JAMESTOWN
Yarding: 25,000
1.5-year-old ewes to $352
2.5-year-old ewes to $346
5.5-year-old ewes to $253
A DRAFT of weighty ewes topped the Jamestown feature ewe market at $352 on Thursday last week as restockers continued to chase breeders with good potential and weight for age and complementing well-known bloodlines.
Offering the top price draft of 169 Baderloo/Glenville-blood 2020-drop ewes was Garawang Propriety Limited, Georgetown, and it was Nutrien Ag Solutions, Gawler, that chased the 70.3-kilogram August-shorn ewes.
From the high point, prices pulled slightly back to $342 for a complete drop of 165 Glenville-blds from L&SL Nutt, Quorn, to Elders Gladstone. The June-shorns weighed 60.2kg.
Laskey Farming Trust, The Rock, via Orroroo, made $340 for their offering of 210 Flairdale-bld 2020-drop ewes.
The August-shorn ewes weighed 57.3kg and sold to Spence Dix & Co Mallala.
LJ O'Dea, Peterborough, made the same return for 169 Old Ashrose-blds that had an average weight of 64.5kg and sold to Elders Maitland.
As the market progressed, buyer interest in young ewes began to fall away slightly to $336 for 170 Gum Hill-blds from CS&AM Simpson, Jamestown.
But a complete drop of 2406 July/August/September 2020-drop ewes offered by long-term seller at the Jamestown sheep market, South Gap Pastoral via Port Augusta, helped re-spark buyer interest, with the tops of the draft making $292.
With an average weight of 46.2 kilograms, the 428 April-shn Glenville-blds were bought by Spence Dix & Co Mallala.
A further 218 South Gap ewes made $268 and were bought by Elders Burra while 657 ewes averaging 42.6kg were sold to Nutrien Ag Solutions, Port Augusta for $264 and another 218 made $256 and sold to Nutrien Ag Loxton. The final large run of 661 2020-drop ewes from South Gap went to Nutrien, Ag Port Augusta for $232.
Later in the market, 212 ewes that made $208 and averaged 34kg completed the sale of the complete drop.
About 25,000 feature ewes were offered at the market and Elders Jamestown Scott Fleetwood said it was the most even lineup yarded in about a decade.
"The quality of the stock was brilliant - each pen was in forward store to prime condition.
"It was one of the best representations of local genetics we have seen. Vendors prepared sheep really well and they sold accordingly."
In the 2019-drop ewe section, Baynes Brothers, Jamestown, presented 247 Kamora Netley Park-blds that made $346.
The March-shorns tipped the scales at 68.2kg and Elders, Eudunda, secured the draft.
A smaller line of 47 stretchy 2019-drop Glenville-bld ewes from R&J Reichstein, Jamestown, made $320, after the 70.6kg ewes attracted attention from buyer Nutrien Ag Clare for their meaty frame.
Four-and-a-half-year-old ewes made to $230 for Cootes Partners, Jamestown, for 90, August/September-drop 59.6kg North Ashrose-bld ewes, secured by Spence Dix & Co.
Robust prices for older ewes continued with ND&ALP Baum Family Trust, Auburn, making $240 for 65, 2017-drop Mernowie-blds.
MJ&KE Brands, Wudinna, fetched $236 for 154 White River-blds with a 72.3kg average weight.
Nutrien Ag Solutions Jamestown Tom Allen helped knock down the South Gap Pastoral ewes and said the offering sold well.
Returns for middle-run of 1.5yo Merino ewes were a highlight at the market and were in favour of the buyer, as runs sold from $280-$320.
"A lot of those ewes made really good money even though they were lighter and not as well presented," Mr Allen said. "It was a really solid sale even though prices were slightly erratic at times."
Bidding competition helped to tip prices for 5.5yo ewes over $200 consistently, with DM Scott & Co, Clare, making $218 for 253, 83.5kg Nyowee-bld ewes that sold on AuctionsPlus.
Laskey Farming Trust made $201 for its 2016-drop 73.5kg August-shorn Flairdales that sold to Spence Dix & Co.
The next Jamestown feature ewe market will be held on October 21 with about 30,000 sheep offered.
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