BIDDING was cautious but "eventually got there" topping at $86 a head for the main breeders' lines of 07-drop ewes during the John Wells Memorial October store sheep sale at Jerilderie, NSW, Friday.
A larger than anticipated yarding of 22,500 head was cleared owing to harsh seasonal conditions while buyer competition was mainly reserved to the eastern and northern parts of the Riverina and closer areas of northern Victoria.
Commenting before the sale, Ron Rutledge of Elders said surrounding seasonal conditions were oppressive and that numerous lines of other ewes had already been committed to slaughter.
He warned prospective buyers, if it was their intension to seek quality lines of breeders sometime in the future, to do so sooner rather than later as stocks would quickly run-out.
A well presented large line of 800 Woodpark blood and bred, June-July 07-drop Merino ewes September shorn commenced the sale on an opening bid placed at $60. Progressing slowly bids were continued in small $1 increments to reach $83.50 with the highest bidder nominating an option for half the line.
With no other buyer in the crowd willing to assist with the remaining balance the line was subsequently offered to the under-bidder who confirmed a sale for the entire 800 head at his under-bid price of $83.
The successful buyer as a consequence was Elders Narrandera for Martin Heckendorf, Top Reeds, Narrandera - a repeat buyer who was replacing a previous line of Woodpark blood ewes, now aged 9 to 10 years.
Mr Heckendorf said while his season was “okay” his newly-acquired line would have access to bore-supplied irrigation but water-access from Murrumbidgee River frontage was not available. He plans to depasture the line to White Suffolk terminal sires.
The second-pen offered, and winner of the John Wells Memorial Shield as the highest priced line of 07-drop ewes sold at the October sale, was Andrew Sleigh’s Sleigh Pastoral Merino ewes, Willandra blood, Bowen-Kooringal bred. Offered as a pen of 429 head this August shorn again went to buyers at Landmark, Narrandera, while the seconds of the Sleigh Pastoral line, comprising 452 head, went to Benalla on a bid placed at $60.
Other notable 07-drop lines were a yard of 370 Wanawong-bred ewes, August shorn, Woodpark bloodlines, that made $75.50 while a line of 563 West Park ewes, February shorn, Collinsville blood went to Barellan, NSW priced at $71.
A pen of 217 One Oak Poll-blood and bred 07-drop Merino ewes April shorn made $69 while 400 Buckingbong-bred merino ewes, August shorn and Willandra blood, made $68.
A pen of 06-drop ewes, September shorn Glenbyrne blood and Mitchell bred, sold by Bungoona also to Narrandera made $70, while a pen of 280 04-05drop Willurah blood and bred ewes, April shorn, made $68.
Interest in all other older aged ewes - 03 to 05-drop - deteriorated but traded in context with the lower rates of recent slaughter market prices to average about $10 a head than expected, making $32-$46.
For full report and market coverage see Stock & Land, October 9.
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