The spring feature store sheep sale held by McKean McGregor and HF Richardson at Wycheproof last Friday (October 7) was back on the previous week’s record-breaking highs.
Alex Collins, McKean McGregor, Bendigo, said the first-cross ewes for one year off types sold reasonably well for their size and condition.
Some pens throughout the 8000-head yarding showed signs of coming off wet country, and a few lines didn’t make it due to flood waters blocking access.
The sale kicked off with crossbred ewes and the first pen was account Alderside Partnership. The 181 first-cross Border Leicester-Merino (BLM), June/July 15 drop, March shorn, by Super Border Leicester rams and ex Haddon Rig ewes sold for $262.
The vendor’s second line of 266 July/August 15 drop BLM ewes, September shorn, ex Roseville Park ewes by top Border Leicester sires were knocked down to a Ballarat account for $246. The third line of 107 made $208.
Anthony J Collins sold 200 August/September 15 drop, September shorn, BLM ewes, es West NSW ewes by Rettalack rams for $220, and his second line of 96, same breeding, made $188.
I Broadbent sold the only BLM ewes with lambs at-foot for $220 for the line of 136 ewes and 151 Dorset lambs.
Mr Collins said they had a strong lineup of Merino ewes.
The Merino ewes topped at $202 for account Two Pines’ 232 May/June drop, September shorn, Collinsville blood.
They were secured by Shannon Byron, Warracknabeal, who purchased 650 1.5 year-old Merino ewes in total. He said it was “perfect” at Warracknabeal at the moment for the first time in 15 years and these ewes suited his operation. His buying agent was Graeme Summerhayes, Elders Rainbow, said he bought about 90 per cent of ewes from South Australia and he’d been paying $240 but today the ewes averaged $192.
CJ&JA Pollock, 208 Marnoo-blood ewes for $190
Drumbayne Ag’s 117 Merino ewes sold for $192. Also at that price were CI&S Cattanach’s 116 July/August 15 drop, September shorn ewes, purchased by the Cartwright family.
“The secondary Merino ewes sold very comparably to other recent sales,” Mr Collins said. Many lines made $160/head or more, but there were cheaper lots that had been affected by very wet conditions.
Peter Palling, HF Richardson Ballarat, said the sale was softer than last week with a smaller crowd of buyers.
Wethers, however, sold to strong demand. There were three lines of one year-old wethers totalling 979 head and Cedar Meats Australia outbid three other meat buyers to secure them all for $98 to $118. The top-price wethers were AW&DJ McClelland’s 300 Merinos, July/August 15 drop, August shorn, Kerin Poll blood.
Mr Palling said crossbred store lambs sold very well, topping at $116 for 223 White Suffolk-Merino cross, May/June drop, October shorn. They were purchased by Darren and Joan Millar, Nandaly. The Millars said they had bought at this sale last year and usually came too see if there was anything suitable. These lambs will go into a feedlot in April to sell in about June at export weight.
