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By Ellen Simpson

Sheep & lambs numbers totaled 77, 707 this week, a jump of 20,790 head on last week’s offering.  Quality and competition were strong, as we held the first lamb sale of the season.

35,320 head were offered in the Tuesday Sheep Auction today and 49% of stock listed were sold at auction. Merino Ewe lambs sold to a top price of $182 and averaged $164.50. Three lots from the same vendor at Bookham, NSW recorded the top price, weighing 42kg. Merino Ewe Hoggets sold to a top of $222 and averaged $172. The top priced line of 325 head from Balranald, NSW are aged 15 to 16 months, weighing 60kg. A line of 14 to 16 month old Poll Merinos from Lobethal, SA, weighing 54kg, sold for $210.

Young Merino breeders were in short supply, averaging $123. The top price of $137 was recorded for a line of 2 year old, scanned empty ewes from Streatham, VIC. Proven breeders were in better supply, averaging $136. Two lines of 5 year old ewes, totaling 960 head from Booligal, NSW topped the market, returning $150. Ewes and lambs sold to a top price of $169.50 for small line of 6-8 year old ewes and lambs, from Stawell, VIC.

Crossbred Ewes + lambs averaged $151 and were topped by a line of Composites, from Merino, VIC, returning $197. Aged 3-7 years and weighing 60kg, the 135 ewes have 176 White Suffolk Cross lambs at foot. A line of Dohne/Poll Merino ewes from Naracoorte, NSW sold for $187. The line of 112 head are aged 15 to 16 months and are unjoined.
Two lots of Merino wethers were offered today, as the first Lamb Sale of the year absorbed the clear majority of numbers. A line of 600 hoggets from Brewarrina, NSW, aged 17 to 18 months, weighing 38kg with an average skin length of 1.5-2”, sold for $97.50. Another line of 600 grown wethers from Boorowa, NSW, aged 2 years, weighing 51kg and with a 1.5-2” skin, sold for $117.

In the WA Sheep Sale, two lines of Merino wethers totaling 800 head, returned $123 from Karridale, WA. Aged 12 to 13 months and weighing 42kg, they had an average skin length of 2-2.5”.

This week saw the first AuctionsPlus lamb sale of the season with 48,926 lambs on offer. This offering saw buyers flock into the sale, with 287 bidders and a further 324 guests to total 611 users connecting to the sale.
First cross 41kg Border Leicester/Merino mixed sex lambs from Spring Plains, NSW sold for $130. While 2nd cross Poll Dorset  mixed sex lambs from Mudgee, NSW sold for $125. Wether lambs did not miss out as Charinga blood Merino wether lambs from Hay, NSW sold to $128. 39kg Glen Holme blood Dohne wether lambs from Blanchetown, SA sold for $120.


Lamb sales by weight:
22kg to 24 kg made $73 to $98 to average $81 or 341c/kg live
25 kg to 28 kg made $63 to $102.50 to average $88 or 3232c/kg live
29 kg to 31 kg made $72 to $127 to average $96.5 or 320c/kg live
32 kg to 34 kg made $69 to $119 to average $103 or 308c/kg live
35 kg to 36 kg made $105.5 to $117.50 to average $110 or 307c/kg live
37 kg to 40 kg made $109.5 to $120.50 to average $116 or 298c/kg live
41 kg to 42 kg made $107 to $130 to average $118 or 284c/kg live
Click here for LAMB SALE RESULTS

By Anna Holcombe

Cattle numbers slid this week to a total of 4,927 head across commercial sales, while clearance shifted to 53%. Steers were the best represented stock category, constituting 34% of the total offering. Unjoined females were also well represented, making up 31% of the offering. New South Wales stock will be on the move in the coming weeks with buyers hailing from four states. One line of Angus weaner heifers will be travelling over 1,900 km from Mudgee, NSW to reach their new home in Julia Creek, QLD. In Queensland, a line of Santa Gertrudis heifers from Blackall will be settling in to an even longer truck ride, travelling to Bullsbrook, WA some 4,100 kms west of their current home. By the end of their journey these girls will have seen more of Australia than I have!

Cow and calf units averaged $2,040 and sold to a top of $2,580. This top went to a small line of 3 year old, Angus/Friesian second calvers from ‘Calview Pastoral’ Laceby, VIC. These girls have sappy Angus calves at foot, weighing and average of 198 kgs, and have been joined back to a Witherswood Angus bull. Of note also was a line of first calvers from ‘McDonalds Creek’ Willow Tree, NSW that sold for $2,430. This larger line of pure Te Mania blood Angus cows have fresh calves at foot sired by fullblood Wagyu bulls. Proven breeders topped at $2,300 for a line of 5 to 6 year old Angus cows from ‘Nebea’ Coonamble, NSW who have Hazeldean blood calves at foot and have been joined back to the same bulls. 

Joined females sold to a $2,220 top, averaging $1,518. This top went to a line of Speckle Park/Angus heifers who have been PTIC to Speckle Park bulls from ‘Quirk Trading’ Wellington, NSW. The same vendor also had a line of black Speckle Park/Angus heifers that sold for $1,800. Over in South Australia, a line of mixed age Angus cows from ‘Wattervalley’ Kingston, SA sold for $1,450. Looking to the North, a line of 3 to 6 year old Santa Gertrudis cows, PTIC to Greenup Santa bulls from ‘Omeo’ Thallon, QLD sold for $1,430. 

National Steer Breakdown:

Under 250kg sold from 330c/kg to 353c/kg to average 354c/kg

250 to 299kg sold from 289 to 360 to average 325

300 to 349kg sold from 279 to 317 to average 301

350kg + sold from 284 to 318 to average 299

National Heifer Breakdown:

Under 250kg sold from 271 to 308 to average 289

250 to 299kg sold from 275 to 283 to average 291

300 to 349kg sold from 257c to 356 to average 314

350kg + sold from 255 to 310 to average 272

Steer Highlights

88 Angus steers, 8 to 12 months, 228 kgs, Talwood QLD- 353c/$805

35 Angus steers, 10 to 13 months, 375 kgs, Warwick QLD- 308c/$1155

39 Angus steers, 10 to 22 months, 211 kgs, Megalong Valley NSW- 379c/$800

90 Shorthorn steers, 12 to 14 months, 358kgs, Coonamble NSW- 318c/$1140

12 Murray Grey steers, 11 to 12 months, 306 kgs, Wangaratta VIC- 311c/$950

Heifer Highlights

75 Santa Gertrudis Heifers, 12 to 24 months, 377 kgs, Blackall QLD- 265c/$1001

114 Angus heifers, 8 to 12 months, 213 kgs, Talwood QLD- 308c/$655

85 Angus heifers, 11 to 13 months, 312 kgs, Tarcutta NSW- 356c/$1110

92 Angus heifers, 12 to 13 months, 350 kgs, Blackville NSW- 310c/$1085

12 Poll Herford heifers, 11 to 13 months, 280 kgs, Dunnalley TAS- 318c/$890