Lamb, sheep throughput dwindles amid a series of public holidays

It comes as heavy lambs off grain sold to $280 at Wagga Wagga, NSW, last week.

Good prices and the perennial problem of lambs now about to cut two teeth drew out some impressive runs of big heavy lambs weighing more than 30 kilograms carcase weight.

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Most sales ranged from $240 to $278 to average 734 cents a kilogram cwt.

Rates fluctuated regularly across the 26-30kg cwt weight range, with only the better-shaped and shorter-skinned types attracting enthusiastic bidding.

Depending on shape, fat cover and skin length, Meat & Livestock Australia's National Livestock Reporting Service said the better lambs sold at $228 to $240.

Plainer types sold down to a low of $210 per head.

In dollars a head terms, most good-quality slaughter lambs to domestic processors made anywhere from $180-$204.

Meanwhile, saleyard results have varied on buyer activity and lamb quality.

Not all processors in recent months have been active at every sale, amid reports major processors have plenty of direct meat orders arriving most days.

Smaller lots of lambs, or those not as well-bred, are not being chased as hard by buyers which is creating a big price spread in cents a kilogram terms.

Lamb production has fallen away notably this month due to the Easter break and the Anzac Day public holiday.

On Monday, according to the NLRS, lamb production in saleyards eased 18 per cent.

Despite interruptions to sales caused by the recent public holidays, Ballarat sheep and lamb market on Tuesday, the final market in April, opened weaker.

About 37,000 lambs and 10,600 sheep sold to a full field of buyers, however, not all were operating to capacity.

The highlight of the sale was strong bidding for store lambs back to the paddock as buyers paid up to a top price of $185.

Trade lambs sold $4 to $8, slightly easier compared to recent weeks and made from $157 to $192.

Heavy lambs at Ballarat's market on Tuesday hit $280 to average 720c/kg to 760c/kg cwt.