IN THEIR first sale since branching off from Telang Pastoral Company, Maroona Station's Rob and Kirsty Starling were ecstatic with the results achieved on the quality Merino-Border Leicester-East Friesian ewe and wether lambs they are renowned for.
In a sale lineup three kilograms heavier than last year, ewe lambs sold to $346 twice - a $56 rise on 2019 - while the heaviest draft of wethers made $196.
In the sale breakdown, Maroona's 2594 ewe lambs averaged $323 and their 2448 wether lambs averaged $169.
The 425 top-weight ewe lambs at 54.8kg were knocked down for $346 to Nutrien Timboon, Vic, who also took the top draft at Telang earlier in the day.
Regular buyer Roger Dickenson, Naracoorte, bought 100 of the 49.7kg ewe lambs for $346.
"These will get mated around Christmas/New Year to White Suffolks and will get about a 80 or 90pc lambing," he said.
"They'll then go into my flock and get mated in early December for the rest of their lives and aim for 140pc lambings once they get past their first year.
"A lot of their lambs will be sold through the Naracoorte market."
Another 300 of the 49.7kg ewe lambs made $340 to TDC, while the remaining 129 sold for $332 to Elders Millicent.
Prices remained high in the 749 head draft of 45.8kg ewe lambs, with 100 making $334 to Elders Millicent, another 449 also making $334 and the remaining 200 selling for $310.
In a sign of the strength of both the market and the quality of lambs, the 309 bottom-weight ewe lambs at 37.6kg averaged a touch over $290 - last year's sale high at any weight.
Thomas Foods International snapped up the two heaviest drafts of wether lambs, paying $196 for 475, 59.2kg lambs and $174 for 976, 53.2kg lambs.
JBS Bordertown secured the remainder, snaring 629, 47.4kg wether lambs for $157 and 368 lambs weighing 40.8kg for $145.
Maroona's Rob Starling said he was absolutely thrilled with how the quickfire sale panned out.
"It's been a really good year for us and we've tried really hard to look after the Merino ewes and that's flowed right through to the lambs and what we've seen today," he said.
Pinkerton Palm Hamlyn & Steen conducted the sale, with Josh Manser the auctioneer.
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