First-cross young ewes made to a sale-high, $288 a head, at the Landmark Casterton annual sheep sale on Friday.
Offering some 8000 store sheep along with 6500 butchers’ mutton, the earlier parts of this post-Christmas market were completed in at times drenching rain while sun shone over the store market segment of the yarding.
The market toppers were a breeder’s line of Border Leicester Merino-cross. November-shorn and Gudair vaccinated the line of 107 was sold by Neil and Rosemary Langley “Nangkita” Gritjurk to Andrew and Kevin Harvey “Inverloch” Strathdownie.
A second yard of Nangkita young ewes, sold at $264 a head, were also secured by the Harvey family while Craig Grant “Tandarra” Pidgeon Ponds sold two December-shorn drafts of BLM young ewes priced at $280 and $274 a head respectively.
Most other pens of well-grown and well presented BLM-cross ewe maidens made $250 to $264 a head while smaller grown and younger one year-olds made $216 to $232.
Greg Bright Landmark said well-bred and well presented sheep sold well throughout the yarding. “We were pleased with the results of our First-cross sales but our Composites were expected to make more” he said.
A sizable selection of Composite-bred young ewes also met with solid inquiry although resultant prices were not a buoyant as was anticipated.
Boonaroo, Merino achieved the Composite top of $242 while Homebush, Heywood sold Composite yards at $240 and $232.
Another multiple vendor, Tandarrra, Pigeons Ponds sold yards at $232 a head and $222 a head while pens of Elmvale Composite ewes made $218 and $220 a head.
The demand for breeding ewes was also well supported. Carinya sold a yard of 2.5 year-old BLM ewes at $228 while Methanvale cleared Composite 2.5yo at $200.
Pens of Corriedale-blood young ewes made $142 to $162 while sales of breeding ewes, aged 3.5 yo 6.5 year-old made $140 to $184.
MUTTON SALES
Sales of cast for age ewe mutton were fiercely contested by an eager band of processor buyers.
Conducted at times in drenching rain, the sale attracted half a dozen or more local operators, with as many as 10 decks purchased for interstate processing.
Landmark auctioneer, Jeff Olafsen said although prices were corrected from the extremes of a month ago sales, rates were nonetheless more than satisfactory, with rates of 440- 480c/kg common across the yarding.
Most sales of heavy ewes he said made $120 to $140 a head, medium weights $100-$120 while very few light-ewe lots were sold below $80 a head.