JAMESTOWN
Yarding: 5000
Wethers to $114
Crossbred lambs to $124
Ewes to $206
WITH a small yarding of about 5000 on offer at Jamestown sheep market on Thursday last week, prices remained firm to dearer across the sale.
Landmark Jamestown livestock manager Tom Allen said the sale was strong.
“It didn’t have many sheep but anything that was there had strong inquiry and purchase,” he said.
“A lot of people there didn’t buy as there weren’t enough sheep for everybody.”
Mr Allen said young wethers were sought for feedlot opportunities, while ewes that had been running with rams raised interest.
Elders Jamestown livestock manager Jack Coleman said the stock presented in forward to prime order, leading to animated bidding.
He said wethers and crossbred lambs were generally $5 to $8 dearer across most of the sale.
“Lambs sold well, with even the seconds in reasonable quality,” he said.
“There was the right buyer’s gallery for the feedlot-type lambs.”
Mr Coleman said this was the first sale for the season offering joined ewes, with prices generally remaining firm.
He said the smaller yarding was partly due to the time of year, with January generally smaller than other months, while the seasonal conditions meant there was plenty of feed, encouraging many to carry sheep through.
Buyers attended from the Adelaide Plains, Mallee, South East, Yorke Peninsula, Far North and Mid North.
A line of 2600 freshly shorn April/May 2016-drop Gunbar-blood wethers from Jumbuck Pastoral Co, Bulgunnia Station, made up the bulk of the yarding. The tops of these, a pen of 401, sold to $110, with a second pen at $109.50, and a third at $103.
CJ Barnes & Sons, Wilmington, sold 513 June/July 2016-drop wethers, December-shorn, Roemakita-bld, at $114. A second run of 389 wethers sold to $104.50.
JF Mannion, Orroroo, sold 110 July/August 2016-drop wethers, November-shorn, Lines Hawthorne-bld, at $91.
A run of 159 August/September 2015-drop, November-shorn, Broadoak-bld wethers, from SJ McKeough, Peterborough, sold at $95.
There was also a strong contingent of crossbred lambs on offer.
Schmidt Family Trust, Bethel, sold 109 July/August-drop, December-shorn, Boolerview-bld lambs, at $124, with a second pen of 129 at $118.
HJ Philp, Peterborough, sold 19 April/May-drop, September-shorns at $116.
Walmona Pastoral Co, Truro, offered 262 June/July-drop, October-shorn, Koonawarra-blds, sold at $113, and a second pen of 105 at $108.
SP&KT McEvoy, Streaky Bay, had 83 Suffolk-White Suffolk lambs, December-shorn, make $109.
In the ewe offering, Almond Grove Props sold 117 May/June 2015-drop, November-shorn, North Cowie-blds, that had been running with White Suffolk rams, at $206.
Wattle Park, Peterborough, had 106 December-shorn, Moorundie Park-bld 1.5-year-old ewes, at $174.
Archat Unit Trust, Wirrila, had 103, 2.5yo December-shorn, Greenfield-blds, at $172.
CJ Barnes & Sons had 212, 1.5yo ewes, Roemakita-bld, at $158.
A pen of 101, 1.5yo and 2.5yo November-shorn Dohne ewes, Hillview-bld, from Woodcrop, Kimba, sold at $156. SP&KT McEvoy offered 100, 5.5yo-6.5yo Baderloo-bld ewes, running with White Suffolk rams, at $148.
The next Jamestown market is scheduled for February 23.
Mr Allan said indications pointed to a larger yarding in the February sale, while the market was likely to stay strong with feed stocks high.
