These mid-July shorn 15-16 month-old Merino ewe hoggets sold for $281 at Kimba, SA, on AuctionsPlus last week.

YOUNG Merino and crossbred ewe prices edged higher on AuctionsPlus last week.

Sheep and lamb numbers lifted 29,493 to 72,164 head, boosted by 4787 head at the Jamestown Store Sheep Market that was interfaced online.

Following last week’s price corrections, the average price for young Merino ewes aged 2-4 years-old rose $37 to $237 and the average price for first cross ewes lambs rose $8 to $278.

Central western New South Wales continued to dominate purchases, securing 17 percent of the week’s offering, with ewes and ewe lambs making up most of the region’s purchases.

Merino ewe lambs drop $26 to $159 average

Merino ewe lambs sold from $131 to $220, averaging $159 down $26. The top price was paid for a line of May/Jul y 2019 drop Bellswick blood ewe lambs weighing 54kg with a 4.5cm fleeces at Tullibigeal, NSW. A line of April/June 2020 drop Warrananga and Collinsville blood ewe lambs weighing 37kg and with a 4cm fleece at Wanbi, South Australia, sold for $155 to a Victorian buyer at Kaniva

Merino ewe hoggets made $155 to $281 and averaged $221, down $10. The top price was paid for a line of 15-16 month-old mid-July shorn Karawatha Park blood ewes weighing 67kg from Kimba, SA. At Deniliquin, NSW, a line of 13-14 month-old unjoined Ridgeway Advance blood ewes weighing 64kg and with a 4cm fleece sold for $250.

Young Merino ewe prices lift to reach $315

Young Merino ewes, aged 2-4 years-old, sold from $161 to $315, averaging $237, up $37. The top price was paid for a line freshly shorn 3-4 year-old Airlie blood ewes weighing 64kg and scanned in-lamb to Poll Merino rams at Walcha, NSW. At Junee, NSW, a line of rising recently shorn 4 year-old ewes weighing 55kgs made $180.

Proven Merino ewes, 4 years and older, made $149 to $260 to average $197, down $24.  The top price was paid for a line of 5 year-old Maroombah blood ewes scanned in-lamb to Merino rams at Mudgee, NSW. The ewes weighed 60kg and carried 8cm fleeces. At Tamworth, NSW, a line of joined 5 year-old Bellalanna blood ewes, weighing 73kg and with 3cm fleeces sold for $201 to a Queensland buyer at Millmerran.

Merino wether lambs hold firm at $115 average

Merino wether lambs again held firm to make from $85 to $140 and average $115. The top price was paid for a line of 10-12 month-old freshly shorn Woodpark blood wethers weighing 49kgs at Tooan, VIC. At Tumby Bay in SA, a line of April-May 2020 drop Collandra North blood wether lambs weighing 40kgs and with 4cm fleeces sold for $105.

Merino wethers sold from $115 to $125 to average $119, up $6. The top price was paid for a line of 19-20 month-old Airlie blood trade wethers weighing 52kg and with 4cm fleeces at Echuca, VIC. At Corfield, QLD, a line of freshly shorn 3 year-old Boonooke blood wethers weighing 50kg made $118.

First cross ewe lambs average $8 higher

These 11-12 month-old first cross ewe lambs scanned in-lamb to Poll Dorset rams sold for $352 at Grenfell, NSW.

First cross ewe lambs sold from $198 to $352, averaging $278, up $8. The top price was paid for a line of 11-12 month-old first cross ewes weighing 60kgs and scanned in-lamb to Poll Dorset rams at Grenfell, NSW. At Western Flat in SA, two lines of April/June 2020 drop first cross ewe lambs weighing 22kgs made $198.

Ewes with lambs sold from $230 to $365 and averaged $294, down $11. The top price was paid for 112 2-3 year-old early October shorn SAMM ewes weighing 65kg with 112 3-4 month-old  SAMM lambs weighing 30kgs at Gooloogong in NSW.

Store lambs clear well

AuctionsPlus offered 13,700 store lambs last week, up 7428 head. Despite the increased offering, the clearance rate remained strong at 80pc. Prices eased on last week selling from 306-567c/kg live, to average 366c/kg, down 39 cents. Highlights included:

–              First cross wethers, March/April 2020 drop, 38kg, 367c/kg or $138, Narromine, NSW

–              Coolalee cross mixed sexes, April/May 2020 drop, 41kg, 352c/kg or $145, Dubbo, NSW

–              White Suffolk cross mixed sexes, March/April 2020 drop, 38kg, 330c/kg or $126, Peebinga, SA

–              White Suffolk cross mixed sexes, April/May 2020 drop, 39kg, 328c/kg or $127, Bordertown, SA

–              Dohne wethers, April/May 2020 drop, 41kg, 328c/kg or $135, Peak Hill, NSW

–              Poll Dorset cross mixed sexes, April/May 2020 drop, 46kg, 299c/kg or $137, Coonamble, NSW