Jamestown young ewes sell to $296 record high

For the third year in a row, the pen of PDL Thomas, Gulnare, topped the young ewe offering, with 100 June 2018-drops, North Ashrose-blood, selling to $296 to Landmark Gawler.

Last year, the Thomas family set the Jamestown saleyard record of $283 for their young ewes, and returned to set the bar higher.

Elders Jamestown's Scott Fleetwood said the sheep had a "good reputation", which meant people returned to secure them, year after year.

He said the sale "exceeded our expectations, tenfold", with prices up to $30 above recent sales on online selling portal AuctionsPlus and similar markets.

"It shows the confidence in the wool and meat market with people looking to secure top genetics and ewes to breed from," he said.

The sale was also streamed through AuctionsPlus, with Mr Fleetwood saying this had a beneficial impact.

"I had calls from blokes in Deniliquin, NSW, ahead of the sale and other eastern states buyers," he said.

"It was a handy tool for people who have bought before and couldn't be here for whatever reason and also for people from the eastern states to get to see the top quality ewes we had through the yards without having to be here."

With a yarding of about 24,000, including 1.5-year-old through to 5.5yo ewes and a wether lamb offering, there were many commenting on the quality.

Landmark Jamestown's Shannon Jaeschke said for the overall sale, the young ewe and younger breeding ewe offering received prices probably $15 to $20 a head above expectations.

He said with the tough season, particularly in recent weeks, it had been a "bit of an unknown" how the sheep would sell.

"It was a very good yarding of sheep, quality-wise," he said.

"The way they presented, they couldn't be in better condition.

"The vendors, and buyers, had a good day."

Mr Jaeschke said there was little pastoral sheep in the sale, although there weren't usually huge runs, but the bulk of the sale was made up of sheep from the local region and west coast.

He said some of the Eyre Peninsula offering would not normally be available, but some producers were offloading, particularly their old ewes, due to the season.

GS,DK,CM&SL Goodes, Belalie North, sold a pen of 205, April/May 2018-drop Gum Hill-blds at $276 to Landmark Eudunda.

Garawang P/L, Georgetown, sold 192 April/May 2018-drop, Baderloo-blds at $276 to TDC Penola.

GL,BA&DI Simpson, Jamestown, sold 230 Bradfield-blds of the same age at $274.

PN&CA Larwood, Buckleboo, sold 149, Karawatha Parks at $268.

GR Mullighan & Co, Clare, kicked off the sale with 156 April/May 2018-drop Sims-Uardy-blds at $262, while NW,BA,BS&MK Groves, Booleroo Centre, sold 125 September/October-drop Mernowie-blds at the same price.

Of the 2.5-year-old ewes, a run of 194 April/May 2017-drop, Kamora Netley Park-blds from Baynes Bros, Jamestown, selling at $224.

RJ&LA Tilbrook, Corny Point, sold 188, 2yo-3yo, Coolibah and Babirra-bld Dohnes at $200.

Arcus Family Trust, Kimba, offered 181, 3.5yo Moorundie Park-blds, which sold at $200.

MJ&PC McKenna & Son, Kynacutta, had 217, 3.5yo O'Brien-blds, which sold at $186.

AC&MT Kuerschner, Orroroo, sold 100, 3.5yo Springvale North-blds at $186.

Shipard Ag, Kimba, sold 138, 3.5yo Glenville-blds at $182.

KA&KJ Burford, Yacka, sold 109 3.5-4.5yo, Gum Hill-blds, at $192.

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Laskey Farming Trust, The Rock, via Orroroo, sold 200, 4.5yo Flairdale-blds at $200, with a second run of 200 at $182.

Indoota Pastoral Co, Riverton, sold 123, 4.5yo, Glen Holme-bld Dohne-crosses at $187.

A larger run of 2014-drops peaked at $156, paid for a run of 233 Moorundie Park-blds from Wirrilla Holdings P/L, Clare, a pen of 198 Hamilton Run-blds from Terinlee Pty Ltd, Jamestown, and 127 Mulloorie-blds from Hayes Farming, Redhill.

Waterman Rural Trading, Melrose, sold 251 Gum Hill-blds at $154; TCW&KL Hill, Streaky Bay, sold 396 Gum Hill-bls at $153; and RS&AJ Jones, sold 213 Leachim-blds at $152.

Miller Pastoral Co, Yongala, sold 97, 5.5yo Gum Hill-blds at $146.

PN&KH Fielding, Sunnybrae, Yongala, offered 58, April/May-drop, 48.9kg, Glencorrie and Sunnybrae-bld Border Leicester-SAMM-cross ewes, which sold at $180.

In the wether offering, AC&H Michael, Quorn, sold 135 April/May, woolly Leahcim-blds at $163, with a second run at $141.

Laskey Farming Trust sold 487 April/May-drop, Flairdale-blds at $144.

CS&AM Simpson, Belalie North, had 184, 42.3 kilogram Gum Hill-bld wether lambs at $143.

ND Simpson, Jamestown, sold 43, woolly February/March-drop, Bradfield-blds at $140, with a second run of 21 at $123.

Vietch Ag P/L, Wudinna, had a run of 317 April/May-drop Kelvale-blds, which sold at $137.

Long Valley Props, Appila, sold 234, May/June-drop 40.5kg, Willochra-bld White Suffolk-crosses at $144.

SM Bartlett, Orroroo, sold 60, woolly Suffolk-crosses at $129.

The day ended with an offering of 1.5yo White Suffolk rams from RS Ballantyne, Gladstone, which topped at $700 for a pen of five.

The next feature ewe sale will be held at Jamestown on October 17.