of 2 year-old ewes weighing 66kgs from R.I & S Hill at Mount Drummond, SA.

The 131 ewes with lambs offered last week sold from $253 to $371, to average $300, down $11. The top price was paid for a line of mixed age White Dorper ewes weighing 73kgs with 2-9 week-old White Dorper lambs from G.C. & S.L. Cullinan at Wentworth, NSW.

Merino lambs make to $78 in Tasmania

A 68pc clearance was achieved at Tasmania’s first sheep sale for several weeks, the offering of 3278 head consisting of 2019 drop lambs. The offering included 1830 October-November 2019 drop Merino wether lambs from AN Cala Pty Ltd. They sold from $76 to $78 and averaged $77 in three lines. They weighed 32kgs and had 6mm skins. The same vendor sold the top priced Merino ewe lambs for $98. The October/November 2019 drop Stockman blood lambs weighed 35kgs.

Store lamb numbers jumped

Store lamb numbers jumped last week by nearly 2000 head to 10,750 There was a 92pc clearance rate at 308-483c/kg liveweight, averaging 388c/kg, down 5 cents. Highlights included:

– Apr/May ‘20 drop, 26kg, White Suffolk/Merino mixed sex suckers from PIANGIL, Victoria sold for 483c or $128

– May/Jun ’20 drop, 30kg, Poll Dorset/Border Leicester/Merino mixed sex suckers from FINLEY, New South Wales sold for 447c or $134

– May – Jul ’20 drop, 36kg, White Suffolk/Merino mixed sex suckers from KINGSCOTE, South Australia sold for 380c or $137

– Mar/Apr ’20 drop, 32kg, White Suffolk/Dohne mixed sex suckers from KAPUNDA, South Australia sold for 364c or $115

– May/Jun ’20 drop, 34kg, Poll Dorset/Poll Merino mixed sex lambs from ORROROO, South Australia sold for 383c or $131

– Apr/May ’20 drop, 37kg Poll Dorset/Merino mixed sex suckers from GRENFELL, New South Wales sold for 385c or $142