The first store new season lambs came forward in two lines of mixed sex and sold for $108-$109. Merino wethers sold to $155, with others lesser types earning $109-$110.
Nearly 680 ewes and lambs were offered and hoggets featured. One line of 211 hoggets with 160 lambs sold for $83 all counted, while 26 hoggets with 26 lambs made $73. Small lines of mixed age largely traded at $106-$108 all counted.
There was almost an even split of lambs and hoggets in the prime pens, and prices reflected solid schedules as lambs traded at $134-$179, and hoggets, $150-$188. One line of seven ewes sold for $290, though were not alone at those heights as other lines reached $250-$280. Of the 730 head penned half sold for $180-$290, and the rest upwards from $110.
Cattle prices continued to be a roller coaster dependent on what is in demand each week.
A small supply of Angus steers sold for a premium, and a line of seven at 647kg were the only pen to hit 2.90/kg. A bigger entry of Angus heifers, 529-535kg, sold to $2.80-$2.88/kg, while three Devon, 695kg, made $2.89/kg.
Good yielding Murray Grey steers, 575-609kg, managed $2.70-$2.80/kg, but plainer beef-cross and Hereford, 535-575kg, eased to $2.65/kg. Heifers of similar breeding and weight sold at comparable levels, but in these pens that was a steady result.
Boner cow prices were steady to firm across the board. Good yielding types, 600kg plus, sold on a steady market at $1.78-$1.87/kg, while a similar range for 565-580kg meant a firm result.
All classes of the mainly dairy-beef store cattle firmed last Thursday, driven by a grass market.
Two-year cattle firmed and Charolais steers, 378-432kg, earned $3.08-$3.10/kg, while most other lines of good quality made $2.90-$2.98/kg. Charolais heifers from the same vendor and 372kg returned $3.06/kg, while two lines of Angus heifers improved by 5-10c/kg to finish at $2.83-$2.87/kg. A consignment of Hereford-Friesian bulls had a good following and a line of 300kg reached $3.11/kg, while 312-381kg sold for $2.65-$2.78/kg.
The stand-out in the yearling pens was the heifers, which enjoyed a lift of 10-20c/kg. Most dairy-beef, 280-370kg, traded at $2.80-$2.90/kg, while 233-254kg earned $2.91-$2.97/kg. Prices for steers were in line with the previous sale. Hereford-Friesian, 356-391kg, returned $2.84-$2.93/kg, but 310-344kg climbed to $3.08-$3.16/kg. Friesian steers, 286-317kg, also firmed to $2.33-$2.34/kg and 344kg made $2.47/kg. Improvements were also seen in the bull pens as Friesian, 295-388kg, firmed to $2.71-$2.78/kg.
