STORE lambs dominated AuctionsPlus listings last week, as the online platform’s sheep and lamb offering increased to 49,886.

AuctionsPlus offered 17,500 store lambs last week, which sold for up to $106. More than 14,000 sheep and lambs were offered online in Victoria.

Meanwhile in saleyards late last week, new season lamb prices were generally firm to dearer, supported by continuing restocker demand.

On Friday at the Cowra saleyards in New South Wales, light 12.1-18kg cwt new season  lambs with skins valued at up to $7 made $60-$110, or 346-681c/kg. Cowra’s light and medium trade young lambs with $5-$10 skins made $107-$130, or 515-571c/kg, and 22.1-26kg lambs with $3-$10 skins sold for $127-$144, or 513-570c/kg. Heavier new season lambs with $3-$5 skins made $148-$160, or 530-574c/kg.

At the Griffith saleyards, light slaughter young lambs with $1-$8 skins made $85-$107, or 380-556c/kg, and 20-24kg trade weights with $1-$8 skins sold for $115-$126, or 510-539c/kg. Some 24.1-26kg lambs with $9 skins made $142, or 532c/kg.

In Victoria at the Shepparton saleyards on Friday, 12.1-18kg young lambs with skins valued at up to $8 sold for $65-$99, or 387-623c/kg. The 18.1-22kg lambs with skins valued at up to $10 made $96-$155, or 450-540c/kg. The 22.1-26kg+ lambs with $2-$11 skins made $114-$148.50, or 462-520c/kg.

NLRS indicators for lamb firm to dearer

After Friday’s saleyard sales, the ESDIs for lamb, their daily and weekly changes, were: restocker 549c/kg, up 1 cent, up 6 cents; Merino 474c/kg, up 10c, up 15c; light 512c/kg, up 1c, up 20c; trade 518c/kg, up 1c, up 16c; heavy 522c/kg, no change, up 19c. The national trade lamb indicator finished the week up one cent on 518 and the heavy lamb indicator was firm on 522c/kg.

The ESDI for mutton and the national indicator both closed on 331c/kg.

More composite lambs offered on AuctionsPlus

AuctionsPlus market operations officer Anna Adams said more big lines of composite-bred lambs were offered last week, indicating more producers were looking at the infusion of typically high-fertility ewes into their flocks.

The lighter end of the composite lambs, 26-29kg lwt, sold from $82-$95.50, or above 300ckg lwt or 700c/kg cwt. Across all breeds and 30kg lambs made $78.50-$87.50, 32-33kg lambs sold for $67-$92.50, with Dorper lambs at the lower end of the price bracket. The 34-35kg lambs made from $82 to a top of $106 for 270 unshorn July/August crop Poll Dorset cross lambs, 13.8kg cwt and mostly score 2, at Mudgee, NSW.

Store lambs 36-37kg lambs sold for $92-$104.50 with the top price paid for unshorn May/June drop Poll Dorset-Primeline cross lambs at Gunning. The 38-39kg lambs made $85-$101, including a line of 1100 unshorn June/July/August drop White Suffolk/Merino cross lambs, 17.1kg cwt and mostly score 1 and 2, at Crookwell, NSW, that sold for $98 for a gross sale value of $107,800. The 40-41kg lambs made $96.50-$105 and the 42-44kg lambs sold from $100.50-$104.

Merino wether lamb prices were back to an average of $69 this week, ranging in price from $53-$83.50, with the top price paid for a large line of 910 woolly April-May drop lambs at Priarie in northern Victoria, weighing 15.7kg cwt and mostly score 2. Wether hoggets sold from $66.50-$90.50 to average $78. The top-price was paid for a line of 900 17-18 month-old mid-September shorn wethers at Melville Forest in southern Victoria that weighed 22.8kg cwt and mostly score 2s.

Merino ewe prices improved with maidens making from $81 to a top of $140 for 13-14 month-old Bundilla blood ewes, early November shorn, 44.5kg lwt and mostly score 2, at Young in NSW. Merino ewes 2-4 years-old made $81.50-$167, with the top price going to 310 2.5 year-old late August shorn Moorundie Park blood ewes, 75.1kg lwt, at Balaklava in South Australia. Mixed age lines made $68.50 to a top of $157 for 2-5 year-old ewes scanned to Border Leicester rams.

Unjoined first cross ewes, 16-17 months-old, September shorn and 59.3kg lwt, sold for $191 at Balmoral in western Victoria.

Cowra’s slaughter lambs sell firm

In New South Wales at the Cowra saleyards on Friday, the agents yarded 7500 lambs, 160 more than last week, and 2350 sheep, 700 more.

The NLRS said lamb quality was good, particularly for the shorn new season lambs, which were well-finished. Mainly trade and heavy weights were penned, along with a good run of store lambs suitable for restockers. All the usual buyers operated and competition was solid, resulting in a firm market.

Light lambs bought by the processors held firm and averaged $109, while store lambs mostly ranged from $94-$107, up $1. Medium and heavy trade weight new season lambs were firm and averaged 540c/kg cwt. Most of the quality heavy trade weight lambs sold from $120-$130. Heavy weight lambs were firm to a couple of dollars dearer and ranged mostly from 530-548c/kg. A pen of extra heavy weight shorn new season lambs topped at $160, with an estimated carcase weight of 28kg.

Some quality heavy sheep were penned. Heavy first cross ewes were $5 dearer and mainly ranged from $91-$97.60 or 310c/kg cwt. Heavy Merino wethers also sold dearer and averaged $88 or 330c/kg.

Griffith’s heavy lambs lift $3-$4

At the Griffith saleyards on Friday, the agents yarded 2450 lambs, 300 fewer than last week, and 2150 sheep, 850 less.

The NLRS said lamb quality was very mixed, with some better finished lambs offered, along with those showing the effects of the warmer drier weather. Not all the usual buyers were present to compete in a fairly steady market.

Light new season lambs sold from $100-$107. Trade weights made from $115-$126 and heavy weights sold to $142. Old trade weight lambs averaged $120. Heavy lambs made $124-$134. Extra heavy lambs lifted $3-$4 to sell from $136-$157. Light and medium weight Merino lambs sold from $93-$106.

The sheep were mostly Merinos and quality was fair. Prices remained fairly steady, with Merino ewes selling from $74-$95. Crossbred ewes ranged from $70-$84. Dorper ewes averaged $90.

Shepparton lamb prices firm to dearer

In Victoria at the Shepparton saleyards on Friday, the agents yarded 3500 lambs, 380 more than last week, and 1400 sheep, 1600 fewer.

The NLRS said lamb quality remained very mixed, with most pens showing dryness and seed in the skins. Not all the regular processing orders operated, but the lamb market was firm to dearer.

The best gains were made by the better quality heavy trade and export young lambs, which were in limited supply. The market reached a top of $148. There were only a few pens of heavy young lambs which sold from $134-$148. These lambs were estimated to have made 490-520c/kg cwt and averaged over 500c/kg. The plainer finished domestic lambs generally sold from $105-$118, with most sales similar to last week.

There was solid restocker demand from Corowa and the local area and the general run of store lambs, 15-18kg cwt, were firm to slightly dearer at $83-$99 for most. The market showed a noticeable price increase for bigger lines of up to 200 head of very young and small lambs under 14kg which sold from $65-$73.

The sheep market was firm to a few dollars dearer across most categories. A well-presented line of Merino wethers, estimated at around 27kg cwt, sold for the top price of $100. Heavy crossbred and Merino ewes sold from $75-$94.50.

Sources: MLA, NLRS, AuctionsPlus.