David, Michael and Nick Lyons, three generations of the family at “Mount Bodangora”, Wellington, claimed a record achievement for Merinos at last Wednesday’s Narromine store sheep sale when their 1 ½ year-old ewes scanned in lamb to White Suffolk rams sold at a higher price than first-cross ewes.
Last year the family’s Mt Bodangora bred Merinos equaled first-cross prices when among their annual draft 704 Wallaloo Park blood ewes of the same age and joined to Eumagalie rams topped at $236.
This year however, they topped the sale at $214 for 336 Well Gully Poll blood ewes scanned at 130 per cent in-lamb to Eumagalie rams and May shorn.
Mt Bodangora’s draft of 448 five-year-olds of Wallaloo Park blood also scanned 152pc sold at $192 each while 310 5 ½ year-olds also joined made $150 a head.
A total of 12,500 sheep were yarded with Landmark Wilson Russ agent Ashley McGilchrist saying while numbers were up, it was slightly harder to find homes for the sheep as the summer dry had really set in.
“Unfortunately just about every region is feeling the dry pinch at the same time and values dropped from previous sales,” he said.
“But watch what happens when the season breaks as surplus ewes will be hard to secure and will be much dearer.”
Meadowood Partnership, “Woodlands”, Tottenham, gained $170 each for 168 Merino ewes August/September 2016 June shorn ewes of Egelabra blood.
The Hickey family “Belandre Park”, Wellington, sold 448 June/July 2016 drop Merino ewes of Plevna blood, the entire drop to the Coonamble district at $150 each.
First-cross ewes
Top money for first-cross ewes was down to just $206 which was paid by a Glen Innes restocker for 108 March/April 2017 drop January shorn ewes bred and offered by Tom Woods, Lockwood”, Narromine.
After paying top money for first-cross ewes at the December sale, Alan Hutchinson, “Mayfield”, Ootha, returned and bought 145 more but this time only paid up to $200, some $56 less than last month.
Among his purchases at $200 each were 56 April ‘17 drop October shorn ewes bred and offered by the Skinner family, “Deloraine”, Wyanga between Tomingley and Narromine. Another pen of 90 ewes May ‘17 drop and December shorn from the Tuck family’s Llanver Trust, Narromine, was secured for $174 a head.
The extended dry season had the Steer family brothers Phil and Austin Steer, “Wyuna”, Trangie, offload some of their first-cross ewes with 189 February/March ‘17 drop January shorn ewes selling at $196 each.
Ross Ferrari, “Galteemore”, Trangie, sold 119 first-cross ewes March/April ‘17 drop, January shorn at $186 each while David Freeth and Son, Collie, gained $170 a head for their draft of 292 first-cross ewes June/July ‘17 drop, December shorn.
Kelvin Baker, “Erclidoone”, Narromine, gained $168 each for 277 first-cross ewes 1 ½ years December shorn and 100pc scanned in lamb to White Suffolk rams.