Ballarat grabs national lamb record price crown with $380

A line of 180 first-cross-Dorset heavyweight lambs offered by Kevin and Jean Guthrie and family, from Dean, topped at $380 and were knocked down to Southern Meats, Goulburn.

The previous day at Bendigo Southern Meats had paid a then national record price of $360 for 88 first-cross-Dorset lambs estimated to dress at around 43kg and sold through Bendigo agency, Ellis Nuttall.

The 11-month-old lambs were offered by Adrian and Bryon McIntosh from Wanalta.

Forbes had held the national record for the highest-priced lambs at $355 set in July last year

Mr Guthrie, 76, said he didn't know how long the record would last but said "they were magnificent bloody lambs".

He bought the lambs at Bendigo last October-November and finished them on grass, lucerne and rape.

The lambs were sold through Ballarat agency, T.B. White and Sons, whose livestock manager, Xavier Bourke, said the record setters would have dressed around 40kg an were aged nine to 10 months.

Mr Bourke said the market had been heading skywards since Christmas.

The red-hot prices have been flushing big numbers of lambs and sheep onto the market but agents fear numbers may dry up in coming weeks and months as more rain encourages flock rebuilding.