WHILE prices were solid throughout the Pinnaroo off-shears sales on Friday last week, a standout pen of young ewes from Barry and Yvonne Thiel, Pinnaroo, rocketed to a saleyard record price of $342.
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The 211 August-shorn Moorundie Park-blood 1.5-year-olds were only $4 off the state record $346 made at Keith in 2018 and were bought by Brenton and Danielle Francis, and Cameron and Anne Jesse, Western Flat, through Pinkerton Palm Hamlyn & Steen, Naracoorte.
The ewes will be joined to Border Leicester rams for the first cross ewe lamb breeder market.
The ewes were part of a dispersal by the Thiel's, with the seconds making $288 for 118 1.5-year-olds - the second-highest price of the day.
PPHS director Robin Steen said the top-priced ewes were the Thiel's last complete drop of ewe lambs and was full of praise for their quality, and the quality of the entire PPHS yarding.
"We'd said beforehand that we'd be happy with a bit over $300 (for the Thiel ewes) so they exceeded expectations, but quality sheep like that are easy to sell and everybody wanted a piece of them," he said.
"We had a very good yarding here today and good support from buyers."
There was strong demand from both Mallee and South East producers, with another pen of 153, 1.5-year-old Moorundie-blds from WG&KJ Venning, Pinnaroo, making $286.
GW,JM&LJ Flohr & AJ Hunt, received $280 for 162, 1.5yo Lines Gum Hill-blds.
The same price was made for 201, 1.5-year-old Hamilton Run-bld ewes from MB,KJ&JB Heinicke, Pinnaroo, to top the Elders/Landmark yarding. They were bought by MR&MC Freund & Son, Coonalpyn, through Spence Dix & Co., Keith.
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Elders Keith branch manager and auctioneer at Pinnaroo, Steven Doecke said the yarding was very good, with a good crowd of buyers making for stiff buying competition.
"We also had solid results for the breeding sheep and on the run of lambs that we offered," he said.
Landmark Lameroo livestock agent Simon Aldridge said joinable ewes and older breeding ewes sold well, with secondary ewes solid but not reaching the lofty heights of 2018.
"It was a good yarding of Mallee sheep," he said.
"Some of the yarding was out of the Loxton districts and has been through a tough season so they presented well considering those conditions."
Across the two yardings, most 1.5-year-old ewes sold in the $250-$290 range, with 5.5-year-olds generally selling in the $150-$180 range.
The top 5.5-year-olds made $200 for 102 Moorundie-blds from WG&KJ Venning, Pinnaroo, while the top 2.5 year-olds made $260 for 147 Rices Creek-bld ewes from Pinnaroo Football Club.
There was a limited number of 3.5 and 4.5-year-olds on offer, with those going under the hammer making $130-$140.
Both sales also had an offering of lambs, with 145 Gunallo-bld May/June-drop wether lambs from NJ&FJ Atze, Pinnaroo, selling for $152. Lambs generally sold for $120-$140.
Some of the top 1.5-year-old lines included 187 Gunallo-blds from CA&DJ Atze, which made $276.
IF&MH Kramer, Murrayville, sold 95 Glenlea Park-blds at $274.
NJ&FJ Atze, Pinnaroo, sold 194 Gunallo-blds at $272, while the same price was made for 98 Kamora & Netley-blds from The Eatts Family Trust, and 288 Glenlea Park-blds from PD&DF Colwill, Parilla.
Annerley Props, Geranium, sold 154 Moorundie Park-blds at $272, while $266 was made for a run of 254 1.5-year-olds from Gunallo, Pinnaroo.
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