MOUNT PLEASANT
Yarding: 4500
First-cross ewes to $398
First-cross ewe lambs to $340
Wether lambs to $143
4.5yo ewes to $228
DWINDLING young first-cross ewe numbers at saleyards have pushed prices to record-making highs across the state, and Mount Pleasant followed the hype and made its $398 saleyard record on Wednesday.
About 4500 ewes were yarded at the first-cross and off-shears sale, with the top first-cross ewe price made by Graetz Family Trust, Keyneton.
The 80 Belmont/Bunyara/Nyowee-blood one-and-a-half-year-old Border Leicester/Merino ewes sold to Elders Mount Pleasant.
Nutrien Fawcett Livestock's Colin Fawcett, Mount Pleasant, said prior to the sale, he hoped prices would sky rocket.
"You can never be sure what is going to happen and even though it would have been nice to it $400, I am really happy the sale was as strong as it was," he said.
Mr Fawcett said return buyers underpinned the sale.
"Repeat buyers operated on the well-presented sheep that's for sure," he said.
"Ewe lamb prices were also fantastic - producers are looking at joining in the new year."
But it was Brown Farming Enterprises, Keyneton, that got the competitive ball rolling earlier in the sale, after their pen of 107 October-shorn Belmont-blood first-cross ewes made $390 to Maclachlan Props, Pewsey Vale.
BR Eatts Propitiatory Limited, Strathalbyn, made $386 for 31 April 2019-drop first-cross ewes. The Inverbrackie/Kamora and Netley Park-blds were September shorn and were sold to Fleurieu Livestock.
DN&MA&CR Schultz, Cambrai, offered 79 1.5yo Belmont/Hilton Heath-bld first-cross ewes and made $384 to MacLachlan Props.
Martindale Holdings, Roseworthy, made $372 for 53 Border Leicester 1.5-year-olds. The Inverbrackie-blds averaged 70.5 kilograms and were knocked down to Elders Strathalbyn.
IR&JW Johns, Angaston, made $370 for 59, Belmont/Pepperwell-bld October-shns that were sold to Elders Strathalbyn.
JW&JA Girdham, Mount Barker, made $360 for two runs of 49 and 47 first-cross 1.5yo ewes to Elders Strathalbyn.
First-cross ewe lambs were in big demand, after SW&SM Heidrich, Neales Flat, made $340 for 51 Cloverlea/Bunyara-bld September-shns that sold to Nutrien Ag Solutions Strathalbyn.
Brown Farming made $300 for 51 first-cross Belmont-blds that sold to Regari Proprietary Limited, Tanunda, and the same vendor offered a further 94 1.5yo ewes that made $276, going the same way.
The young Merino ewe offering helped the sale's prices remain high, after 56 Martindale-blds from Martindale Holdings, Roseworthy, sold to Elders Jamestown, for $291. The 1.5yo ewes averaged 67.6kg.
Just behind the section's top price was MG&SJ Zacher, Coonalpyn, that made $290 for 63 1.5yo Ridgway Advance-blds that sold to Nutrien Ag Murray Bridge, while Treloar Farms, Keyneton, made $284 for 148 October-shn Springvale North-blds that went the same way.
BS&YL Nietschke, Koonunga, made $286 for 30 Mernowie-blds that sold to Nutrien Ag Mount Pleasant.
In the 4.5 year-old Merino ewe section, Bundilla Pastoral, Cambrai, made $228 for 63 Moorundie Park-blds that sold to MacLachlan Props.
Sunnyvale Props, Eden Valley, made $224 for 19 Babirra-bld May/June 2016-drops that sold to Elders Mount Pleasant, while CL&WL Wilson, Belvidere, made the same price for their 27 Dohne ewes that sold to Nutrien Ag Mount Pleasant.
LR&JB Hampel & Sons, Kapunda, made the top price for 5.5yo Merino ewes, after their 85 Rices Creek-blds went the same way.
Elders Mount Pleasant Richard Henschke said the sale was exceptionally strong.
"It was a ripper sale and the quality of the sheep was brilliant," he said.
Wether prices were on trend with past markets at Mount Pleasant and Jamestown that were nudging $150, after Mount Beevor, Harrogate, made $143 for 110 Dalveen-bld September-shn wethers that sold to Elders Eudunda.
AMP Farms Trust, Tungkillo, made $138 for 93 Mulloorie/Bunyara-bld September-shns that sold to Quality Livestock Melrose.
G&JR Koopman, Tungkillo, made $137 for 52 Lucernbrae-bld wethers that sold to Platinum Ag Murray Bridge.
RELATED READING: New level for crossbred ewes at Bendigo
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