Prime Lamb & Sheep

Total Yarding: 16,761

Lamb numbers declined and the quality was only fair to good. There were several good prime pens of trade and heavy weight lambs but the majority were secondary lambs lacking condition. There was a larger run of woolly store lambs upto 16kg cwt. Hoggets were back in numbers. All the usual buyers were operating and the plainer quality and general trend of markets resulted in a cheaper market.

Woolly restocking lambs to 16kg cwt sold from $56 to $113 and heavier weights upto $133/head and were $18/head cheaper. Processing lambs were $20 to $23/head softer with the trade weights 20 to 22kg ranging from $120 to $135 and 22 to 24kg $140 to $167/head. Lambs estimated 24 to 26kg sold between $153 to $166/head averaging 620c to 640c with the best out to 720c/kg cwt. Heavy weights ranged from $182 to $199 and extra heavy lambs reached $210/head to average 630c to 650c/kg for a more consistent product. Best priced hogget reached $154/head.

Mutton numbers lifted and the quality was good. Prices lifted $5 to $15/head depending on cover. Heavy Merino ewes sold between $110 and $130/head and crossbred ewes reached $119/head. Most of the better covered mutton averaged 300c to 320c/kg cwt. Merino wethers topped at $128/head.

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

Photo: 122 Merino Ewes sold for $120.2ph by AgStock on behalf of Leswell Pastoral.