BIDS for 1.5-year-old ewes regularly surged past $260 at the annual Cleve sheep sale on Wednesday last week.
The 6500-head yarding included young ewes, breeding ewes and ewe and wether lambs, with Elders Cleve livestock manager Mick Noble full of praise for the presentation of the offering.
"The sheep presented in extremely good condition considering the season - it's a real credit to the vendors that they've kept the sheep in as good a condition as they were," Mr Noble said.
He said young ewes sold above expectations, with prices topping at $269 for 136 April/May 2018-drop Moorundie Park-bloods from Pendeen Trust, Rudall.
MS&DK Kassebaum, Kimba, had 449 April/May 2018-drop Faraway Hills-blds make $267, while DH Turnbull & Co, Cleve, made the same price for 204 May/June 2018-drop White River-blds.
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Also receiving more than $260 for 1.5yo ewes were DJ&RL Macgowan, Darke Peak, with 135 April/May 2018-drop Deloshanda-blds at $264, and RJ Norris, Cowell, with 149 April/May 2018-drop Glenville-blds, also attracting a $264 bid.
Other vendors selling 1.5yo ewes included TD&KA Kaden, Cleve, with 70 Morley-blds at $244, MR&S Zacher with 52 Moorundie Park-blds at $240, GM Wilson & JJ Longmire with 95 Collinsville/Greenfields-blds at $232 and JM&JK Jones with 79 Brimanna/Glenville-blds at $230.
In the breeding ewes, Ebavale, Darke Peak, nabbed the $190 top price for 272, 3.5yo White River-blds, while 202, 4.5yos from the same vendor made $166.
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Agars Enterprises, Lock, sold 278, 2.5yo Collandra North-blds at $182.
In the 4.5yo ewe section, MR&S Zacher sold 115 Moorundie Park-blds for $176, and TD&KA Kaden had 100 make $160.
The 5.5yo ewe line-up topped at $148 for 112 from DJ&RL Macgowan, while DJ Humphries had 164 Deloshanda-blds at $144 and RJ Norris sold 208 Glenville-blds for $142.
The lamb offering was dominated by Elliston vendor Lairg Pty Ltd, which sold more than 2000 woolly May/June White River-bld wethers. The top pen of 611 made $131, with a further 350 at $90, 1035 at $80 and 397 at $62.
WD&RH Elson scored the top lamb price, with 170 Calcookara-bld wethers making $140.
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