Vendors were well rewarded for holding stock over the dry summer and autumn at a special store sheep sale at Wycheproof on Thursday.
Conducting the first market at the northwest centre for almost four months, prices for most lines of breeding ewes with young lambs at foot, and those joined up, were sold upwards of $200 a head, topping at $280.
The market toppers, offered by RS, SF & AJ Coatsworth, Teddywaddy West, were a pen of 106 sound-in-the-mouth Border Leicester Merino-cross, with 165 marked Poll Dorset and White Suffolk young lambs at foot.
These were sold to Mark McPherson and Elders Brim while Reddie Farms, Wycheproof sold 159 five year-old BLM ewes
Elders Wycheproof manager, Jim Coffey said although prices appeared buoyant as selling agents they still had to work very hard to meet the expectations of their vendors.
“Our selling clients, especially those that offered ewes with lambs on the ground, all now have a good bank of feed in paddocks they have left uncropped. And with that feed resource they have one eye on the buoyant slaughter market because their lambs have the potential to finish quickly he said.
Other pens of crossbred and Merino ewes with lambs made $200-$253 a head while depastured young ewes, lambing in August, made to a best on the day of $226.
Buyers from across the entire northwest of the state attended the sale and appeared keen to eyeball the stock on offer after such a long absence without a physical store sheep auction.
Young Merino ewes, unmated, were also perused with some aggression, making $130-$174 a head while a moderate selection of wethers made $80-$103 to be all captured by restockers.
