SHEEPBREEDERS, particularly mixed-farmers whose crops may have been frost affected or not going to make it turned to Merinos at the 15,000 head yarding West Wyalong District Sheep Breeders Association sale last Wednesday.
Competing against a strong local contingent buyers came in big numbers from Condobolin, Forbes, Barellan, Wagga Wagga, Quandialla, Ariah Park, Lake Cargiligo and Cowra.
Elders auctioneer Greg Roberts, West Wyalong, said he thought the sale was at least $20 above his expectation.
“This is possibly the best yarding I’ve seen here since I returned four years ago,” he said.
“There are people thinking of putting stock into crops, but there is a big shortage of quality Merino ewes and lambing percentages last year were low north of here due to the wet conditions and floods, so today was there chance to gain quality, and they did.”
Will Dean of Landmark, West Wyalong, said the sale was very strong and above expectations.
“Young ewes and wether lambs sold extremely well a lot of local interest,” he said.
“I think people have worked out that sheep are the bread and butter at the moment.”
Quade Moncrieff Livestock and Property’s Paul Quade, West Wyalong, said a lot of returned buyers bought well.
“They’ve done their sums and there’s good money in sheep, in meat or wool.”
He said Victorian buyers came from Bennalla to buy ewes and Ballarat to buyer lambs.
Youngara Partnership of Rosemary Rossiter and son, Tim, Ungarie, sold 270 Merino ewes May/June 2016 drop of Haddon Rig drop, July shorn at $220.
The Daniher family, “Hillview”, Ungarie, gained $206 each for 210 Merino ewes of Wanganella blood, March/Aril’16 drop.
Brian and Bev Ward with Peter and Kylie, “Kyooma”, Ungarie, sold 200 Merino ewes, March/April’16 drop, Poll Boonoke blood and June shorn at $220 each to a Junee restocker.
Yaccabri Pastoral, Rankins Springs, gained $230 a head from the Moore family, Coolamon, for 201 Merino ewes April/May’16 drop, Simms Uardry blood, August shorn.
Robert and Carol Hall, “Rose Hill”, West Wyalong, dispersed their Austral Eden blood flock of April/May drops with 250 ewes 2015 drop making $204 to peter and Pat Wood; 260 maiden ewes at $90 to Des and Gordon Loudon, “Roseneath”, Weethallie.
The Hall’s 400 Merino ewe lambs unshorn sold at $126 to Max and Christine Leadbitter, “Iona”, Tullibigeal while 400 wether lambs made $106 to the Langfield family, Cowra.
Terry and Terra Cattle, “Avalon”, Mildil, the local Merino ewe competition winners this year, topped the first-cross ewe market at $208 for their 115 July/August 2016 drop June shorn to Albury.
Merinos $262 top for best ewe pen
ALAN and Jennifer Ireland not only won the best pen of young Merino ewes of the West Wyalong District Sheep Breeders Sale last Wednesday, the pen of 98 head topped the fixture at $262 each.
The ewes were May 2016 drop of One Oak blood and April shorn bred at “Allonvale, Tullibigeal and sold to Elders, Wagga Wagga account Kanaley.
A feature of the sale was a consignment of 2023 Merino ewes of Pooginook blood from Paraway Pastoral Company’s “East Borambil” property, Condobolin, which averaged $202.
Paraway’s top two pens at $237 totalled 466 classed maiden ewes May/June 2016 drop, August shorn.
Dispersal of the Laurel Park blood flock of the late P.S. Templeman trading as Peter McCabe, “Oakrise”, Barmedman, totalling 856 Merino ewes June shorn, resulted in145 two year-olds making $230, 227 hogget ewes made $212 and 191 three year-olds sold at $196.
The Buttenshaw family, “Laurel Park”, Burcher, sold 203 June/July 2016 February shorn ewes for $236 each.