Sheep supplies steady into final week of winter

After last week’s 25% jump in supplies, largely led by a surge in new seasons lambs, AuctionsPlus sheep and lamb sale offerings are again higher this week, albeit only by 1,000 head. A total of 78,359 head of sheep and lambs are catalogued across the two sales with a combined total of 330 lots. The focus of attention continues to be towards the price and condition of the new season lambs coming through in the final week of winter – highlighted by the record results at physical markets last week.

Across the catalogued 62 sucker lamb lots this week in the National Lamb sale (commencing at 1pm EST), there continues to be plenty of pre-sale research, with a surge of buyer enquiries and views accumulating as assessments go live. With some varied results and clearance rates in last week’s sales for certain categories, the anticipation for a big spring surge of new season lambs may still have some buyers sitting on the sidelines awaiting the traditional September price decline.

For the National Sheep Sale (commencing at 2pm EST), 64% of the sale will be made up of ewes, with some larger lines again coming out of Queensland and Western NSW. In reviewing last week’s results, buyers seemed to be increasingly hesitant to raise bids for the limited offerings of SIL, first cross and shedding breed ewes.

With 330 lots on offer this week across the two sales, a selection of upcoming commercial lines include:

National Sheep Sale:

• Lot 103: 600 Merino wethers from Blackall, Queensland. The wethers are February shorn, Sep/Oct ’19 drop, consisting of Booknoke bloodlines and average 58.2kg.

• Lot 160: From Albert NSW, a line of 270 SM White Dorper ewes and lambs. The ewes weigh 60.6kg and are aged 2-8 years, while the 210 LAF are aged 1-12 weeks and weigh an average of 18kg.

• Lot 210: A line of 577 SIL Merino ewes from Murrami NSW, which average 56.4kg. The ewes are a 2019 drop and are SIL to White Suffolk rams.

• Lot 232: From Tandarra Victoria, a line of 59 SM Australian White ewe lambs. The Nov/Dec ’20 drop ewes have Tattykeel and Ardeen bloodlines and weigh an average of 37.6kg.

• Lot 251: From Keith SA, two even lines of 360, 2019 drop Poll Merino ewes weighing 49.5kg are offered as a run out the gate.

National Lamb Sale:

• Lot 802: From Talwood Queensland, a line of 520 Apr/May ’21 Border Leicester/Merino ewe lambs weighing an average of 34kg.

• Lot 877: A line of 410 trade Merino wether lambs from Hay, NSW. The lambs have 30mm skins and weigh an average of 45.1kgs.

• Lot 925: From Tharwa NSW, 163 Merino woolgrower wether lambs of Bogo and Tallawong blood, weighing an average of 41.3kg. The wethers are Sept/Oct ’20 drop and unshorn.

• Lot 934: From Dookie Victoria, a line of 34 future breeder border Leicester ewe lambs of Woomboota blood. The ewes are 12-13 months old and weigh 59.2kg.

• Lot 949: A line consisting of 486 White Suffolk/Border Leicester/Merino mixed sex suckers from Keith SA, which weigh 32.5kg.