There's no secret the sheep and lamb markets are firing, but it's record prices achieved on AuctionsPlus in recent weeks that have got tongues wagging.
Merino ewe lamb record broken
In the Tuesday, June 23 sale, a run of Merino ewe lambs set an AuctionsPlus record for the category, sold in a series of lots that all cleared above $400 a head.
Four of the six lots on offer topped out at $421 a head, with the remaining two close behind at $419 a head, across lots 537 to 542. The lambs were sold by Mundadoo Family Trust, under vendor Richie Steele, from Outback MPM (Multi-Purpose Merinos) through agent Todd Clements of Bowyer and Livermore.
The official records at AuctionsPlus has the previous benchmark standing at $412 a head in 2018, however Mr Steele believes he pushed it to $418 through AuctionsPlus back in 2021, meaning Outback MPM holds the record again.
The record-priced lots drew two new buyers and one repeat buyer.
Mr Steele said the feedback from the buyers was consistent: they were chasing fertility and early growth, adding buyers want sheep that can compete with meat breeds on those traits while still carrying Merino wool, a combination Outback MPM has been deliberately selecting for.
Mr Steele said the breeding focus behind the result was deliberate. "Our sheep compete with the meat breeds for fertility and carcase traits while maintaining a moderate frame, around 70kg, to maintain maternal efficiency," he said. "Couple this with a focus on early growth, high fat and eye muscle and soft, fast-growing white wools, and it makes for a productive and very profitable animal for our clients."
Mr Steele said the operation had sold privately in other years, but both of its record results have come through AuctionsPlus. "The two records have been on AuctionsPlus. The other years we've sold them privately, so we've probably had rocks in our heads," he said. "I think we'll be using AuctionsPlus all the time now."
Outback MPM has more sheep earmarked for sale in spring, along with its ram sale on September 14.
Check out the latest sheep and lamb market results.
The following week, in the Tuesday, June 30, Tom Bull from LAMBPRO was stoked that his clients broke two records - one each for both Primeline Crusaders and Primeline Maternals in the breeding ewe category.
A pen of Primeline Crusader ewe lambs from the Gill family's Waterloo, at Narromine, sold for $575 a head, breaking the previous Crusader record of $480 in recent months.
In the same sale, a separate pen of 260 mature Primeline ewes from Lakelands Pty Ltd at Bungendore in the Monaro made $507 a head, edging past the previous Primeline maternal ewes record of $500 a few weeks prior.
"It's amazing money to nearly hit $600 for a large line of ewes," Mr Bull said. "There was one lot that made $507, and that's a record for our Primeline maternal ewes. Then a Primeline Crusader line ewes, which is our shedding breed, made $575, which shows demand building for Primeline Crusaders over time."
The Waterloo line, assessed as 100% Primeline and scanned in lamb at 138% to LAMBPRO Primeline Crusader rams, drew bidding from three active buyers over the $500 mark, with bidding taking more than an hour.
Independent livestock assessor Ben Hooper, who assessed the line, said the Gill family had been closely involved with LAMBPRO'S Crusader shedder program for years and had sold consistently at the top of the market.
"The Gill family have been at the top end of the shedder game, in the Crusader program with LAMBPRO, for a long time," Mr Hooper said. "Those ewes have sold consistently at the top of the tree, and they're definitely a feature."
As for the Primeline Maternal record ... it was broken again this week with, Yullundry Pastoral Co at Cumnock selling a pen of 140 SIL Primeline ewe lambs on AuctionsPlus for $520 a head, averaging 61.9kg liveweight.
All eyes are on next week's sales to see what records fall next. Check out Tuesday's upcoming sale on AuctionsPlus by clicking the link below.