A new record price was reached at the Jamestown store sale on Thursday last week, after a draft of young ewes attracted attention from competitive buyers, and pushed sale’s top price to $280.
The third market for November penned 12,000 sheep with buyers from across the state including the West Coast, Yorke Peninsula, Adelaide Plains, Mount Gambier, Millicent, Mt Pleasant, Coonalpyn, Murray Bridge and Riverland sourcing large lines of sheep.
Elders Jamestown livestock manager Jack Coleman said the feature of the market was the large drafts of Merino and crossbred lambs being offered from renowned vendors.
He said buyer demand was high, as they were hungry for stock to put on empty paddocks.
“It was one of our strongest sales throughout the spring,” Mr Coleman said.
Wethers were up by about $5 on the previous market, with the top price for shorn wethers making $126 for 150 Baderloo-blds from Garrawang, Georgetown, that were sold to Thomas Foods International.
Crawford Park, Georgetown, made the second highest price of $121 with 110 Baderloo-bld October shorn wethers that sold to TFI, while PM&DI Rooke, Eudunda, made $118 for 100 Bunyara-blds which were knocked down to Hill Livestock, Crystal Brook.
Crossbred lambs were up by $8 to $10. The top price for crossbreds was $126 for 1400 woolly White Suffolk- Merinos from Sawers Farm, Wilcatana Station, Port Augusta and were sold to Elders Gladstone.
Belowie Props, Jamestown, made the $126 shorn crossbred top price for 100 White Suffolk Dohne lambs that sold to TFI.
The second highest price of $125 was made for 205 Jardine/Leahcim-bld crossbred lambs from KC Hooper, Murraytown, and were sold to Princess Royal, Burra.
Breeding ewe lines attracted buyers attention and were $10 to $15 dearer, but it was young ewes that stole the sale’s limelight, with 118 2016 July/August-drop young ewes from Aramaa Props, Pekina, making a Jamestown sale record of $280. The shorn Leahcim-blds sold to Ray White Ketley, Mount Gambier.
Making the shorn second highest price of $180 were a draft of 300 Springvale North-bld 2016 July/August-drop young ewes, from RN Bailey&Co, Yunta, which sold to Elders Jamestown.
Breeding ewes topped $212 for 89 2.5-year-old to 3.5yo Gum Hill-bld ewes from DM&MA Lloyd, Burra and sold to Killfinan Investment, Mount Pleasant.
The second highest price of $203 was paid for McCarthy Partners, Jamestown, 250 3.5yo Moorundie Park-blds which were also sold to Killfinan Investment.
Mannanarie vendors RN Robinson, had 76 2.5yo North Ashrose-bld ewes sell for $174.