The opportunities to purchase replacement store sheep under the current circumstances of the season have never been slimmer.
That is the message agents need to start pedaling given the large breeding areas to our north have become devoid of surplus numbers.
As we learned last week from Elders southern livestock manager Ronald Rutledge, many of the large and smaller-sized station properties have begun de-stocking for preservation.
Property managers are now looking closely at their core breeding nucleus and factoring what it might cost to carry them past an autumn break.
Many northern operations have already quit the followers – this year’s lamb drop – and were now beginning to re-examine their premium breeder lines of two, three and four year-old ewes.
The consequence to this will be felt in the following four to six weeks when the lines of sheep for sale at the annual special feature sales become very thin on the ground. Despite Riverina agents yarding an estimated 55,000 for Hay’s premier September spring sale on Friday, Elders livestock manager Peter Head, Swan Hill, said the sale had been buoyed by two reduction sales, including 10,000 head by Gunbar Station which will offer ewes from lambs to five year-olds.
Mr Head said while most lines in the sale would present in good condition, several of the noted front lane vendor lots were evidently missing. These lines were sold earlier during drought reduction sales as managers adjusted to the season.
Meanwhile at Wycheproof next Friday, which clashes annoyingly with Swan Hill on the same day, a penning of 15,000 has been planned.
Elders livestock agent Jim Coffey, Wycheproof, said now had never been a better time to buy sheep.
“The numbers stack up,” Mr Coffey said.
The Wycheproof offering is expected to cater for a broad array of buyers, and will include a quality display of early-joining young ewes, especially held and prepared for this fixture. It will also contain ample lines of worker sheep for those wanting lots to improve.
The line-up will offer 7000 Merino young ewes, 3000 crossbred 1.5 year-olds, 1500 ewe lambs and 3000 Merino breeders, aged three to five years plus 18- and 17-drop wethers.
Meanwhile, Mallee mixed farmers, Phil and Kaye Christie, Kulwin, must be congratulated on their sale of 93 Merino hoggets at the Bendigo sheep sale on Monday, which sold to $214.
Purchased by Cranbourne processor, Wagstaff, the one-month off-shears line was estimated to be 35 kilograms dressed.
Their selling agent, Ellis Nuttall & Co’s Rupert Fawcett Snr said the Christie hoggets were as “good as you could get”, while two pens of their unshorn lambs topped the lamb market at $242.