Bendigo prime sheep sale time changes due to extreme heat

In a historic first, an imminent prime sheep sale at Bendigo has started earlier in the day in anticipation of hot temperatures. It comes as animal welfare concerns are raised over a lack of shelter at the yards.

A prime sheep sale at Bendigo. Picture: Zoe Phillips

FOR the first time, the Bendigo saleyards will change the starting time for its regular prime lamb and sheep sale.

Monday’s sale will kick off at 8.30am, an hour earlier than usual due to the extreme heat of 42C predicted by weather forecasts.

The sale will also be capped at 15,000 as a way to mitigate potential issues around work

conditions for selling agents and saleyard staff as well as animal welfare.

It follows moves by animal activists to target the Bendigo centre for its lack of roofing to provide shelter and shade for livestock.

A group calling itself “Animal abuse at Australian saleyards” has started a campaign on Facebook — including an online petition that already has more than 1000 signatures — calling for the Bendigo Council, which operates the centre, to improve its facilities.

While agents have denied the changes to Monday’s sale are in response to activists, the saleyard is facing growing pressure to install a roof to bring it into line with other major Victorian lamb and sheep selling centres such as Ballarat, Horsham and Hamilton.

Elders Bendigo livestock manager Nigel Staritt said the sale had introduced changes this year to help improve conditions for workers and livestock.

This included drafting and selling big lines of sheep in the delivery pens so animals could be transported out early to processors ahead of the lambs being sold and delivered to buyers.

This had cut the amount of time animals were spending going through the auction system at Bendigo.

Mr Staritt said they had capped numbers before on days of extreme heat, but this was the first time the centre had shifted to an earlier start time.

“It will be the first time we have ever started selling this early, and we are doing it to help everyone and the stock,’’ he said.

The yarding has been capped at 15,000 with each selling agent being given an allocated number based on historical throughput.

Farmers wanting to sell stock at Bendigo on Monday are advised to talk to their agent and book drafts in early.

Bendigo Council has been contacted for comment.

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