MOUNT PLEASANT
Yarding: 125 cattle, 918 sheep and lambs
Steers to $1500
Heifers to $1300
Cows to $1200
Crossbred lambs to $198
An increased yarding of sheep and lambs were met with fierce buyer competition at the Mount Pleasant cattle and sheep market on Thursday, with crossbred lambs topping at $198.
All up, 694 sheep and lambs were sold averaging $130, while 58 hoggets averaged $104, 28 wethers averaged $122, 106 ewes averaged $87, and 32 rams averaged $54.
Landmark Fawcett Mount Pleasant principal Colin Fawcett said the larger yardings - up from 335 and 487 sheep from the previous two markets - were to be expected now Winter had finished.
"Numbers are just starting to increase a little bit, coming out of the wet and cold it's usually a bit slow, but it'll pick up a bit now we're into the Spring," he said.
"There was increased interest for prime lambs from both local butchers and major processors - the quality of the lambs were quite good, and quality sells."
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The sale kicked off with 28 April-2019 drop Merino-White Suffolk lambs which made top price of $198 for A Sharrad, Mount Pleasant.
CA Paech, Tepko, sold 2 for $190, while DR Hazen, Tungkillo, sold 24 at $180, as well as another 21 at $174.
V Macri, Newton, sold six ewes at the sale top of $122, as well as another 13 at $90, and six rams at $50.
The top hogget price was achieved by Aaron Fechner, Lyndoch, who sold two at $132, while CJ&YE Rogers, Clarendon, sold one at $130.
Wethers topped at $136, for eight from JW&JA Girdham, Mt Barker. Sampson RHW, via Strathalbyn, sold 6 at $126.
Mr Fawcett said prices in the cattle ring were not as solid for store cattle, but the top end stock "sold to good demand".
JD Cawrse, Freeling, sold the top price steer, and heifer at $1500 and $1300 respectively. Both were Murray Greys.
The second top price was made by BG Skinner Family Trust, Mount Pleasant, for an Angus-cross steer knocked down to $1180, while G&M Wilson, also of Mount Pleasant sold one Murray Grey steer at $1100.
DB&HP Wright, Macclesfield, sold two Angus-cross cows at the sale top of $1200.
Five Angus cows with calves-at-foot sold for the sale top of $1400 for AJ&JI Bowd, Athelstone, who sold another three at $1140.
Buying support came mainly from TFI, Frew Meats, Meat Barn and Thornby Premium Lamb, with many local butchers also bidding well, including Mt Pleasant Butcher, Two Brothers, Bridgewater Meats and Kangarilla Meats.
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