Crossbred young ewes cracked the $330 a head barrier and ewe lambs, $300/head, at the second of Bendigo’s annual crossbred sheep sale on Friday.
Offering an advertised penning of some 16,000 head at the tail of a massive week of crossbred ewe sales, a large gallery – many of them repeat buyers – competed for an outstanding yarding that found even the smallest and youngest lots offering some bloom and condition.
The young ewe market top of $330 a head was achieved by Raywood first-cross specialists, James and Linda Cartwright, who offered a total consignment of 760 head.
Their draft first pen of 200 August//September-drop young ewes by their own Bungaree Border Leicester stud rams was snapped by TW White and Sons, Ballarat representative Geoff White for Tim Fraser, Yalla-Y-Poora, Tatyoon North.
A second pen of the Cartwright’s August//September-drop young ewes made $326 a head while two further pens, including an October//November-drop yard, made $322 and $324 respectively.
At least 10 pens of young ewes were sold at prices of $300 or better while a good number of yards also secured excellent prices, upwards of $270 a head.
The yarding of 2017-drop ewe lambs saw strong competition prevail across all classes from the ready to join, the later joining types and the smaller backgrounder growers.
The ewe lamb market top of $302 a head was paid twice on the top- and second-draft pens of Geoff & Diane Allan’s “Melrose” ewe lambs bred from Mathoura, NSW that were bred ex large-framed SA-bred ewes by Retallick BL rams.
The Melrose lambs were a March//April-drop while WF, PJ, AD & TL Cole Ryawood sold May/June-drop pen as the opening yard of the ewe lamb run priced at $280/head.
The quality and growth of the ewe lambs selection was such that a large portion of the immediate joining lots made $255- $275 a head while the later joiners made $220-$250 a head and the restocker drafts, $150-$210.
The independent agents that conducted the sale comprised Rodwells, Ellis Nuttall & Co; McKeon McGregor and FP Nevins P/L.