The contrasts did not end there as the prime lamb sale was a “sale of two halves”. For the initial stages of the lamb sale, sale prices were on a par with last week but about half way through the sale the auctioneers struck some head winds and prices eased off to the point that, overall, prices slightly eased on the day by up to $5/head. This was not just for heavy lambs but in general and the preferred weight lambs dropped back in line with the sale trend. Sale prices were by no means poor, however, with ZRG Ltd selling 43 for $125.50 and the Corbett Bros selling 62 mixed sex blackface lambs for $122.50. It has given a little uncertainty as to where sale prices will go after the Easter chilled shipments leave but, with all the rain around, a price fall is unlikely.
The ewe sale started firm with the heavier ewes lifting again. The medium ewes made up the bulk of the yarding and remained firm as did the lighter ewes. The mutton job is providing a boost to the sheep market but all the feed around will keep a lid on the numbers offered as evidenced today.
This feed situation must also be keeping a lid on the cattle sale as no cull cows at all were offered today. The single Hereford/Friesian heifer sold was in good order and was steady at $2.60/kg with the medium Friesian cross heifers in the mid-$2.30’s.
5 individual Murray Grey bulls were sold in a very tight range, all being around $2.70/kg regardless of weight.
Sheep (6,651): lambs (4,658); prime (4,485), 38-58 kg, $88-$122.50, $2.10-$2.40, slight ease; store (173), 32-37 kg, $71-$86, $2.21-$2.50, steady; ewes (1,932); good, heavy, 26-30 kg, $89-$105, $3.20-$3.50, lift; medium, 21-25 kg, $66-$85, $3.20-$3.40, firm; lighter, 18-20 kg, $48-$65, $2.70-$3.20, firm; 2ths (3), $81; male sheep (58), $41-$95.
Cattle (11): heifers (6), 375-520 kg, $874-$1352, $2.33-$2.60; bulls (5), 690-860 kg, $1829-$2322, $2.69-$2.70.
