AUCTIONSPLUS sheep and lamb listings increased by 10,000 to 43,536 head last week as the seasonally-driven sell-off continued in New South Wales.

New South Wales producers provided 31,066 of the sheep and lambs offered online, 9144 more than they listed the previous week.

Listings also increased in Tasmania, South Australia and Queensland, but decreased slightly in Victoria.

AuctionsPlus officer Ellen Simpson said the clearance rate steadied to 68 percent. Bidders flocked to the online sales, with 473 unique registered bidders logging on, she said.

Merino ewe hoggets sell to $200

Merino ewe lambs were in short supply. A line of off-shears Poll Merino lambs at Melrose in South Australia, weighing 29kg lwt, sold for $107. Ewe hoggets sold from $110 and $200, to average $160.

Merino breeders were short in supply and mixed in quality. At Tamworth in New South Wales, 140 station mated 2-5 year-old ewes, with a 70mm fleece and weighing an average of 37kg, made $86. At Hay, NSW, scanned empty 2-3 year-old Poll Merino ewes with a 45mm fleece sold for $181. A line of 835 scanned in-lamb 5-6 year-old ewes at Mungindi, NSW, with a 10mm fleece sold for $110. A line of 430 ewes with 460 lambs by White Suffolk rams and averaging 22kg lwt at Nevertire sold for $199.

Merino wether lambs sell to $90

Merino wether lambs averaged $76 and sold from $65 and $90. These included 1700 30kg lambs at Quilpie, QLD, with a 10mm fleece that sold for $80. Wether hoggets sold from $63 to $138 to average $92. A line of 150 head from Porcupine Ridge, VIC, weighing 45kg with a 60mm fleece made the top price. Rising three year old wethers at Tamworth weighing 50kg lwt with an 80mm fleece attracted bids from processors and restockers and made $161.

Scanned first cross ewe hoggets sell to $295

First cross ewe lambs averaged $209 and sold from $157 up to $223 for a line of 836 at Trangie, NSW weighing 57kg. At Glenorchy in Victoria 380 ewe lambs scanned in-lamb to White Suffolk rams and weighing 54kg sold for $240. Scanned in-lamb ewe hoggets sold to a top price of $295 and young breeders made to $252.

Numbers in other breeds were strong and most were scanned in-lamb lines. A dispersal of 2100 composite ewes at Henty, NSW, included 1300 5 to 9 year-old breeders scanned in-lamb to composite rams that averaged $146. Dohne/Merino breeders aged 7 to 8 years and scanned in-lamb to Border Leicester rams at Walcha, NSW, sold for an average of $85.

Sheep and lamb numbers in Tasmania more than doubled to 1254. A line of 500 mixed sex export lambs at Bothwell, weighing 25kg cwt made $180 or 726c/kg cwt including skin value. They sold to a local processor. At North Bruny, 174 3 to 5 year-old Merino ewes, scanned in-lamb to White Suffolk rams sold for $100.

New season lambs sell to $131.50

Almost 3500 new season suckers were offered for a complete clearance. The 2018 drop lambs weighed 13-31kg lwt and sold from $40 to $131.50 or 314-425c/kg lwt. A line of 450 Poll Dorset cross March/April 2018 drop lambs weighing 30kg at Toogong, NSW, made $130.50. At Harden, NSW, 670 White Suffolk cross suckers, April/May 2018 drop and weighing 30kg, averaged $111. At Nyngan, NSW, mixed sex White Dorper lambs, Feb/April 2018 drop and weighing 21kg sold for $69.

Source: AuctionsPlus.