AN OUTSTANDING line-up of Border Leicester-Merino ewes presented by breeders who use the September Narromine, NSW, special store sheep sale as their annual clearing house attracted buyers from an area stretching from Tamworth, NSW, to Kilmore last Wednesday.
Landmark Wilson Russ's Narromine agent Ashley McGilchrist said the sale was very pleasing for first-cross vendors but showed not a lot of price increase for Merinos on the past month.
BLM ewes topped at $220 but in comparison Merino ewes lacked buyer support and reached only $142.
The first-cross market had a price range of $123-$220 while Merino ewes made $58-$142 for one- and two-year-olds and $62-$102 for mixed ages.
At the top of the first-cross consignments was a pen of 100 Glenalvie-sired ewes, July 2013-drop and July-shorn, bred by the Skinner family, Deloraine, Narromine.
They were purchased by Geoff Mills, Passchendaele, Biddon near Gilgandra, NSW, who was pleased that they fitted-in with his ewes at home both age- and shearing-wise.
Mr Mills said he would immediately join them to White Suffolk rams and grow out lambs to 50-55 kilograms before selling them at the Dubbo, NSW, saleyards.
Long-time first-cross sellers at Narromine, John and Sue Bullock, Hill Head, Bodangora near Wellington, NSW, sold 303 August/September-drop ewes, July-shorn and by Bindaree rams, at $203 a head to Neil Frogley, Rosebank, Arthurville, NSW.
Don and Leigh Mackinnon, Tarawera Pastoral Company, Trangie, NSW, sold the first of the March-April 2014-drop ewes at Narromine this year at $165 for 252 ewes to a Cowra, NSW, restocker.
Merinos from Peter and Anne Freeth, Glenburn, Collie, NSW, made $126 a head for their draft of 218 ewes of Langdene-blood, 2013-drop and March-shorn, selling to Kelvin Baker, Narromine.
Andrew and Kathy Wall of Wall and Neindorf, Langidoon Station, sold 594 F3 and F4 SAMM ewes, June-July 2013-drop, August-shorn, at $136 a head.