An outstanding draft of Merino-Border Leicester-East Friesian ewe lambs hit a sensational $354 high at Maroona Station in the first leg of the Telang-Maroona Station circuit sale on Friday at Kingston SE.
But Rob and Kirsty Starling's overall sale average nearly mirrored last year.
Their 3238 ewe lambs averaged $308 and 2915 wether lambs topped at $202, averaging $182.
Long-time client Roger Dickenson, Lochaber, bid up for the first pick of the 50.9 kilogram Maroona lambs, taking 100 from the line of 532 through PPHS Naracoorte for $354.
Last year he paid $346 for 100 impressed by the "fertility and growth" of the ewe lambs which he mates to White Suffolks.
Underbidder, McKenzie Properties, who bought through Nutrien Timboon, Vic, secured the remainder in the top draft for $330.
McKenzie Properties also secured 468 in the seconds (46.2kg) for $340.
Nutrien Timboon agent Nick Maddison said the ewe lambs perform well when mated to Poll Dorsets.
Last year they achieved 120-130pc lambs marked as maidens but have been buying the sheep for more than a decade.
"We find they are pretty fertile, milk well and handle our reasonable wet country well as they are off the coast too, he said.
"We know their health status, buying property to property is always a bonus and nearly every lamb is turned off as a heavy trade lamb."
Mr Maddison said it was always difficult to predict the prices needed but paid very similar money to 2020.
"On a cents a kilogram rate they are a bit more than last year as they were a few kilograms lighter but we are buying the package of genetics rather than weight," he said.
The thirds of Maroona Station's ewe lambs, 1384 weighing 42.5kg sold five different ways for $290-$298.
Wether lambs topped at $202- $6 a head more than 2020.
JBS Australia's Brendon Geary outbid several other trade buyers for the two heaviest drafts.
In quick-fire bidding, the 832 tops weighed 54.6kg made $202, while another 913 made $189.
These were 49.2kg.
PPHS Naracoorte took the next heaviest draft- 45.6kg for the 863 head, while the 306 lightest lambs sold for $155 to Elders Roseworthy. These were 40.7kg.
Rob Starling was thrilled to average nearly the same price as 2020 despite selling an extra 1100 lambs.
"The ewe sale last year was red hot so we had no expectation that it would match that but with higher wether lamb prices higher it ended up that way," he said.
"The ewe lambs were $13 down (average) and the wethers were $15 up."
Mr Starling was pleased with the evenness of the large draft.
"There was not the heaviest of the heaviest like some years but also not a tail,we didn't need a fifth draft of ewes or wethers when we weighed them," he said.
Maroona has recently secured another 2700 Merino ewes,in the hope it will be able to continue to grow its offering with 1500 more lambs in 2022.
PPHS conducted the sale with Josh Manser the auctioneer.
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