MINLATON sheep breeders RK&SA Mumford have set a new national record for scanned in-lamb, first-cross ewes, receiving $476 in an AuctionsPlus national sheep sale on Tuesday.
The 171 April/May 2019-drop Border Leicester-Merino ewes, which were in-lamb to Poll Dorset sires and due to lamb in August, surpassed the previous record of $446 set in May.
Mumfords' agent and Elders Minlaton branch manager Adam Pitt was absolutely thrilled with the result for the 82.1-kilogram ewes, which were February shorn and scanned in lamb at 172pc.
Many of them still had their lambs' teeth.
"It is always hard to know what they were going to make, but we used the $446 as a guide," he said.
"We thought they may make $450, the sheep were 20kg heavier than those and they had done well for previous buyers so there was interest from at least three of them."
The ewes were sired by Glencorrie Border Leicester rams and out of large framed Mid North Merino ewes.
The record-breaking ewes were bought by Elders Bordertown's Brenton Henriks on behalf of clients Steve, Ros, Greg and Selena Funke, Bundara Downs, Western Flat.
- More to come