Prime Lamb & Sheep

Total Yarding: 11,051

There was a lift in lamb numbers and quality also improved with a better run of trade lambs and heavy weights. There still were a good number of light lambs and are now mostly shorn. There were a few extra heavy weights but numbers were limited. Hoggets were back in volume and there were several good runs of heavy weights. A larger than usual buying group attended and the market lifted.

Restockers were strong on lambs of all weights and prices lifted $8 to $14 and most sold from $60 to trade weighted lambs that reached $133/head. Trade lambs were $8 to $9 dearer with the light and medium weight trades $110 to $151/head and averaged 590c to 600c after reaching 645c/kg. Heavy lambs lifted $10 to $15/head and sold from $141 to $195 with extra heavy lambs reaching $201/head and averaged 600c to 620c/kg cwt. The best hoggets reached $125/head and sold an average of $14 stronger.

Mutton numbers lifted and quality was similar. Prices were firm on the light weights and $5 to $10 dearer on the heavy sheep. Light weights sold from $16 to $58/head averaging 200c to 250c/kg. Heavy crossbred ewes ranged from $86 to $110 and Merinos reached $96/head and ranged from 270c to 320c/kg cwt.

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

Photo: 33 XB Lambs sold for $201ph by MD & JJ Anderson on behalf of G Fahey.