These scanned in-lamb Merino ewes at Collarenebri in NSW sold for $234 on AuctionsPlus last week.

SCANNED in-lamb ewes made up almost half the reduced offering of sheep and lambs and sold for up to $266 on AuctionsPlus last week.

AuctionsPlus market operations officer Anna Adams said sheep and lamb numbers totalled 34,005 head, 3500 fewer than the previous week.

“With lamb price records being smashed in physical markets, the excitement flowed into other sectors and both prices and clearance rates improved, with 80 percent of lots sold,” she said.

Ms Adams said good return for lambs are allowing producers to seek breeders to top up their flocks.

Scanned first cross ewes sell to $250

Scanned first cross ewes sold from $122-$250, to average $214. Several lines of scanned in-lamb ewe lambs made $225-$246, averaging $236. The top-priced line of 330 11-14 month-old early December shorn first cross ewes at Wellington, New South Wales, were scanned 100pc in-lamb to Poll Dorset rams. The ewes weighed 52.1kg lwt and were mostly score 3 in condition.

Scanned composite ewes made $129-$266 and averaged $196. The top price was paid for 125 12-13 month-old Cashmore Oaklea bred ewes at Mingbool in South Australia that were 168pc scanned in-lamb to Cashmore Oaklea rams. Another 125 from the same vendor made $265.50. The ewes were mid-February shorn, weighed 54.9kg lwt and were mostly score 3. Unjoined composite ewe lambs sold from $83-$135 to average $109.

In-lamb Merino ewes make $234

Merino ewes scanned in-lamb averaged $157, and made from $80 up to $234 for February-shorn rising 3 year-old, Karbullah blood ewes, scanned 130pc in-lamb to Merino rams at Collarenebri, NSW. The ewes were early February shorn, weighed 56.3kg lwt and were mostly score 3. Merino ewe lambs made $108-$173 to average $150.

Merino wether lamb numbers were well back this week, with many already been sold to retain core breeders. Prices ranged from $65-$112 and averaged $86, no change on the previous week.

New season lamb numbers remain limited, with the last of last year’s lambs still hitting the market. The 2018 drop lambs offered weighing 16-30kg lwt sold from $81-$102.50 or 321-512c/kg lwt.

Source: AuctionsPlus.