JAMESTOWN
Yarding 12,000
Young ewes to $162
Wethers to $117
WETHER and ewe lamb prices improved at the Jamestown store sale on Thursday last week, but it was a pen of slightly older breeding ewes that made the market’s top price of $162.
In part due to the tough start to the season, the sheep yarding increased to 12,000, up from 7500 at the same time last year, according to Landmark Jamestown’s Shannon Jaeschke.
It was mostly local, Upper South East and north-west Vic buyers that dominated the bidding and Mr Jaeschke said the majority of the yarding was pastoral sheep, while the lack of feed meant most sheep were in light to store condition.
“The plainer condition definitely limited the amount of sheep buyers could actually purchase,” he said.
“But we have seen more ewe lambs come through this market in the autumn period, rather than being carried through into the spring – most pastoral producers just cannot hold on to them.”
For both ewe or wether lambs Mr Jaeschke said prices held firm, but across the market prices were $10 to $40 cheaper, compared with past markets.
A run of 157, 4.5-year-old Gum Hill-blood ewes from NJ&DJ Gum, Peterborough, made the auction's top price of $162. The March-shorn ewes were sold to Spence Dix & Co.
The second-highest price of $151 was made by a pen of 120 rising 2yo breeding ewes from Canowie View, Jamestown. The January-shorn Springvale-bld Merino ewes were sold to Landmark Kadina.
Ewe lambs met good demand throughout the auction and JV Modystach, Booleroo Centre, sold 126, 1yo March-shorn, Hamilton Run-bld ewes for $149 to Elders Strathalbyn.
Another pen of April-shorn ewe lambs from Kitschke Ag, Jamestown, made $142.
The run of 371, rising 1yo Hamilton Run-bld Merino ewes were sold to Landmark Tintinara.
Breeding ewes also continued to be sought after with 153 Oak/East Lynne-bld 3yo ewes from GR Coleman, Jamestown, making $140.
“Most of the older ewes were limited in numbers and there was also a lack of better conditioned breeding ewes, which pushed the price and demand up,” Mr Jaeschke said.
CC Cooper & Co, Jamestown, sold the best of the 2017-drop wether lambs to Landmark Mount Pleasant for $117. The line of 148 August/September-drop April-shorn wethers were Gum Hill-bld.
The same vendor also made the crossbred lamb top price with a pen of 102 rising 1yo lambs sold for $128 to Landmark Mount Pleasant.
