IN THE first year of a new sale format for Telang Pastoral and Maroona Station, the demand for their Merino-Border Leicester-East Friesian ewe and wether lambs was just as strong as always at Kingston on Friday.
With James Starling heading up Telang and brother Rob operating Maroona, buyers took part in a new circuit format which started at the Telang yards.
At Telang, the May/June-drop, September-shorn ewe lambs were drafted into twin-born and single-born lambs for the first time, with James Starling saying research showing that twins bred twins had prompted the move.
"We scanned for multiple pregancies and kept the twin-born lambs separate from the single-borns," he said.
"We go to the trouble of weighing all the lambs and this offers buyers even more information."
The highest prices of yesteryear were soon blown out of the water, with the 47-kilogram top draft of 272 twin-born ewe lambs selling for $326 to Nutrien Timboon, Vic.
The next three drafts all eclipsed the $300 mark as well, with 297, 45kg ewe lambs making $308 to Elders Strathalbyn, 200 of the 42kg draft selling for $308 and the final 268, 42kg ewe lambs selling for $304.
Both the 39kg and 36kg pens sold to PPHS for $286 and $278 respectively, with the 343, 34kg ewe lambs making $282 to Nutrien Millicent.
In total, Telang's 2227 ewe lambs averaged $292 while the 2111 wether lambs sold to $165 and averaged $148.
The top price of $165 was paid for 239, 52kg wether lambs by Riverina Livestock Agents, Wagga Wagga, NSW, through AuctionsPlus.
RLA also bought 420, 47kg wether lambs for $157, 614 of the 43kg draft for $148 and the entire 463-head run of 38kg wether lambs for $142.
"The market's been pretty hot of late and I think that was reflected today in the results we got," James said.
"The top ewe lambs, which were twin-borns, went to a regular buyer from Timboon, Vic, and I'll follow up and be interested to see how his lambing goes out of them."
Pinkerton Palm Hamlyn & Steen conducted the sale, with Josh Manser the auctioneer.
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