Merino young ewes made to $234 a head for an April-shorn line at Deniliquin on Friday.
Offered in a penning of 22,000, the July//August 17-drop yard of Old Ashrose-blood ewe maidens was a non-breeders lot while the feature breeders’ line offered, the Shippen family’s Bandyandah Pastoral young ewes from Moulamein, Bundy-blood made to $210 a head and averaged $202 across a draft of 1746.
The Merino section of the sale saw most lots reflecting the difficult season. However for those buyers willing to purchase bidding was generally brisk with good interest expressed especially for the plainer lines which resulted in improved prices on the day as most drew young ewes made $160 and $200 a head and older breeding ewes, aged three to five years, made from $100 to $165.
The demand of wethers was brighter than expected with a season high of $131 a head paid for the Ettershank family’s Tamaleuca-blood, unshorn wether lambs from Murrabit.
These deserved and received some butcher support despite falling to grazier interest while most other sales which varied from $27 to $102 depending on size, all found new homes at improved district rates.
In the market’s crossbred penning a selection of young ewes made from $172 to a market top of $265 for a May/June 17-drop pen that was May-shorn.
The market toppers were offered by Ellenvale while drafts of fattening type crossbred lambs, which attracted excellence interest, made $90 to $134 for the better grown, and $50 to $85 for the smaller, and season-checked lambs.