AUCTIONSPLUS’ online sheep and lamb sale clearance rate increased by 15 percent last week as confidence lifted in some areas.

Sheep and lamb listings decreased by 23,337 to 33,850 head, but the overall clearance rate increased to 86 percent, helped by the forecast of rainfall in the coming weeks, AuctionsPlus said.

The Tuesday National Sheep sale was boosted by a flock dispersal of 1331 head from C.B. & C.E. Keating at Berrybank in Victoria. All the sheep were sold, with Merino ewes averaging $128 and Merino wethers averaged $127.

The season’s final weekly National Lamb Sale had a strong 93pc clearance for 13,595 lamb offered in 40 lots. The sale will return again for new season lambs in spring.

Scanned Merino ewes sell to $245

Scanned in lamb Merino ewes sold from $104 to $245, averaging $154. A line of 316 scanned in-lamb Poll Merino ewes at Finley, New South Wales, achieved the top price. The 18-19 month-old Willurah blood ewes weighed 59kgs and carried a 7.5cm fleece. They were joined to Suffolk rams and sold to a buyer at Forbes. At Navarre in Victoria, two lots of 265 scanned in-lamb Merino ewes sold for $150. The four year-old Charinga/Avenel blood ewes weighed 52kgs and were joined to Merino rams.

Unjoined Merinos ewes make $176

Unjoined Merino ewes averaged $130 and sold from $91 to $176 on AuctionsPlus last week. At Gulgong in NSW, 247 rising six year-old Merino ewes offered by Slapdash Creek Partnership achieved top price. The Glanna blood ewes weighed 61kgs, had a 5cm fleece and stayed in NSW. A line of 250 1.5 year-old Merino ewes offered as part of the Keating flock dispersal at Berrybank sold for $122. The Wallaloo Park blood ewes weighed 39kgs and carried 5cm fleece. They were sold to South Australian buyer at Kingston.

Merino wether value lifts

Merino wethers sold from $60 to $133 on AuctionsPlus, averaging $105, an increase of $8 on the previous week. A line of 335 18-19 month-old wether hoggets from the Slapdash Creek Partnership sold for the top price. These Glanna blood wethers weighed 44kgs and carried a 5cm fleece. The sold to a NSW buyers. At Orange in NSW, 430 18 month-old wethers sold for $86. The bare shorn Kerin Poll blood wethers weighed 42kgs and were bought by a NSW processor.

Merino wether lambs sell to $113

Merino wether lambs sold from $74.50 to $113, averaging $95. At Mintar in South Australia, 300 May/June 2018 drop Merino wether lambs made the top price. The freshly shorn Moorundie Park blood wethers weighed 40kgs. At Thallon in Queensland, 350 August-September 2018 drop wether lambs sold for $81 to a NSW buyer at Yetman. The wethers weighed 29kgs and carried a 4.5cm fleece.

Top price of $218 for first cross ewe lambs

Scanned in-lamb first cross ewes sold from $130 to $220, averaging $188. The top price was paid by a local buyer for 195 ewes at Mulwala, NSW. These 3.5 year-old Egelabra blood ewes weighed 80kgs and were joined to Poll Dorset and White Suffolk rams. At Benalla in Victoria, 150 rising three year-old first cross ewes sold for $174 to a NSW buyer at Finley. The 54kg ewes were joined to Poll Dorset rams.

First cross ewe lambs sold from $145 to $218, averaging $173. The top price was paid for 104 11-12 month-old unjoined ewes at Narromine, NSW. The freshly shorn lambs weighed 51kgs and will remain in NSW. At Walgett in NSW, 550 ewe lambs sold for $150 to a Forbes buyer. These August-September 2018 drop lambs weighed 29kgs and carried 5.5cm fleece.

Crossbred lambs sold from 228c/kg to 415c/kg liveweight, averaging 347c. The top price per kilogram lwt was paid for 380 composite cross store lambs at Yea in Victoria. The August-September 2018 drop lambs weighed 35kgs and were sold to a NSW buyer at Gulgong. At Gilgandra in NSW, 105 September-October 2018 drop White Suffolk cross store lambs sold for 345c/kg. The lambs weighed 36kgs lwt and were sold to a Crookwell buyer.

Source: AuctionsPlus.