Lamb numbers were back a little to 7344 head at Horsham this week, as supply tightens. Quality varied, but with a good selection of well finished lambs in all weight ranges. The usual buying group attended and operated in a firm to dearer market. The extra heavy export lambs sold to last week’s levels, the quality trade weight and export lambs sold from $4 to $10/head up on last week, with the lighter processing type lambs easing a few dollars in places. Extra heavy lambs reached a top of $251, with the heavier trade weight lambs selling to spirited competition, and ranging from $189 to $209/head, to average close to 800c/kg cwt. Trade weight Merino lambs sold from $136 to $160, and the lighter trade weights sold from $118 to $141/head and averaged 680c/kg cwt. Sheep numbers were back a little to 3133 head. Quality was very good with more shorn Merino sheep penned, especially wethers, which sold to $177/head. Heavy crossbred ewes sold to $180/head. Competition was not as strong as past weeks and sheep did ease by $2 to $5/head. The heavy shorn Merino wethers attracted keen competition to sell dearer. Light weight 2 score lambs sold from $94 to $124/head. Light trade 2 and 3 score lambs sold from $128 to $170/head and averaged 770c/kg cwt. Trade weight 3 and 4 score lambs sold from $165 to $184, with the heavier drafts selling from $189 to $209/head, they ranged from 750c to 842c, to average close to 800c/kg cwt. Heavy 3 and 4 score lambs sold from $205 to $232 and averaged 770c/kg cwt, with the extra heavy export lambs selling from $238 to $251/head. Heavy Merino hoggets sold to $160 and the crossbreds sold from $99 to $153/head. Light weight 1 and 2 score sheep sold from $67 to $109/head and averaged 500c/kg cwt. Medium weight 2 and 3 score sheep sold from $92 to $155/head and ranged from 425c to 565c, with a run of Merino mutton averaging 530c/kg cwt. Heavy Merino ewes sold from $129 to $172, the heavy Merino wethers sold from $133 to $177 and the medium weight wethers reached $126/head. The heavy Merino sheep averaged from 525c to 540c/kg cwt. Heavy 3 to 5 score crossbred sheep sold from $119 to $180/head, to average 470c/kg cwt. Crossbred wethers sold to $188 and rams sold from $42 to $131/head.

July 10. Yarding: 22,918. Change: up 2084.  

Lamb numbers increased slightly, with 17,563 head yarded this week at Ballarat. Once again, quality was good to very good over the heavy and extra heavy lamb categories. The trade weight and light lambs were more mixed, but still had many quality pens through the offering. 

The usual buying group attended and operated strongly on the trade and heavy lambs with the market improving from $2 to $10/head up on last week. Lighter processing-type lambs sold a few dollars easier in places. The best extra heavy lambs sold to $271, up $4/head on last week’s record prices. The heavier trade weight lambs sold from $180 to $203/head to average 765c/kg cwt. Trade weight Merino lambs sold to $160, with the lighter trade weights selling from $116 to $136/head. Feeders and restockers paid from $90 to $123/head for their replacement lambs. 

Light weight 2 score lambs sold from $89 to $126/head. Light trade 2 and 3 score lambs sold from $125 to $170/head and averaged 780c/kg cwt. Trade weight 3 and 4 score lambs sold from $159 to $182, with the heavier weights selling from $178 to $203/head. These sold from 720c to 820c and averaged 765c/kg cwt. Heavy 3 and 4 score lambs sold from $195 to $242/head to average 760c/kg cwt. The extra heavy export lambs sold from $239 to $271/head. Heavy hoggets sold from $120 to $169/head.

The total sheep offering of 5355 was also up on last week’s yarding. There were several pens of heavy crossbred ewes yarded that sold to $180, and heavy Merino wethers sold to $175/head. There was a good spread of all weights and grades as sheep continued to sell among strong demand, with most holding firm to a few dollars dearer. Light weight 1 and 2 score sheep sold from $64 to $126/head to average 490c/kg cwt. The very light 1 score sheep sold from $24 to $77/head. Medium weight 2 and 3 score sheep sold from $86 to $150/head, and made 375c to 560c, with a run of Merino mutton averaging 525c/kg cwt.Heavy Merino ewes sold from $141 to $170/head. Heavy Merino wethers sold from $130 to $175/head, and the medium weight wethers sold from $100 to $135/head. The heavy Merino sheep averaged from 540c to 570c/kg cwt. Heavy 3 to 5 score crossbred ewes sold from $118 to $180/head to average 460c/kg cwt. Crossbred wethers sold to $177.60 and rams made from $38 to $115.20/head

July 10. Yarding: 1129 . Change: up 390. 

Numbers increased as agents yarded 1129 head of live weight and open auction cattle. There were over 220 open auction calves this week with a number coming from pastoral areas of the state. These cattle sold to the usual field of trade and processor buyers and there was strong feeder support for cattle suitable to feed on. Quality ranged from store condition types to those coming off supplementary feed. Those with good weight and condition were in demand. This led to a mixed market in pricing as cows received strong buyer competition to lift again. A small number of vealers came forward. Both the trade and feeders sought supply with prices from 275c to 310c/kg. Yearling cattle were mixed in quality as feeder orders competed strongly for cattle to feed on. Feeders purchased yearling steers from 255c to 305c, restockers turned these back from 255c to 290c and the trade sought supply from 230c to 295c/kg. Yearling heifers to the trade sold from 244c to 296c, feeder heifers made from 256c to 277c with restockers active from 230c to 270c/kg. Grown cattle lifted in number with the steers to the trade from 236c to 285c, easing up to 8c/kg. Grown heifers sold from 210c to 270c/kg. Cows were again in demand with strong competition from the buying group. Light weight types made from 160c to 215c as the heavier selection sold from 210c to a high of 240c, with a lift here of 8c to 10c/kg. Bulls sold from 195c to 220c, after a high of 245c/kg.

July 11. Yarding: 697. Change: 286.

Numbers surpassed the loss of last week and quality, although again mixed, improved overall in the increased yarding of cattle. There were a lot more grown steers penned and competition was keener, with prices 5c to 15c/kg higher, especially for plainer types. Restockers were also competing well in the increased selection of young cattle and along with the trade buyers, paying similar money to last week. Cows sold to the best demand making a further 10c and even 15c/kg dearer. A similar field of buyers attended, though not all operated fully or could go the higher prices. The yarding comprised of 217 grown steers, 185 young cattle and grown heifers, 286 cows and 9 bulls. The C2 and C3 yearlings sold between 245c and 270c with most to the trade being heifers, while restockers paid up to 280c/kg. The plainer D1 and D2 grades sold from 214c to 235c and restockers paid to 252c/kg. Poor quality 1 score yearlings started at 132c/kg. There were considerably more finished grown steers yarded this week. The C3 and C4 grades made 265c to 295c, while C2s were between 245c and 278c/kg to restockers and processors. The D2 grade of manufacturing steers sold from 230c to 245c/kg and sold to the dearest trend. The E1 cows made 138c to 176c with the poorest sales from 100c/kg. The D1 cows made 177c and 210c. Heifers and clean up cows were in the average to good selection of C3 and C4 grades making 225c to 245c.