A LARGE offering of Western Australian ewes boosted AuctionsPlus sheep and lamb listings last week.

Online listings rose 32,774 head to 102,345, including nearly 24,000 ewes at the WA sale held on Tuesday, and  about 86 percent of the national offering was sold, slightly down from 90pc the previous week.

Central west New South Wales was again the most successful purchasing region, securing 18,252 head.

Online ewe lamb values surge

Merino ewe lamb prices rose the most of all categories, with the average increasing $49 to $217, within a range of $166 to $301. The top price was paid for 350 March-April 2019 drop lambs from the Makag Family Trust at Yeoval, NSW. The lambs had a good 60mm-long stylish fleece and weighed 53kgs. A line of 300 April-May 2019 drop Poll Merino ewe lambs weighing 59kgs sold for $290 at Streaky Bay in South Australia.

Merino ewe hoggets sold from $131 to $242 and averaged $176, down $49. The top prices was paid for a line of 14-15 month-old North Cowie blood ewes weighing 60kgs from G.T., G.E.B. & J.A. Murdoch at Warooka, SA. At Dubbo, NSW, some 17-18 month old Merino ewe hoggets weighing 35kgs sold for $222.

Young Merino ewes sell cheaper

Young Merino breeders, 2-4 years-old, sold from $151 to $310, averaging $223, down $36. The top price was paid for 172 2-3 year-old scanned in-lamb Borambil blood ewes weighing 66kgs from the D.G McFarlane Family Trust at Daysdale, NSW. At Natimuk in Victoria, 330 rising 3 year-old scanned in-lamb Merino ewes weighing 53kgs were purchased by vendors from fire-ravaged Kangaroo Island in SA.

Proven Merino breeders, 4-7 years-old, sold from $141 to $261 and averaged $183, down $35. The Daysdale, NSW, vendor who topped the 2-4 year old category, also secured the highest price with 100 4-6 year-old Borambil blood scanned in-lamb Merino Ewes. The ewes carried a 5cm fleece and were scanned in-lamb to Border Leicester rams. A line of 340 unjoined 5.5-6.5 year-old Merino ewes weighing 45kgs at Coolah, NSW, sold for $211.

Merino wether lamb prices firm

Merino wether lamb prices also remained strong this week and 95pc of the 13,000 head offered were sold. The average was $148, up $8 on last, with prices ranging from $85 to $186. The top price was paid for a line of August-September 2019 drop Kerin Poll blood wether lambs weighing 42kg from G.R., D.A., N.A. & N. Block at Temora, NSW. At Pyramid Hill in Victoria, 305 May-July 2019 drop Merino wether lambs weighing 47kgs sold for $174.

There was also a larger offering of Merino wethers online last week of 3749 head and all sold. Prices ranged from $135 to $158, averaging $145, down $22. The top price was paid for the Grogansworth Merino Stud’s run 17-18 month-old Merino hoggets weighing 49kgs at Yass, NSW. At Longreach in Queensland, a line of 4-6 year old Merino wethers weighing 43kgs with a 6.25cm fleece sold for $145.

First cross ewe lamb average drops $13

Despite the average prices for first cross ewes lambs sold online falling $13 to $253, the highest price among the sheep sold on AuctionsPlus last week was the $331 paid for 230 July 2019 drop ewes weighing 56kgs from D.R. Freeth & Sons of Collie, NSW. At Nhill in Victoria, a line of May-June 2019 drop first cross ewe lambs weighing 56kg made $295.

First cross ewes sold from $180 to $376 and averaged $258, down $52. A vline of rising 3 year-old ewes scanned in-lamb to Poll Dorset rams from the Flowerdale Pastoral Co topped the category. Other highlights included 96 scanned in-lamb first cross ewes weighing 81kgs at Minlaton, SA, selling for $325 and 150 unjoined ewes weighing 46kgs at Guyra, NSW, making $267.

More store lambs came forward

AuctionsPlus offered 21,048 store lambs last week, up 7558. Prices ranged from 366-667cc/kg liveweight, averaging 502c/kg, down 21 cents. However, with more than 20,000 head selling, crossbred lambs still achieved the same high clearance rate as last week, of 95pc.

Highlights included:

–              Sept/Oct ’19 drop, 26kg 2nd X Composite wether lambs from Tamworth, NSW sold for $172 or 667c

–              Sept/Oct ’19 drop, 22kg 1st X White Suffolk mixed sex lambs from Goondiwindi, QLD sold for $145 or 662c

–              Sept/Oct ’19 drop, 25kg 1st X Border Leicester mixed sex lambs from Walcha, NSW sold for $164 or 656c

–              Sept/Oct ’19 drop, 32kg 2nd X Poll Dorset mixed sex lambs from Jeogla, NSW sold for $180 or 570c

–              Aug/Oct ’19 drop, 28kg 1st X Poll Dorset mixed sex lambs from Euchareena, NSW sold for $155 or 558c