In what could well be a western Queensland record, David and Sarah Fysh, Acacia Downs, Muttaburra this week received $271/head on AuctionsPlus for rising four-year-old scanned in lamb ewes.
The 650 February-shorn Well Gully Merino and poll Merino ewes were assessed at 52.4kg, giving a live weight price of 517.2c/kg.
Burren Junction, NSW grower Phillip Seville purchased that lot plus the following lot from Acacia Downs, 625 rising seven and eight-year-old Merino ewes, also scanned in lamb, for $206, in a very competitive environment.
The sale was motivated by the extreme dry still being experienced at Acacia Downs, which has received less than 50mm of rain for the year to date over most of the country and where the flock was being handfed.
"When you can sell stock for that money, you can manage the dry times," a relieved Mr Fysh said.
"This year is shaping up to be the worst of the whole show, out of the last eight.
"It's great to sell into such a big market."
They were down to half their usual stocking rate last year, and will now be putting some of the younger ewes that they've retained, on agistment at Quilpie.
Together with 660 scanned undetectable ewes ranging in age from three to eight years, averaging 48kg live weight, that sold for $136/head, the 1935 head in total averaged $203.95.
Tim Salter, Elders Longreach, who assessed the sheep, said younger ewes had been bringing between $200 and $230 a head on AuctionsPlus in recent weeks.
"The Acacia Downs sheep were part of a super well-managed flock," he said.
Mr Fysh said he'd never sold ewes in lamb before but he put them up for sale knowing they were highly sought after in the current market.
"We elected to sell that line to generate some cash flow," he said. "Plus the Well Gully genetics was something a lot of people were chasing."