The sheep section continued to go from strength to strength, with winter traders in place. Very heavy cryptorchid lambs were strong at $187-$191, with similar males at $169.50- $203 and ram lambs, $192-$211. Medium ram lambs made $161.50-$162. Top mixed-sex lines lifted to $185-$198, with medium-good to heavy types trading at $130-$160. Very heavy ewe lambs earned a solid $145-$187, with good types returning $135-$145.
The ewe market strengthened across the board. Two-tooth ewes traded at $110.50- $112. Very heavy mixed age ewes achieved $165-$175.50, and heavy $150- $164. Medium-good to very good types fetched $134.50-$148, and light-medium to medium earned $115-$129, with the tail end improving to $80-$106.
Two lines of ewes offered the first glimpse of what the scanned-in-lamb market is going to look like this season, and it looks set to be up around $20-$30 at least on 2017. The first pen of very good mixed age Romney ewes were scanned-in-lamb 155% to a Poll Dorset ram and were very early lambing. These sold for $186, while older ewes from the same camp and 140% returned $171.
Anticipation of another strong store lamb market built, and a larger than expected offering of just over 6400 were penned. Buyers were lucky for the extra numbers as even at that level new players in the market combined with the regular buyers pushed prices even further.
While the cryptorchid and male market was phenomenal, the ewe market went to another level. Most lines sold for $122-$145 on a lifting market, with the medium types trading at $105-$125. These prices were only just shy of the cryptorchid lines as similar weights made $140-$160 and $125-$140 respectively. Medium-good ram lambs sold for $130-$145, and good wethers, $137-$145.
The sale did offer up a larger number of mixed sex lines and it did seem to slow as it passed through these pens, but prices were still very solid at $116-$151.
Winter mode hit the cattle pens after a very busy few months. Just 167 cattle were penned – the smallest yarding since mid-February.
The yarding included a few good lines of South Devon and traditional cattle, but equally as common were dairy-cross and off-types, which found limited interest from the local buyers.
A consignment of 18-month South Devon steers and heifers were a highlight, with eight steers weighing 310kg and making $3.01/kg, while their sisters, 344kg, returned $2.76/kg.
Autumn-born Angus-Hereford steers, 279kg, made $970, while a line of well-presented Hereford-Friesian bulls, 325kg, sold exceptionally well at $1025, $3.15/kg.
Some small lines of good weaner's were offered in the heifer pens, with three pens of exotic and traditional selling for $800-$880, while a lighter line of Angus & Angus-Hereford steers, 145kg, sold for $640, $4.41/kg.
