Ballarat agents achieved fairly predictable results at their first of their annual crossbred ewes on Friday when most lead drafts made $250, to a top of $272 a head.
The market top was achieved by former Ballarat and Ararat stock agent Jarrod Blandford and wife, Meagan of Dobie when they offered the opening yard of the sale: an August-shorn line of 241 Border Leicester Merino-cross, June/July 15-drop while near neighbour Calemondah, also of Dobie near Ararat, sold a November-shorn line of 252 BLM-cross, July/August 15-drop that made $270 a head.
Other vendors’ lead drafts in a yarding of 10,600 were also well supported through the sale at prices of $250-$268 a head. While second and third draft lots, which were mostly only spring-drop, met a market above expectation selling from $200 to $240.
The market for breeding ewes was also very soundly supported, with lines of two year-old ewes sold to $230, three year-olds from $190 to $200, and five and five year-old ewes from $158 to $176 a head.
A small selection of 2016-drop ewe lambs also drew plenty of interest with shorn lines sold from $180 to $198 a head, and unshorn pens from $120-$166 a head.
An exceptionally large gathering of the Western District’s prime lamb breeders attended the sale with successful buyers attending from Hamilton, Camperdown, Colac, Geelong, Leongatha, Bendigo and the greater Ballarat region.
The second of Ballarat’s crossbred ewe sales will be held on Thursday January 5th, starting again at 12.00 pm, midday.