Lambs Flock to the last Commercial Sale of Winter

As the twilight of Winter closes in, warmer weather has signaled the dawn of spring and ignited a raft of new season lamb numbers onto the market. AuctionsPlus commercial sheep and lamb numbers recorded a 38% surge in listings from last week’s online offering to total 108,812 head. The two National sheep and lamb commercial sales will kick-off at 1pm and 2pm, respectively, on Tuesday the 31st of August - with a combined total of 369 lots.

Year-on-year listing numbers from the last week of August 2020 are 36% lower than this week’s offering - indicative of growth in national flock numbers and a fruitful lambing season which has been bolstered by positive seasonal conditions.

New season lambs are commanding the listings comprising 70% of the total offering this week. The resilience and strength of the current market will be tested this week, with red hot demand unlikely to dampen, with a large rise in numbers as lamb prices remain robust.

The National Lamb sale (commencing 1pm EST) has 76,538 head listed across 221 lots in the sale. Following a 100% clearance in the crossbred lamb category last week, strong bidding activity and demand is expected again this week.

The National Sheep Sale (commencing at 2pm EST) comprises of 32,274 head offered across 148 lots with listings stretching from Western QLD to right across the Nullaboor into Lower Great Southern Western Australia.

With 369 lots on offer this week across the two sales, a selection of upcoming commercial lines include:

National Sheep Sale:

• Lot 363: 40 SIL Australian White ewes from Cunnamulla, Queensland. Ewes are 1.5 years old and weigh an average of 63kgs. A total of 80 SIL ewes will be offered across two lots.

• Lot 431: 224 SIL Merino ewes from Hillston, New South Wales. Ewes are 2014-16 drop, August shorn and weigh an average of 68.7kgs.

• Lot 454: 170 Merino wethers from Numurkah, Victoria. Weighing an average of 34.2kgs the wethers are 22-23 months old with the option to ‘BUY NOW’ for $150/head.

• Lot 458: 455 Merino NSM ewes from Natte Yallock, Victoria. A total of 1,370 head of ewes aged 13-14 months and weighing 44.6kgs will be sold across three lots.

• Lot 487: 500 station mated White Dorper ewes from Wudinna, South Australia. The ewes are 2020-21 drop and weigh an average of 38.6kgs.

• Lot 493: 308 Dohne ewes from Jerramungup, Western Australia. The ewes are 2018 drop and average 53.7kgs. The vendor is offering six lines of ewes as part of a flock dispersal.

National Lamb Sale:

• Lot 101: Two even lines of 465 Merino woolgrower wether lambs from Tambo, Queensland. The wethers are 9-11 months old and weigh an average of 43.6kgs.

• Lot 182: 600 Merino trade wether lambs from Ivanhoe, New South Wales. Wethers are unshorn with 45mm skins and weigh an average of 36.8kgs.

• Lot 205: 700 Merino store wether lambs from Balranald, New South Wales. The wethers are Apr/Jun ’21 drop with Collinsville bloodlines and weigh an average of 29.8kgs.

• Lot 263: 60 Dorper future breeder ewe lambs from Eldorado, Victoria. The Nov/Dec ’20 drop lambs weigh an average of 39kgs.

• Lot 280: From Bordertown, South Australia a line of 218 future breeder first cross ewe lambs. The lambs weigh 34.4kgs and consist of ‘Netley Park’ and ‘Paxton’ bloodlines.

• Lot 309: 525 mixed sex crossbred lambs from Jamestown, South Australia. The Apr/May ’21 drop lambs consist of 80% White Suffolk/Poll Merino and 20% White Suffolk/Dohne which weigh an average of 40.5kgs.