THE highlights of Friday's Blue Ribbon first cross ewe sale was a top of $448 for 1.5 year old ewes and a record $444 for ewe lambs at Bendigo.
The yarding of 9086 lambs, 3041 one-and-a-half year olds and 597 hoggets were offered through private agencies FJ Nevins, McKeon McGregor and Ellis Nuttall & Co and was interfaced with AuctionsPlus.
McKean McGregor auctioneer Alex Collins, said it was an "enormous sale".
"It's very positive and we're delighted with what our sheep made," he said.
"The're probably wasn't the vigour in the bidding of Wednesday's sale, but the sheep very comparable money," he said.
Mr Collins said the strength of the ewe lambs right through to the back was "unbelievably good".
On some of the second draft of ewes it was a matter of whether they could be joined "right now" or take them through to a January-February type joining," he said.
There was a "very solid platform" of lambs that made $340 to $360 and lighter lambs made $290 to $340.
"It's an enormous return for a lamb of that size and weight," he said.
Of the 1.5 year-olds there were a lot of sheep that made $410 and the top of $448. The next run off that made $380 to $400 and then on the on the lighter sheep sold for $340 to $370, he said.
Ellis Nuttall & Co director and auctioneer Rupert Fawcett said t said everyone was happy with the prices.
"Right from the start to the end, with the lighter lambs a feature," he said.
The change over price for a young ewe and what an old ewe was making "there's not much in it".
FP Nevins director and auctioneer, Luke Nevins, said the prices were "excellent".
"You can't not be happy with it. I think people are working to a budget and some lambs were just a bit out of their reach," he said.
"Hamilton and Ballarat agents were very strong and their were plenty of return buyers operating - "if it ain't broke don't fix it."
There was strong local support as well as competition from south Gippsland and the north-east of Victoria.
Major vendor was J & L Cartwright, Raywood, who forwarded 970 ewes, July/August 2019 drop, September shorn, and 473 ewe lambs April/May drop.
The top pen of ewes set the top sale price of $448 for a pen of 229, weighing an average 81.4kg. They were bought by Tim Fraser, Tatyoon, who has now bought the top pen for the past 10 years. A second pen of 194, 78kg, made $435, 241 at 75kg made $410 and 166 at 70kg sold for $408.
At the other end of the numbers scale was a pen of 46 head of ewes, 1/5yrs, that sold account RG & S Daws, Barham, sold for $444.
An annual draft account G & M Lourie, Raywood, comprised 323 ewes, 1.5yrs, and 393 lambs. The tops of the September 2019-drop ewes, weighing 84kg, sold for $430 and the second pen of 107 made $398. Of the lambs was a best of $350 for a pen of 173, April drop, that weighed 57.2kg.
R & N Broom, Bridgewater, sold a draft that included 153, August/September 2019-drop, at 70kg, that made $430. A second line of 100 made $398. Of their lambs, a pen of 138, March/April 2020-drop, made $362 and 112 lambs, 47kg, made $342.
One pen of 96 ewes, July/August 2019-drop, sold account Everdry, Moama, NSW, sold for $420.
A pen of 257 ewes, October/November 2019-drop, sold account M & N Hall, weighed 58.7kg and sold for $390. A second line of 142 sold for $348.
G & V Dick, Bunnaloo, sold a pen of 45 that made $386 while JM & DJ Johnson, Hunter, received $385 for 160 head.
GJ & DM Allan, Melrose, Mathoura, NSW, set a record price of $444 for a pen of 172 lambs, March/April 2020-drop, 64.5kg. The same vendor sold two lines of 100 that made $405.
DR Collins & Partners, Bridgewater, sold a draft of 612 ewe lambs, with the tops weighing an average 63.2 kilograms liveweight, April/May 2020 drop, that made $400. The seconds sold for $396 and thirds and fourths $385 and $340.
A line of 234 ewe lambs account WH, EI & N Punton, Shelbourne, weighng 55.5kg, sold for $385 and 205, at 49kg made $310..
WL & PJ Johnson, Myola East, sold 189 ewe lambs for $360, while Gary Holmfield & Co P/L, Moama, received $348 for 166 ewe lambs.
Other lines of lambs included from Monmore Pty Ltd, Woodstock, with 198 that made $336 and MD & P Connors, Moama, sold 210 for $336.
