Prices were solid but without reaching the heights of closer recent sales at Casterton annual sheep sale on Friday.
Auctioneer, Rick Smith said this year annual Landmark sale saw in a top price of $264 paid for a yard of 102 1st First-cross young ewes, June-July 17-drop, by Deepwater Super Border rams.
The line was bred locally by the Neil and Rosemary Langley, “Nangkita” while a close behind, priced at $262, Hillview sold its November-shorn line as most other first-cross young ewe pens made $220 to $240 a head.
However Mr Smith said bidding was often slow with most opening bids started at around the $190/head mark before working back towards a finish in the $220 to $240 zone.
As has become a regular feature of recent Casterton sales a good run of maternal composite ewes were presented and were greeted with good interest.
The best of these were sold to a top of $261 a head by the Grant family, Tandarra while Shane and Jody Foster, Boonaroo, sold their maternal composite young ewes at $254 as most other pens consistently made $220 and $230 a head.
However towards the tail of the composite run Mr Smith said demand once again became sticky with ewes, although still joinable, sold down to levels of $120 to $130 a head.
A short, sharp and smart run of Merino ewes were also offered in this years annual sale.
Best sales were made to $154 a head for a November-shorn, One Oak 2-blood line bred by Melville Park while other Merino lots, providing less condition and skin, were sold from $120 a head.
Several yards of Corriedale were sold in the breeding ewe run. These also made to a top of $180, with other Corriedale lots sold from $130- $140.
Mr Smith said a selection of mature aged crossbred and composite ewes also met consistent demand. Prices were generally based $20 to $30 a head above meat value with numerous several top-end lots attracting bids in the $150- $170 a head range.
A selection of store lambs generated strong interest among Southeast SA lamb finishers, with resultant prices equal to pre-christmas trades, Mr Smith said.
Much of the buying support Mr Smith said hailed from within the Heywood, Mt Gambier and Hamilton (Green Triangle) district area with very few lots trucked outside a 100-kilometre radius of Casterton saleyards.
A yarding of 10,000 surplus, cast-for-age ewe mutton were also penned and sold preceding the annual store sale.
Major mutton processors from three states supported this offering, with lines bought and trucked as far as Dubbo in central west NSW for processing.
Mr Smith said competition was somewhat subdued but fairly based on the slightly easier opening to New Year trading rates.
He quoted sales of heavy ewe mutton making $112 to $120, topping at $135 while medium weights made $85 to $100 and lighter ewes, $64- $75.