These 6-7 year-old Merino ewes scanned 100pc in-lamb to Border Leicester rams and sold for $271 at Darby’s Falls in New South Wales last week.

AUSTRALIA’S online sheep and lamb offering fell by about 54,000 to 135,895 head last week, despite some large commercial ewe sales.

Price averages also fell in several categories and the store lamb offering was the dominant category.

Special commercial ewe sales offer 20,000 head last week, including the Jamestown Store Sale offering 9000, the Chrome Genetics ewe sale with 3800 head and the Cloven Hills ewe sale listing 6600.

South-west Victoria dominated the weekly listings again with 41,107 head offered, or about 30 percent of the catalogue. The largest purchasing region was central western New South Wales, where buyers secured 18,665 head, closely followed by the Riverina region’s 17,556 head purchased and south-west Victoria which bought 13,131 head.

Young Merino ewes sell to $313

Merino ewe lamb prices eased this week to range from $147 to $251 and average $207, down $10. The top price was paid for 730 recently shorn April/May 2020 drop Seymour Park blood lambs weighing 45kgs at Forbes, NSW, sold in two lines. They sold to a Wagga Wagga buyer. A line of 400 April/May 2020 drop Lines Gum Hill blood ewe lambs weighing 44kgs and with 20mm fleeces at Alawoona in South Australia sold for $250.

Merino ewe hoggets sold from $180 to $302 to average $247, $9 dearer. The top price was paid for a line of recently shorn unjoined 19-20 month-old Kiandra blood hoggets weighing 73kgs at Wudinna, SA.

Young merino ewes, 2-4 years-old made $159 to $313 and averaged $257, up $9. The top price was paid for 430 rising three year-old Barrama blood ewes weighing 61kgs and with 16mm fleeces, sold in two lines at Nareen in Victoria. They sold to a Horsham buyer. A line of 1.5-3.5 year-old Kiandra blood ewes weighing 70kgs in Minnipa, SA, sold for $290.

Proven Merino ewes, four years and older, sold from $124 to $271 and averaged $203, down $20. The top price was paid for a line of 6-7 year-old ewes weighing 67kgs, with 70mm fleeces and scanned in-lamb to Border Leicester rams at Darbys Falls, NSW. At Forbes, NSW, 435 unjoined 2.5-4.5 year-old ewes weighing 70kgs and with 25mm fleeces sold for $270.

Merino wethers and wether lambs hold firm

Merino wether lambs sold from $90 to $152 on AuctionsPlus last week and averaged firm on $126. The top price was paid for 330 April/May 2020 drop Poll Merino lambs weighing 46kgs and with 15mm fleeces at Nhill in Victoria. The sold to a NSW buyer at Coleambally.

Merino wethers sold from $135 to $172, averaging $147, $2 dearer. The top price was paid for a line of 14-15 month-old wethers weighing 60kgs and with 55mm fleeces at Ararat in Victoria.

First cross ewe price averages drop

First cross ewe lambs made $144 to $300 to average $243, back $43. The top price was paid fro 200 recently shorn July/August 2020 drop lambs weighing 44kgs at Cowra, NSW. They sold to a NSW buyer at Woodstock.

First cross ewes sold for $170 to $354, averaging $271, down $8. The top price was paid for a line of unjoined rising three year-old Golden Wattle blood ewes weighing 71kgs and with 25mm fleeces at Molka, Victoria. They sold to SA buyer at to Mt Gambier.

Australian White cross ewes with lambs sell to $400

These 360 Australian White-Dorper ewes with 322 lambs sold for $400 at Morven in Queensland.

Ewes with lambs sold from $240 to $400, to average $350, up $2. The top price was achieved by a line of joined 1-5 year-old Australian White/White Dorper cross ewes weighing 56kgs with 2-20 week-old lambs at Morven in Queensland.

Tasmanian producers offered 1303 sheep and lambs last week, up from 360. Demand was strong and all were sold. The top price of $380 was paid for 80 15-16 month-old Coopworth ewe hoggets at Cressy. The recently shorn Palmerston blood ewes weighed 57kgs.

Store lamb prices improve

Store lambs were the largest category on offer on AuctionsPlus, despite being fewer than last week, with 43,431 head listed. AuctionsPlus sold 85pc of the offering for 331-704c/kg as average prices improved 9c/kg to 410c/kg. Highlights included:

White Suffolk cross, 24kgs, $127 or 527c/kg, July/Oct 2020 drop, Dubbo, NSW

Crossbred terminals, 26kgs, $127 or 490c/kg, Aug/Sept 2020, Ombersley, VIC

Poll Dorset/Southdown cross, 33kgs, $156 or 476c/kg, July/Aug 2020, Rutherglen, VIC

Poll Dorset cross, 30kgs, $138/head or 463c/kg, Aug/Sept 2020, Eversley, VIC

White Suffolk cross, 32kgs, $146 or 461c/kg, July/Aug 2020, Wellington, NSW

Poll Dorset cross, 32kgs, $141 or 448c/kg, July/Aug 2020, Tooraweenah, NSW