These 14-18 month-old Merino ewes at Bogan Gate, NSW, sold for $320 on AuctionsPlus last week.

MERINO ewe and wether lambs, and hogget prices lifted in a reduced AuctionsPlus offering last week, but price averages for most other categories were firm or lower.

AuctionsPlus offered 138,528 sheep and lambs last week, 17,312 fewer, with clearance rates staying high across most categories.

Sale highlights for the week included unjoined Merino ewe hogget prices lifting $26 and Merino wethers values rising $15. The unjoined first cross ewe hoggets offered were all sold, and crossbred lambs, Merino wethers, unjoined Merino ewes and scanned in-lamb Merino ewes all achieved clearance rates above 90 percent.

Merino ewe lambs sell to $258

Merino ewe lambs sold from $150 to $258, averaging $170, up $6, achieving a 74pc clearance rate. The top price was paid for 380 August/September 2019 drop ewe lambs weighing 46kgs and with 53mm-long fleeces from Jigsaw Farms at Hensley Park, near Hamilton, in Victoria.

AuctionsPlus cleared 81pc of its Merino ewe hogget and two-tooth offering last week. They sold from $185 to $320 and averaged $273, up $32. The top price was paid for 280 recently shorn unjoined 14-18 month-old Roseville Park blood ewes weighing 61 kgs from ‘Overland’ at Bogan Gate, New South Wales.

The offering of 1248 Merino ewes, 2-4 years-old, sold from $175 to $341, for an average of $229, back $20. The top price was paid 106 2-3 year-old White River blood Merino ewes scanned in-lamb to Border Leicester rams, from ‘Redlands’ at Nyngan, NSW. The ewes weighed 85kgs and carried 60mm fleeces.

Merino ewes aged four years and sold from $330 to $165, to average $212, down $5. AuctionsPlus cleared 85pc of the 7201 head offered. The top price was paid for 178 five year-old ewes scanned in lamb to Border Leicester rams from ‘Yarrawonga’ at Dubbo, NSW. The ewes weighed 86kg and had 60mm fleeces.

Merino wether lambs were in demand

Following the trend of strong clearance rates, AuctionsPlus sold 86pc of the offering of more than 22,000 Merino wether lambs last week for between $109 and $165 to average $140, up $11. The top price was paid for 650 April/May drop Yarong blood wethers lambs weighing 49kgs and with 60mm fleeces from ‘Rosewood’ at Forbes, NSW. They sold to a NSW buyer at Bombala.

AuctionsPlus sold 98pc of a 2400-head offering of Merino wethers for $167 to $169. The top price was paid for 2400 recently shorn two year-old Egalabra blood wethers weighing 60kgs from ‘Langboyd’ at Brewarrina, NSW.

First cross ewe hogget average drops $30

The online offering of 6616 first cross ewe lambs sold from $252 to $357, averaging $297, up $3. The top price was paid for 220 April/May 2020 drop ewes weighing 54kgs with 55mm fleeces from ‘Kelroan’ at Ariah Park, NSW. They sold to a Victorian buyer at Horsham.

The offering of 1724 first cross ewe hoggets all sold at $301 to $385, averaging $354, back $30. The top price was paid for 150 15-16 month-old weighing 64kgs with 25mm fleeces from ‘Whites’ at Euchareena, NSW. They sold to a NSW buyer at Bathurst.

A line of 270 four year-old unjoined first cross ewes weighing 83kgs from the Penny Farming Trust at Areegra in Victoria sold for $276 to a Victorian buyer at Beeac.

In Tasmania, a 2000-head offering of 12-13 month-old unjoined Bowood, Symmons and Rannoch blood composite and Wairere Romney composite ewes weighing 49-52 kgs from ‘Bowood Pastoral’ sold in lines of 200 head for $236 to $240 and averaged $238. All bar one line stayed local.

Store lamb price average lifts $6

AuctionsPlus offered 29,971 store lambs last week, achieving a 93pc clearance rate at prices from $129 to $193, for an average of $154, up $6. Highlights included:

–              Jul/Aug ’20 drop, 36kg, Merino/White Suffolk mixed sex lambs from ELONG ELONG, New South Wales sold for $188 or 545c

–              Jul/Aug ’20 drop, 38kg, Merino/Poll Dorset mixed sex suckers from YOUNG, New South Wales sold for $162 or 430c

–              May/Jun ’20 drop, 34kg, White Dorper wether lambs from INVERELL, New South Wales sold for $154 or 467c

–              Jul/Sept ’20 drop, 31kg, 2nd cross White Suffolk/Highlander mixed sex suckers from KINGSCOTE, South Australia sold for $134 or 447c

–              Jun/Jul ’20 drop, 30kg, 2nd cross Dorset/Corriedale/Merino mixed sex suckers from GRITJURK, Victoria sold for $134 or 436c

–              Jul/Aug ’20, 31kg, South Suffolk/Primeline mixed sex suckers from APSLEY, Victoria sold for $146 or 436c

Source: AuctionsPlus.