The forced early sale of big lines of young cross bred lambs at Swan Hill Friday attracted widespread demand and solid support.
The opportunity to put together lines of breeders sheep was attractive and provided a good gallery of prospective buyers.
While bidding was not animated, prices were strong with attendance coming from Tasmania, Gippsland, Western District, Stawall, Ballarat, Manangatang and some local areas.
BR&C Swan Hill’s John Sawyer said the sale featured sheep that would normally be sold as suckers in a month’s time, but the season had dictated an earlier sell off.
“A lot of the lambs were complete drops which made it a good opportunity for buyers looking for suitable sheep,” Mr Sawyer said.
“Normally a lot of these lambs would be set for our spring sales,” he said.
Tight feed conditions also saw a run of lambs from Tin Tin, that weren’t advertised.
The sale top price was $126 for lambs weighing around 40kg liveweight.
These lines included 2600 White Suffolk/Merino cross lambs, April/May 2018 drop, unshorn, from Greg Rae and family, Warrawee Pastoral Co, Yal Yal, Kialite.
These sold to $126 on three occasions including 212 going to Rodwells manager Damien Harrington, Stawell.
Mr Harrington put together 560 lambs in total for Stawall district clients.
Elders Echuca also paid $126 for a draft of 456 of the Warrawee lambs.
The same buyer paid $120 for 173 Warrawee lambs.
The top price was also realised for a small pen of the 68 of the tops from Condoulpe Pastoral, Balranald, NSW. The pen of White Suffolk/Merino cross lambs, April/May 2018 drop, unshorn, were bought by Rodwells Stawell.
BR&C, Mildura, was active on the Warrawee lambs paying $125 for a pen of 164 and $112 for a further 225.
Making the trip from Tasmania for the opportunity to buy store lambs was Mark Webb, Webb and Woodiwiss.
Director Mark Webb bought a B-double load of lambs weighing in a range of 30 to 34kg liveweight for a northern Tasmanian lamb finisher.
The lambs would fill the gap between the end of the old season lambs and the start of the sucker lambs.
His purchases included 192 of the Warrawee lambs at $118, another 233 from Warrawee at $116.50, 80 at $116 sold account D&P Hickey, Goodnight, and 133 from Ian Hodgson Pty Ltd, Arandel, Kyalite, NSW, at $115.
SEJ, Leongatha, also put together a handy shipment of lambs paying up to $119 for a pen of July shorn White Suffolk/Merino cross lambs sold account G&M Ritchie, Barwon, Stony Crossing, NSW.
SEJ also paid $111 for 98 lambs account M&B Nalder, Glenbar, Mallan, NSW.
John Arentz, Manangatang, put together lambs to put on vetch.
He said the lambs were good sheep.
His purchases included 135 of the Arundel lambs at $106 and another 132 at $99 as well as three lines of the Woolmark lambs to a top of $105 for 78, 103 at $81 and 117 at $80.
The Woolmark lambs, which topped at $107, were sold account the Hoare family, Tin Tin, Balranald, NSW.
Ron Hoare said the decision was only made the day before the sale to sell 580 lambs out of cast-for-age ewes.
In the ewe offering Tanany P/L, Scarsdale, Menindee, NSW, forwarded 413 Merino ewes from 14/15 drop to 2016 drop and February shorn.
The tops of the consignment sold for $190 for 119 Merino ewes scanned-in-lamb to Merino rams, May/June 2016 drop.
A pen of 98 seconds of the Tanany ewes, same description, sold for $172.
The 2014/15 drop ewes from Tanany were purchased for $154 for the line of 196.
All three lots were bought by BRC, Mildura.
Roberts Farms, Speed, sold 153 Dohne/Merino cross ewes, with lambs at foot for $150 to BRC Mildura.
Warrawee’s line 2013 drop Merino ewes, July shorn, sold for $117.
Merino wethers, September/October 2017 drop, May shorn, sold account W&C Lynas, Lake Boga, went for $95.
A line of 375 Merino wethers sold account M&J Lewis, Murray Downs, NSW, sold for $81 to Nevins and Co. The Lewis weathers were June/July 2017 drop, February shorn.
