There were close to 18,000 good quality sheep yarded at the Deniliquin saleyards yesterday, with prices reaching $280 a head for 2015-drop joined Merino ewes from Tupra, Oxley.
Landmark agent, Mark Braybon said the sheep sold well across the board considering the numbers were light on.
"We had 25,000-30,000 sheep in last year's sale, so it was considerably less, but we haven't been able to buy sheep and turn out sheep to come back as joined ewes this season," Mr Braybon said.
The first-cross ewes sold from around $170 to $276/hd. The tops were a pen of June/July-drop Border Leicester cross Merino ewes from the Crossley family, Kapunda, Deniliquin.
The pen of ewes were predominantly Boonoke blood, crossed with Cadell BL rams.
Most Merino ewe lambs sold from $130 to $202/hd. The top pen was 254 May/June-drop lambs from Pinewood, Deniliquin, bought by Julian Laffin, Everdry, Moama after a competitive bidding war with his neighbour.
Mr Braybon said the numbers in the joined young Merino ewes weren't there but the tops sold well, a pen of 311 April/May 2018-drop ewes from the Hogan and Scott family, Daysdale making $270/hd.
The Hogan's subsequent pens made $260 and $250/hd.
Young unjoined Merino ewes made up to $260/hd for a pen of 326 June/July 2018-drop ewes from the Atkinson family, North Tuppal, Tocumwal.
Nicholas Atkinson said the ewes had been on bore-water irrigated pastures and they were pleased with how they presented.
It was a pen of 564 2015-drop joined Merino ewes from Tupra, Oxley that topped the sale, making $280/hd.
Mr Braybon said the ewes attracted competition because they were a unique proposition.
"Not very often would you get to buy scanned in lambed ewes off Tupra, they don't often sell them," Mr Braybon said.
"The progeny of those ewes could make $250-350 because if we get a rain everyone's going to need sheep."
Tupra also topped the Merino wether lamb section, selling a pen of 191 June/July-drop lambs for $148/hd.
Graham Allitt, Singorimbah, Carrathool sold close to 1000 Merino wether lambs in the sale, his top pen of 441 July-drop lambs making $138/hd.
Mr Braybon said the large majority of buyers were from south of Deniliquin.
The sale was conducted by Elders, Landmark and Southern Riverina Livestock Agents.
- Full report in next week's edition of The Land.
