AN OUTSTANDING line of pastoral-bred Merino ewes helped Mutooroo Station, Cockburn, to again take top-price honours at the Yelta, Victoria, off-shears sale last Wednesday, at $156.
Three hundred bare shorn Mutooroo blood ewes, May/June 2011-drops, from the first pen offered by Mutooroo, were knocked down to Elders Mildura on behalf of return-buyer Rod Rowe, with the remaining 279 ewes sold to Rodwells at $154.
A line of 300 from the next pen of 1035 Mutooroo ewes was bought by the top-price pen underbidder Noel Hender, Red Hill, Pental Island, Vic, at $152.
Noel, a buyer of Mutooroo ewes as replacements for the past eight 8 to 10 years, said he sought them out because they "always did very well".
This year he had 120 per cent lambing with his Mutooroo-blood flock.
The remaining ewes sold to $150.
All the 5500 sheep sold by Mutooroo Pastoral Company, including Mutooroo, Lilydale, Mulyungarie and Outalpa, sold well.
Mulyungarie sold 495 ewes, June/July 2011-drop at $146 to Elders Mildura, Victoria.
Dalwoodman Pastoral Company, Woodlands, Wentworth, New South Wales, sold 496 April/May 2011-drop ewes, Anama blood, at $114 to Elders Keith.
The same buyers also took 309 of the same Woodlands drop for $94, and 485 January/February 2006-drop made $62.
Only a few pens of breeding ewes were sold, with the Woodlands 6.5-year-olds going at the top price.
Mulyungarie also sold 396 cast-for-age sound-mouth ewes at $41 and Chalky Wells sold 261 ewes 5.5-6.5yo to $30.
Elders Mildura's Kelvin Fitzgerald said he was very pleased with the sale outcome.
"From talking to other agents, the sheep here didn't have quite the bloom as others," he said.
"So taking this into account the prices they sold for were on par with other market sales."
New-season Merino woolly wether lambs topped at $61, with the Wakefield family, Turlee Station, Lake Mungo, selling 385 April/May-drop to Midfield.
The Wakefields sold 1250 Warrananga blood wether lambs, with their seconds making $45.
Close behind was Top Hut Props, Top Hut, Pooncarie, with 300 lambs, Merino-Dohnes, East Bungaree blood, five to six months at $60.50. They also sold 405 Merino-Dohne lambs, East Bungaree-blood, five-six months at $60. And another 320 Merino-Dohne wether lambs from their Banoon Station, Tamealuca/Hamilton Run blood at $57.
JJ&DL Fitzgerald, Clarebank, Ivanhoe, NSW, sold 600 Merino lambs, Gunneramby blood to $57 and another 120 crossbred lambs to $64. Jamie Fitzgerald said he was reasonably happy with the prices for the lambs, having sold woolly store lambs from $64-$70 at Ouyen, Vic, market earlier in the year.
Woolly crossbred lambs sold to good demand, Studley selling the top-price lambs at $69.50 to Alec Scott, Korumburra, Vic.
Alec bought most of the crossbred lambs, taking home about 1000.
Manfred sold 252 May/June-drop lambs at $66.50.
Close behind was CR Byrnes, Lambplough, with 314 crossbred lambs to $65.50.
