Prime Lamb & Sheep

Total Yarding: 29,237

Lamb numbers lifted and the quality was again mixed. There were 10,000 new season lambs offered and a large percentage of these were store lambs. Prime trade, woolly and shorn lambs were in reasonable numbers and there were a few heavy and extra heavy lambs. The competition was strong with a large restocking group and processors were keen to get the properly finished article. Secondary lambs were in good numbers especially the woolly new season lambs with a bit of weight. The market sold to dearer trends.

New season store lambs to 18kg ranged from $54 to $88/head and heavier weights to feed on reached $144/head. Trade lambs 22 to 24kg sold from $118 to $153/head and lifted $18. The best lambs averaged between 640c and 680c while the drier woolly lambs averaged 560c to 590c/kg. The 24 to 26kg lambs sold from $150 to $168/head or 630c to 640c/kg cwt. Heavy lambs reached $200/head.

Old trade lambs to 26kg jumped $25 selling from $124 to $139/head averaging 545c/kg and heavy weights to 30kg $155 to $165/head. Extra heavy lambs reached $206/head. The best of the hoggets reached $123/head.

Mutton numbers were similar and there was a fair to good yarding. All weights were represented and the market trend eased $7 to $10/head. Light ewes sold from $21 to $41/head, Medium weights $24 to $53 and heavy crossbred ewes made $53 while Merinos topped at $77/head.

Market Report: MLA’s National Livestock Reporting Service. Click here to download full market report.

Photo: 11 XB Lambs sold for $206.20ph by Holman Tolmie on behalf of M&B Suthern.