IT’S not often top money is the same for first cross ewes and Merinos, but that happened at Narromine store sheep sale last Wednesday with the top price at $236.
The quality yarding of 10,000 sheep met a very strong market among a large buyer turnout from Northern Tablelands, Central Tablelands, Riverina and local.
Unjoined first cross ewes and scanned in-lamb Merino ewes were keenly sought after while the store lamb market was red hot.
First cross ewes sold from $133 to $236 and Merino ewes from $116 to $236 while store lambs topped at $133.
Top first crosses was a pen of 330 unjoined June/July 2016 drop, January shorn, bred by David Freeth and sons, “Greentree”, Collie, selling to a Forbes restocker.
These were daughters of the Freeth’s self-replacing Merino flock of Langdene blood joined to Dunnield Border Leicester rams.
Merinos made the same top money at $236 when the annual draft from the Lyons family, “Mt Bodangora”, Wellington, sold to a Trundle restocker.
These were 704 Wallaloo Park blood ewes 1 ½ years, May shorn, 110 per cent scanned in lamb to Eumagalie White Suffolk rams.
Store lambs were in demand with 200 first cross August/September’16 drop unshorn ewes from Gillawarrina Ag, topping at $133 while Flick Estate, Yarrangrove”, Wellington, gained $113.50 for 490 Poll Dorset sired second cross mixed sex lambs September ‘16 drop, January shorn, to Scott Purseglove, “Wahroonga”, Trangie.
Other sales included 245 first cross ewes March/April’16 drop, November shorn, from the Steer family, “Wyuna”, Trangie, at $233 while the Woods family, “Lockwood”, Narromine, gained $226 for 116 first cross ewes April’16 drop, January shorn to Cowra.
View Fair Trading, “View Fair”, fetched $164 for 345 six year-old Merino ewes of Well Gully blood, September shorn and 100pc scanned to Border Leicester rams to an Ariah Park restocker.
The Wallace family sold 181 Merino ewes August/September 2011 drop of Egelabra blood, June shorn for $158 to a Corowa restocker.
Vanlubeck family, “Castlemaine”, sold 226 rising five and six year-old Nerstane blood Merino ewes, 100pc in lamb to Border Leicester rams at $148 while the McMullen family, “Myall Park”, Brewarrina, sold 308 Merino ewes September/October’14 drop of Weealla blood, December shorn, for $144.
Pentdale Nominees, “Carwell”, Coonamble, sold 266 mixed age Merino ewes January shorn of Coddington Poll blood and scanned 100pc in lamb making $136.
Top Merino wethers at $96 was a pen of 251 April/May 2015 drop, February shorn of Towalba blood bred by Cannon-Clayton, “Verellan”, selling to Forbes.