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Online Merino ewe sell-off escalates as tight season gets colder

Sheep Central, June 4, 2018

These 5-7 year-old Merino ewes at Guyra, NSW, sold for $123-$123.50 on AuctionsPlus last week.

MERINO ewe numbers doubled to almost 14,000 on AuctionsPlus last week, as overall listings increased.

AuctionsPlus market operations officer Ellen Simpson said 47,364 sheep and lambs were offered online last week, an increase of 16,123.

A clearance rate of 76 percent was achieved after post-sale negotiations, with the week’s sheep auctions attracting 490 registered bidders and 473 guests.

Merino ewe lambs sold from $127 up to $162 for a line of 800 9-10 month-old 42kg ewes from Nhill in Victoria.

Ewe hoggets were mixed in quality and sold from $60 to $193. The top price was paid for 630 12-13 month-old ewe hoggets at Milvale, New South Wales. They weighed 44 kg and has a 60mm fleece. Young Merino breeders sold from $120 up to $183 for 192 2-4 year-old ewes at Violet Town in Victoria. They weighed 52kg and were scanned in-lamb to Poll Dorset and White Suffolk rams.

Proven Merino breeders were well-supplied and sold from $53 to $140 to average $107. A line of 1400 September shorn 5-7 year-old ewes with a 65mm fleece at Guyra, NSW sold for $123-$123.50 to a Glen Innes buyer. They weighed 51kg and were scanned in-lamb to Border Leicester rams. A line of 225 4-5 year-old Merino ewes with 260 18kg Dorper cross lambs at Mudgee, NSW, sold for $175.

Merino wether and lamb listings halve

AuctionsPlus Merino wether and wether lamb listings halved to 5750 last week. Lambs sold from $64 to $107 to average $78, down $6 on last week. The top price was paid for 450 lambs at Michelago in the Australian Capital Territory. They weighed 38kg and had a 55mm fleece. A line of 500 17-19 month-old wethers weighing 43kg at Eromanga in Queensland sold for $68. At Hamilton in Victoria, 420 two year-old wethers weighing 39kg and with a 60mm fleece made $132.

First cross ewes sell to $250

Fewer first cross ewes were offered online last week, with proven breeders making up most of listings. First cross ewe lambs were in short supply. Proven breeders sold from $112 up to $195 for a line of rising 2-3 year-old 63kg ewes at Harden, NSW. They were scanned in-lamb to Poll Dorset rams. At Mundulla in South Australia, 380 62kg first cross ewe hoggets scanned in-lamb to White Suffolk rams sold for $250.

Other crossbred ewes sell to $221

Other crossbred ewe offerings totalled almost 7000, boosted by 1500 composite ewe lambs at Apsley in Victoria sold from $188 to $221. They were scanned in-lamb and weighed an average 46kg. At Lochaber in South Australia, 450 10-12 month-old composite ewes weighing 54kg sold from $160 to $216.  A line of 700 2-5 year-old Dorper ewes at Longreach in Queensland made $217. They were scanned in-lamb and weighed 53kg.

Good store lamb clearance

Store lambs were sought after and 90pc of the, 9200 offered were sold for $65-$127. The top price was paid for a line of 770 39kg September-October drop Poll Dorset cross lambs at Walcha, NSW. At Copping in Tasmania, 230 August 2017 drop White Suffolk cross lambs weighing 39kg sold for $126 or 323c/kg lwt.

New season suckers were offered for the second week, including 350 mixed sex lambs from Gidgee Enterprises at Cootamundra, NSW, who have been regulars on AuctionsPlus selling their new season lambs for the past few years. Their draft of 21kg lambs sold for $85 head or 404c/kg cwt. A line of 1040 17kg cwt suckers at Wellington in NSW made $72.50 or 426c/kg.

Store lamb highlights

White Suffolk cross lambs, 41kg lwt, $119 or 290c/kg lwt, Mansfield, VIC

First cross wether lambs, 36kg, $110.50 or 306c/kg, Trangie, NSW

Highlander cross lambs, 39kg, $117 or 300c/kg, Cowra, NSW

Poll Dorset cross lambs, 36kg, $104 or 288c/kg, Armidale, NSW

Dorper wether lambs, 34kg, $92 or 270c/kg, Coonabarabran, NSW

White Suffolk cross lambs, 36kg, $118 or 327c/kg, Kingscote, SA

Source: AuctionsPlus.

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