Coopers to offer big pastoral Merino ewe consignment online

On Tuesday next week, CC Cooper & Co, based at Jamestown, will offer 8000 scanned in-lamb Merino ewes in the national sheep sale on AuctionsPlus.

These were born and bred on their Madura Plains station in WA, which they bought in 2016.

With limited rain falling on the station in 2019 and no significant falls this year, the 2013, 2014 and 2015-drop, Gunbar-blood ewes have been moved to Coopers' Mid North properties and Broughton Vale at Little Topar in western NSW.

Nutrien Ag Solutions' Jamestown agent Tom Allen says fortunately, the need for his client to reduce their self-replacing Merino flock has coincided with the strongest demand seen for breeding ewes in his career.

He said it was a great opportunity for restockers to secure high quality ewes.

"We are seeing just how big the impact of the drought was in the eastern states - it has completely decimated their ewe flocks and cow herds," he said. "Many of them are almost starting from scratch, but with the recent phenomenal rainfall events they have green feed in front of their eyes and want to get on with it."

Mr Allen said there was a fear of missing out among buyers, making them willing to have an extra couple of bids when quality stock was available to purchase.

"Record mutton prices peaking at $7 a kilogram have also added to the value of SIL ewes like these," he said.

Nutrien Jamestown's Shannon Jaeschke also expects the Coopers' February-shorn ewes - due to lamb in July and August to Lines Gum Hill Merino rams - to meet strong demand.

"They are a credit to the vendors with the feed they haven't had, and the weights they have got in them," he said. "Being Merino ewes mated to Merinos they are the perfect sheep to restock in a Merino area and one of the hardest type of sheep to find."

These ewes will be offered in different line sizes, with large lines to be offered in smaller 'run out of the gate' lots.