Although advertised sale numbers were light eager buyers kept prices up to the mark at Wycheproof store sheep on Friday.
It was the second month running that the northwest selling centre had the numbers to conduct its regular monthly market following a three month break without sales.
However with seasonal conditions vastly improved buyers were keen bidding bidding most sales of breeding ewes- some with lambs at foot - to price levels of $175- $210, before topping twice at $222 a head.
Unlike regular Wycheproof sale the yarding mustered only a small selection of crossbred ewes, and none had lambs at foot.
Ken Rice, Laurel Farms, Boort sold two pens of July 15-drop young ewes that were scanned in lamb to Poll Dorset rams. The opening yard of 162 offered 136 single and 23 multiple detections while their slightly younger sisters had 136 single and 13 multiple detections.
Both were snapped up by Elders Kilmore at $222 and $182 a head respectively while G&L McGurk sold an August 15-drop line of one year-old BLM-cross ewes, February-shorn, but not station mated also at $222 a head to Crawford Dowling Lismore.
Two yards of mature-aged crossbred ewes, 3-4 year-old and five year-old, July shorn and also not station mated made $172 and $142 a head for SJ & JE Ross and again both lots went to Elders Kilmore.
Focus then turned to Merino ewes with several lots hosting lambs at foot.
Murra Pastoral sold 203 Keri Keri-blood ewes, 3.5 years, April shorn with 100pc of White Suffolk unmarked lambs for $200 a head while L&M Harrison sold two small yards of Collinsville-Charinga-blood ewes, 4.5 years, with 100pc of WS lambs for $220 a head.
The feature of the Merino section was a line of 302 Tameleuca-blood 1.5 year-olds, December-shorn that was depastured to Poll Dorset rams and scanned 90pc in lamb.
Offered by G&L McGurk these made $210 a head and went north to Geoff Gray Morkalla, west of Red Cliffs in the sunset country while R, S & A Coatsworth cleared at $184 a head a line of 150 Dohne ewes July 15-drop, November shorn that were also not station mated.
*See more and a video online at
stockandland.com.au
Other unjoined pens of interest included a line of Moojepin-blood one year-old, June shorn that made $192 a head and a pen of Lachlan-blood one year-olds also June shorn that made $193 a head.
A pen of Warrananga-blood one year-olds, July-shorn and also not station mated made $174 a head while a small selection of wethers completed the sale.
G&L McGurk sold a drafted line of 2.5 to five year-old Hazeldeen-blood wethers that offered an attractive February-shorn jacket.
These made $116 a head for the 2.5-3.5 year-old age group, $108 a head for the four year-olds and $104 a head for the pen of five year-olds.
AW & KJ McCelland sold pens of Kelvale-blood rising one year-old wethers April shorn at $74 and $68 a head while Calder Park sold rising two year-old Raby-blood wethers, August shorn at $71.