What prime lamb breeders are paying for first cross ewes

In the first test of southern crossbred rates, prices were down on last year, but not by as much as some predicted.

Prices were back, but not by as much as people had expected, as first cross ewes sold to $412 at Corowa today.

Many observers thought prices might have been down by at least $100, but Elders Corowa auctioneer Steve Grantham said the correction was closer to $70.

“We were all very happy with the way the sale went and it was a result of repeat buyers and breeders’ sheep,” Mr Grantham said.

“When you factor in mutton prices are down, the lamb job is 150c/kg cheaper, you would expect the prices to be back $100 but they weren’t.”

The $400-mark was broken only once – by the top pen of ewes from the Bott family, which sold for $412 – but it was the only pen to do so, in contrast to last year where the top was $500 and plenty broke the $400 mark.

Many lines of 1-1/2-year old spring shorn ewes made $330-$350 with heavier and more even lines above this and consistently selling for $350 or more.

The key offering was Bill and David Bott’s run of 1227 first cross ewes, which were April-May 2021-drop and September shorn. Bred from Alma-blood ewes, the size and scale and finish of the sheep attracted repeat buyers who were keen to secure the prime lamb dams again.

David and Bill Bott from Mulwala, NSW, sold 1227 first cross ewes at Corowa to a top price of $412.

Mr Bott said he had hoped to average about $300, setting realistic expectations with the check in mutton prices and lamb values.

“You have to be a realist about these prices,” Mr Bott said.

“We will still make money with the prices we got today, and for a few years it has been in the vendor’s favour so it is good to be in the buyer’s favour for once.

“The conditions are so wet that it has been hard to get the sheep even here – we had to swim them through two creeks to get them into the yards at home before we could send them to the saleyards.”

The top pen of Bott family ewes was a run of 833, with the first 350 selling to Leongatha at $412, and the rest making $380.

The balance of the Botts’ sheep made $260-$350.

Dean Jenkinson from JM Ellis and Co bought 800 first cross ewes for an average of about $350 and said it was about $60 less than last year.

“I’ve bought for one client in the Western District and one at Swan Hill, and I think this is pretty good buying for proven breeders,” Mr Jenkinson said.

Some of the selling action at Corowa first cross sale where ewes sold to $412.

Younger and smaller pen lots received less bidding, and sold as cheaply as $210 for ewes, which were just rising one year and were June shorn.

The offering also included a limited number of ewe lambs, which topped at $260 for a pen of 293 March-April 2022-drop, which were September shorn and sold by T and M and C Rhodes. The ewe lambs had an estimated liveweight of about 50kg and sold to a buyer from Kilmore.

Other ewe lambs made $200-$250 with a couple of pens passed in.

Older ewes attracted limited competition, with the best price for 2020-drop breeders which made to $272.