These 20-21 month-old first cross ewes sold for $281 at Tarcutta, NSW, on AuctionsPlus last week.

AUCTIONSPLUS online sheep and lamb listings increased last week, with another big turn-off of stock from drought-stricken New South Wales.

Online sheep and listings totalled 74,505 head last week, an increase of 2874, with NSW producers offering 54,456, about 10,000 more.

Online clearance lifts despite bigger offering

Post-sale negotiations lifted clearance to 66 percent, an increase of about 20pc on the previous week.

Numbers were lifted by the Yalgoo Commercial ewe sale where 2511 Merino ewes were interfaced online from Walcha, NSW. The sale averaged $123 and sold from $80 to $182, with an online buyer from Kangaroo Island, SA, paying the top price for 660 14-15 month-old early September shorn Merino ewes that weighed 41.3kg and were mostly score 3 in condition. The Kangaroo island buyer bought four out of the eight lots offered.

Online offerings drop from Victoria, South Australia and Queensland

Victoria’s online sheep and lamb offering more than halved last week, falling 9258 to 6043. Numbers also dropped from South Australia — by 378 to 7584 — and from Queensland — by 4900 to 4397. Tasmania offered 2025 sheep and lambs, 1606 more than the previous week.

Merino ewe hoggets sell to $232.50

Across the sales this week, Merino ewe hoggets averaged $157, selling from $80 to $232.50. The top price was paid for 263 Kilmore blood mid-September shorn Poll Merino ewes at Frances in South Australia that were scanned 146pc in-lamb to White Suffolk rams. The ewes weighed 69.3kg lwt and mostly score 3Another line of 263 of the SIL hoggets made $231.50.

Merino ewes sold from $47.5 to $210 and averaged $127.50. The top price was paid for two runs of 263 three year-old mid-September shorn Poll Merino ewes scanned 163pc in-lamb to White Suffolk rams. The ewes weighed 80.6kg and were mostly score 4.

Merino wethers lambs make to $110

Merino wether lambs sold from $50 to $110 and averaged $79 online last week. The top price was paid for 380 unshorn July-September drop Westplain blood Poll Merino wether lambs at Henty in NSW. The lambs weighed 37.4kg lwt or 14.7kg cwt, were mostly score 1 and were bought by a buyer at Nhill in Victoria.

Merino wethers sold from $70 to $78 and averaged $73. The top price was paid for 300 August-September 2017-drop mid-January shorn Roseville Park blood wethers at Avenel in Victoria.

Scanned first cross ewe hoggets sell to $281

First cross ewe lambs and hoggets sold from $82.5 to $281 and averaged $169 on AuctionsPlus last week. The top price was paid for 280 19-21 month-old early January shorn ewes at Tarcutta in NSW that were scanned 151pc in-lamb to Poll Dorset rams. The ewes weighed 55.5kg lwt and were mostly score 2.

Highlights from the Tasmanian sheep sale included a line of 120 rising 2.5 year-old early January shorn composite ewes at Westwood that made $204. The ewes weighed 72.9kg, were mostly score 3 and were bought by a buyer at Whitemore in Tasmania.

Primeline ewe lambs make $265 and scanned SAMM ewes $230

These SIL SAMM ewe hoggets at Cumnock, NSW, sold for $230 on AuctionsPlus last week.

At Young in New South Wales, 310 July-August 2018-drop Primeline ewe lambs sold for $265. The ewes weighed 52.7kg lwt and were mostly score 4. Another heavier line of 380 Primeline ewe lambs sold for $256.

A line of 285 19-21 month-old late February shorn SAMM ewes scanned 138pc in-lamb to Poll Dorset rams sold for $230 at Cumnock in New South Wales. The ewes weighed 65.5kg and were mostly score 3.

At Woolsthorpe in Victoria, 74 second cross 3.5 year-old White Suffolk ewes sold for $171. The ewes were station mated to White Suffolk rams and weighed 82kgs.

In the Butt Livestock & Property annual breeders’ sale on AuctionsPlus, 5479 Merino ewes and wethers sold from $58 to $184 and averaged $143. The strong clearance rate of 71pc was helped by bidders from NSW and Victoria. The sale. The top price was paid for 275 2.4-4.5 year-old Merino ewes at Bookham in NSW. The Bogo blood ewes weighed 53kgs.