Rare - More Sheep than Lambs at Bendigo

Yarding - 25,330

Seasonal influence evident today with just as many sheep yarded as lambs. There was 12,700 sheep and 12,630 lambs penned, agents suggesting producers are selling ewes earlier and keeping the young lambs which are just not making the grade this early spring. All the regular buyers attended and the lamb market opened very strongly before settling down and loosing some momentum. The main runs of new season lambs still managed to average dearer overall then a week ago, the price for good processing types from 830c to 950c/kg cwt with some isolated higher sales early in the auction. Bidding for old season lambs was also on the dearer side, particularly for any well presented trade and heavy types off feed. But there was little change to the plainest old lambs in rough skins.

The lead pens of new season lambs, 26-30kg cwt, from $230 to a top of $280/head and this section tended to have some of the dearest carcass price results due to limited runs at these weights. The main run of heavy trade young lambs, 24-26kg cwt, from $213 to $243/head to average close to 900c/kg cwt. Medium trade young lambs, 22-24kg cwt, from $189 to $235 at a ballpark 875c/kg cwt; followed by the 20-22kg cwt pens at $171 to $190 at an estimated cost of 840c/kg cwt. The results show how young lambs with weight and hard carcass finish received the best support from processors in this sale. Any fresh conditioned light MK style crossbred young lambs were well supported at $120 to $156/head to also trend above 800c/kg cwt.

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The old lamb yarding was very mixed for quality with less good heavy lambs available. There was some dearer results for neat trades off feed at $170 to $222 to be costing well over 800c/kg cwt at times. Very limited selection of export weights sold to $266/head. Mixed pens of secondary old lambs still in the 720c to 780c/kg cwt range.

The verdict from the mutton market was it had held up fairly well under the pressure of numbers, although the general run of trade to heavy sheep did ease $5 to $10/head on a week ago. The cost estimate for most grades of mutton was 330c to 380c/kg cwt. The main run of Merino ewes in the 24-30kg cwt size range sold from $83 to $116 at a ballpark 360c/kg cwt to processors. The heaviest ewes $100 to $132 and on weight were in the low 300c/kg price range. Competition for light sheep actually rallied a little on a week ago at $30 to $70/head for most.

https://www.bendigo.vic.gov.au/Services/Bendigo-Livestock-Exchange