These first cross ewe lambs at Mendooran in NSW sold for $372 on AuctionsPlus last week.

CROSSBRED and Merino ewes continued to be in strong demand on AuctionsPlus last week, with first cross ewe lambs selling to $372, Merino ewes to $344 and composites making to $300.

South west Victoria finished the week as the largest purchasing region, securing 19,343 head, followed by two New South Wales regions, with the Riverina buying 17,768 head and central west NSW 16,544.

AuctionsPlus offered 189,891 sheep and lambs, up 24,492 head, boosted by the Cashmore Oaklea Maternal Ewe sale with 12,260 head and the 16th Annual North East Victorian Lamb, Backgrounder & Finisher sale with 19,070.

Older Merino ewes sell to $344

These 2-6 year-old mid-October shorn Merino ewes with Border Leicester lambs sold for $344 on AuctionsPlus last week.

Merino ewe lambs sold from $130 to $326 and averaged $217, up $53. The top price was paid for a line of 12 month-old The Yanko blood lambs weighing 64kg and with 60mm fleeces at Balranald, NSW.  A line of recently shorn May/June 2020 drop Rosebank and Pepperwell blood ewe lambs weighing 39kgs at Kingston, South Australia, sold for $184 to a Victorian buyer.

Merino ewe hoggets sold from $130 to $314, averaging $238, down $33. The top price was paid for a line of Bella Lana Blood 16-17 month-old scanned empty ewes weighing 60kgs and with 70mm fleeces at Dunedoo, NSW.

Young Merino ewes, 2-4 years-old, sold for $202 to $306 and averaged $248, down $48. The top price was paid for a line of unjoined recently shorn rising three year-old Roseville Park Merino blood ewes weighing 66kgs at Caniambo in Victoria. A South Australian buyer paid $225 for a line of recently shorn unjoined rising 3-4 year-old Calcalling blood SM ewes at Tampu in Western Australia.

Older Merino ewes, 4 years-plus, sold from $166 to $344 and averaged $223, down $9. The top price was paid for 110 of 2-6 year-old mid-October shorn Woolkabin blood ewes at Bathurst, NSW, that weighed 73kgs with 150 1-8 week-old Border Leicester cross lambs. A line of five year-old Merryville/Nerstane blood ewes weighing 45kgs and with 50mm fleece at Cunnamulla in Queensland sold for $214 to a NSW buyer.

Merino wether lambs make $164

Merino wether lambs sold from $88 to $164 and averaged $126, up $29. The top price was paid for a line of April/June 2020 drop White River blood lambs weighing 53kgs and with 18mm fleeces at Nhill in Victoria. A line of July/August 2020 drop Seymore Park blood wether lambs weighing 39kgs and with 50mm fleece at Darkan in Western Australia sold for $121.

Merino wethers sold from $120 to $176 and averaged $145, up $11. The top price was paid for a line of 18-19 month-old Goolgumbla blood wethers weighing 63kgs and with 38mm fleeces at Euroa in Victoria.

First cross ewes make $372

First cross ewe lambs sold from $215 to $372 and averaged $286, up $137. The top price was paid for three lines of 228 late September shorn March 2020 drop lambs weighing 56.6kg at Mendooran in NSW. A line of April/May 2020 drop ewe lambs weighing 46kgs at Kaniva in Victoria sold for $280.

First cross ewes sold from $220 to $327 and averaged $279, down $33. The top price was paid for a line of unjoined 15-28 month-old ewes weighing 70kgs at Nyngan, NSW. A line of unjoined 42-46 month-old ewes weighing 78kgs At Addington, NSW, sold for $306.

Smaller offering in Tasmania

Tasmania producers offered 360 sheep and lambs online last week, with both lots selling after the online auction. A line of 150 6-7 year-old Corriedale ewes weighing 76kg and with 58mm fleeces sold for $180 to a Tasmanian buyer. A line of 210 July/August drop Southdown cross sucker lambs weighing 39kgs made $140.

Strong demand for bigger store lamb offering

AuctionsPlus’ store lamb offering increased 9972 head to 47,972, and 86pc were sold. Prices ranged from 284c/kg to 526c/kg liveweight and averaged 401c/kg, down 4c/kg. Highlights included:

–        Composites cross, 31kg, $150 or 526c/kg, Aug/Sept 2020 drop, Coolah, NSW

–        White Suffolk & Coolalee cross, 27kg, $128 or 498c/kg, Aug/Sept 2020 drop, Goondiwindi, QLD

–        Composite, 29kg, $134 or 494c/kg, Aug/Sept 2020 drop, Ararat, VIC

–       Primeline wethers, 30kg, $133 or 452c/kg, Aug/Sept 2020 drop, Winchelsea, VIC

–       White Suffolk cross, 44kg, $154 or 358c/kg, July/Aug 2020 drop, Keith, SA

–       SAMM/Merino mixed sexes, 44kg, $120 or 284c/kg, May/June 2020 drop, Williams, WA