Prices down about $10 at Bendigo sheep and lamb sale

A lamb producer from Kilmore says he fed his lambs $60 worth of grain before selling at Bendigo on Monday. Is the price worth it?

Robert Hiscock from Kilmore and granddaughter Milla, 13, sold 250 lambs at Bendigo on Monday.

Lamb prices were down at Bendigo prime sheep and lamb sale on Monday.

Rob Hiscock from Kilmore sold 250 Poll Dorset-cross lambs, with the tops making $250 and seconds $248. Both pens were about 34kg and had been fed on grain.

Another pen which had been fed on irrigated crop were about 28kg and made $216.

“We have been selling some every week, it’s our normal selling off period, but we sold a few more this week because there is no market next week due to Easter,” Rob said.

“I think we are down about $10 on last week.”

Rob said the season was “terrible” and he was feeding all of his sheep.

“The lambs which we fed with grain ate about $60 worth of grain (a head), so I think when it comes down to it, I think we are better off with the ones off irrigation (they made $216), as we aren’t putting $60 worth of grain into them.”

“But you can’t grow grass for nothing either.”

Rob said he expects prices to lift a fair bit when it rains.

“At the minute processors have plenty of lambs.”

Rob also runs cattle and grows fodder crops.

According to the National Livestock Reporting Service not all the regular buyers were at the Bendigo sale on Monday amid reports some processors have already covered their Easter kill requirements.

“The lamb market had a softer tone but price movements were modest, only 5-20c/kg carcass weight changes in a lot of cases,” the NLRS said.